Sallie Mae makes $50,000 contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Sallie Mae announced a $50,000 contribution from the company’s charitable arm, The Sallie Mae Fund, to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware. The grant will help fund the expansion of the nonprofit’s School Mentoring Program, which provides mentoring services to more than 350 students in the city of Wilmington.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware continues to measure and refine our programs to ensure that we are making the most effective and longest lasting impression possible,” said Mary P. Fox, executive director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware. “Sallie Mae’s consistent support continues to help us reach more students and further academic growth.”
Since 2014, Sallie Mae has contributed more than $145,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware. In addition to providing grants, the company’s employees consistently participate in various Big Brothers Big Sisters’ initiatives, including the “Holiday Appeal” program, a campaign that provides gifts for needy families facing financial hardships, and the “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” fundraiser, a national effort to raise money in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters as they continue to change how children grow up.
“Sallie Mae is committed to giving back in Delaware: home to our headquarters, a recently opened new office, and hundreds of employees,” said Matt Sullivan, vice president, Sallie Mae. “As president of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Delaware board of directors, I have seen firsthand how crucial and effective these programs are, and I am proud to work for a company dedicated to making a difference.”
Sallie Mae has more than 950 employees between its corporate headquarters near Newark and a second location in Christiana. For more information, visit www.salliemae.com.
Navient Foundation supports hospital fund-raiser
Navient Foundation, the Wilmington-based company’s philanthropic fund, awarded a $6,120 grant to support Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and sponsor a two-day fundraiser.
“This year’s event benefits hospital-based programs at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, such as Child Life, Creative Arts Therapy & School Programs and Palliative Care,” said Becky Phillips, partnership development and cause marketing for the hospital. “These programs provide patients with tools to cope with their hospital stay through art, music, dance and educational activities. These types of programs are crucial to helping children be children while being treated, providing fun and hope to the entire family.”
Sponsored by Delmarva Broadcasting Company, the 2018 Help Our Kids Radiothon will take place today and Thursday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Navient employees will join about 140 volunteers on the staff donation lines during the two-day event. Last year, the hospital served more than 190,000 in the Delaware Valley.
National honor for Spicer Mullikin
The National Funeral Directors Association gave the inaugural Richard Myers Pinnacle Award to Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory.
Spicer-Mullikin’s team created a 16-page anti-bullying activity book geared toward children ages four to eight. The book’s main character, a bulldog named Duchess, offers a “warmer, gentler way to introduce the topic of bullying to a young audience.” Duchess is the name of funeral home owner Matthew Smith’s bulldog.
The book, entitled Duchess the Bulldog Says Be a Buddy, Not a Bully, has been distributed by Spicer-Mullikin staff to local libraries, the YMCA and several elementary schools. The book is also available to children who accompany adults to the funeral home.
Spicer-Mullikin staff members have hosted live book readings for local children in aftercare and summer camps at YMCA.
This award is named in honor of the founder of the Pursuit of Excellence Program, Funeral Director Association Past President Richard Myers.
Spicer-Mullikin was also named a 2018 recipient of the NFDA Pursuit of Excellence Award for the fourth consecutive year.
Spicer-Mullikin has locations in New Castle, Newark, Delaware City and is slated to open a location in Middletown.
Hotel duPont artwork to be unveiled after restoration at Delaware Art Museum
Bank of America and the Delaware Art Museum will unveil the restoration of 13 works of art gifted to the museum by DuPont Co. and previously on display at the Hotel du Pont in Wilmington on Saturday.
The Delaware Art Museum received Bank of America’s Art Conservation Grant in 2017, allowing for the restoration and conservation of these works of art by notable American painters, including the Wyeth family, Frank Schoonover, and Edward L. Loper.
The unveiling highlights nearly a year’s worth of restoration work so that generations to come can enjoy the historical and cultural significance of these beautiful pieces.
