Thinking Big in the Community - The Health Fund for Frederick County Youth

When Hunter Molestator needed assistance to keep up with his older brothers, take walks with his family, attend sporting events and participate in other activities that require mobility, The Health Fund for Frederick County Youth awarded a grant to a local nonprofit agency for the purchase of an all-terrain stroller. Hunter, a 12 year-old youth with Down’s Syndrome and other related medical challenges, “loves his buggy,” according to his Mom. “Hunter has difficulty walking and running, and gets tired easily. The chair has been a lifesaver and has made it easier for Hunter to be part of everything we do.”

The Health Fund for Frederick County Youth, formerly The Children’s Endowment Fund and The Children’s Health Fund, was the brainchild of the newly formed Community Foundation Board of Associates in 1991. They acknowledged Frederick County’s strong commitment to family and the healthy, productive growth of children and youth and decided to make the creation of the fund and building its legacy a priority project.  Since then, the fund has been a source of aid for children in need of extraordinary medical assistance, and also has supported youth programs for literacy, substance abuse prevention, after-school needs and more. Initial gifts in support of the fund were made by Donald C. Linton, CPA, and Pythian Castle Lodge.

The official kick-off to the fund in 1992 enlisted the help of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Carson gave a special presentation to the public at the Weinberg Center, based on the theme “Think Big,” the title of Dr. Carson’s book. His presentation was one of the highlights of the year for the Community Foundation. Hundreds of local residents attended the presentation to hear his personal story of achieving ground-breaking work in pediatric surgery after being called “the dumbest kid in the class” in fifth grade. Dr. Carson’s “Think Big” model for youth stressed reading as the key to success.

Children are the future. Humans place enormous faith in new generations, imagining what they will accomplish and attempting to provide them all the resources they will need to prepare for the generations that follow them. Some children are not as lucky as others and need the support of the community to reach their potential. In the almost-20 years since 1992, the fund has helped children “imagine what’s next” by awarding tens-of-thousands of dollars in grants assisting with extraordinary medical issues and also supporting a variety of youth programs. These awards were possible, and will continue to be possible not only because of the vision of the 1991 Board of Associates, but because “community works” in big ways to assist those in need.