Sheltering Arms Foundation honors its founding visionaries, kicks off anniversary celebrations

2007 Children’s Leadership Award presented to four women leaders from foundation’s first board

Bishop Jelinek stands with Margaret Lind, Marilyn Garwood, and Sherry Lund, all members of the Sheltering Arms Foundation's founding trustees

With the approach of 2008 comes the 25th anniversary of the Sheltering Arms Foundation, and its 2007-2008 board of directors is pleased to announce it has launched the celebration by honoring the organization’s founding trustees with its special Children’s Leadership Award. Three of the founding trustees were able to attend the awards night on November 1, held at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis: Marilyn Garwood of St. Paul; Margaret Lind of Minneapolis; and Sherry Lund of Wayzata. A fourth, Darlene Haskin of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was unable to attend but was honored in absentia.

For the Sheltering Arms Foundation of 2007, it is all in a year’s work to strive for full health care coverage of Minnesota’s children, for 100% of the state’s young children to be ready for kindergarten, for 0% of our children to be homeless, neglected or abused. But, 25 years ago, this scenario of supporting Minnesota’s neediest children across a spectrum of challenges was just a dream of the future.

Twenty five years ago, the Sheltering Arms staff and board of directors were celebrating the organization’s 100th anniversary and exploring options for its future. Established in the 1880s by Annette Relf, the first Episcopalian deconess in Minnesota, as the state’s first orphanage, Sheltering Arms evolved over the decades in response to the changing needs of Minnesota’s children, becoming a polio hospital in 1943 and a day school for children with special needs in 1955. In the early 1980s, the women governing Sheltering Arms realized that changes in the public school system meant the school would no longer be needed. They had the foresight to envision a new role for Sheltering Arms, and in 1983 it was reincorporated as a foundation, led by a board of trustees made up of women members of the Episcopal Church of Minnesota.

“Our organization is able to be nimble in our approach to caring for Minnesota’s most vulnerable children,” said Denise Mayotte, executive director of the Sheltering Arms Foundation. “Each year we are able to assess information and feedback from people caring for or serving children all across the state, so we can see where the greatest needs currently are and then guide our funding and our advocacy work accordingly. This flexibility and agility was absolutely made possible by our founding mothers and their ability to imagine a better world for all our children.”

“We stand on the shoulders of the women who have gone before us,” said Lynne Teckman, board president and chair of the foundation’s development committee. “Marilyn, Darlene, Margaret, Sherry and their colleagues on the board were the architects who created the Sheltering Arms Foundation, and as we launch our anniversary celebrations, they are ever present in our minds. It is fitting that our Children’s Leadership Award this year goes to this group of visionary leaders.”

Since its inception in 1983, the Sheltering Arms Foundation has awarded more than 670 grants totaling more than $10 million dollars. The bulk of this money has been invested in program related support (80%), and the remainder has gone toward advocacy-related support (15%) and start up funds or technical assistance (5%). Over the 25 years, 166 women have contributed to Sheltering Arms through their leadership as trustees, with an additional 25 women as honorary board members.

125th Anniversary Commemorative Grants
Honoring 125 years of serving Minnesota’s vulnerable children and 25 years as a foundation with this mission, the Sheltering Arms trustees are also pleased to announce a special one-time grant round: Small grants of up to $1,000 will be offered to Minnesota Episcopal congregations supporting their efforts in improving the lives of vulnerable children, youth, and their families in Minnesota. Proposals for these one time grants are due May 15, 2008. Grant awards will be announced in July 2008, with eligible projects occurring between September 2008 and August 2009.

About Sheltering Arms
The Sheltering Arms Foundation’s mission is to enhance the lives of children and help them reach their full potential, especially those experiencing barriers to success. The foundation supports programs benefiting Minnesota children ages 12 and under and their families who are most vulnerable and have least access to resources. The next deadline for annual grant applications is January 18, 2008. For more information about submitting a grant request, volunteering, or donating to the foundation, call 612-871-9210 (toll free 866-871-9210) or visit http://sheltering-arms.org/.