2026 Women & Girls Fund Award recipients, Midge Menzies and Leslie Ware.
Representatives from 16 Mid-Shore nonprofits will be accepting checks totaling $66,100 at the Women & Girls Fund’s Grants & Awards Luncheon on April 27 at 11:30 a.m. at the Tidewater Inn. That will bring the Fund’s overall grant total to $1,033,000, given to 120 distinct non-profits whose programs benefit women and girls in one or more of the five Mid-Shore counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot. The organization began its grant program in 2003.
The grants will be presented to two new organizations this year – Awaken Recovery Foundation and All4Love, and 14 non-profits that have previously received Women & Girls Fund grants. The grants support programs that address a broad range of issues directly affecting women and girls, including access to childcare, afterschool and summer enrichment programs for youth, educational tutoring, mental health care, mediation services, grief services, and Parkinson’s support.
All4Love is a nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, Maryland, dedicated to improving the lives of adolescents and young adults in the Dorchester community by providing transformative, holistically developed opportunities uniquely tailored to the community. Guided by the values of excellence, consistency, and collaboration, ALL4LOVE works to provide safe spaces, caring mentors, and meaningful opportunities for young people to grow, lead, and thrive. The grant will support the organization’s Roses & Sunflowers Etiquette and Leadership Program, which equips middle school girls with the confidence, life skills, and character to thrive.
Awaken Recovery Foundation (ARF) was created to meet the urgent need for safe, supportive recovery housing for women on Maryland’s Mid-Shore. ARF operates multiple peer-run homes that provide not just shelter, but a community where women in recovery can heal, grow, and reclaim their lives. The grant will expand programs that directly confront the barriers women in recovery face—poor health, stigma, unstable employment, and housing. In particular, the grant will help expand the Wise Mind Nutrition platform, which offers app-based coaching, group workshops, and individualized health education to improve wellness and prevent relapse.
In addition to bestowing the grant checks at the luncheon, the Fund will present its two annual community awards. The 2026 Women & Girls Fund Award will be presented to two recipients, Midge Menzies and Leslie Ware. The 2026 recipient of the Sheryl V. Kerr Award is Leann Rhodes-Ickes, the founder and executive director of Tides of Grace.
“This year is a milestone year for the Women & Girls Fund as we crossed the $1,000,000 mark in the grants awarded to nonprofits whose programs benefit women and girls on the Mid-Shore. This, combined with our honoring our award recipients and grant recipients, makes our Grants & Awards Luncheon an incredible reason for celebration this year,” said Beth Spurry, president of the Women & Girls Fund Board.
“Having women at the helm of several nonprofit organizations in our community has benefited the quality of life here in so many ways. We are excited to honor three such women this year through our two annual community awards. Midge Menzies and Leslie Ware have worked tirelessly to support the work of Talbot Hospice for over 40 years. Leann Rhodes-Ickes, the founder and executive director of Tides of Grace, continues to find new ways to show up in the lives of others in life’s hardest moments,” she adds.
The Grants & Awards Luncheon will be held Monday, April 27, at 11:30 a.m. at The Tidewater Inn Gold Room in Easton. The ticket price is $65 per person, and the event is open to the public. The registration deadline is April 13. To make a reservation or for more information: info@womenandgirlsfund.org or www.womenandgirlsfund.org.
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