Foundation’s work benefits so many in Milton

Since 2006, a small group of volunteers has been quietly working to create and support some of Milton’s most iconic events, causes and landmarks. The Milton Community Foundation has no paid staff and no office. It is run entirely by a 15-member volunteer board of directors – on which I have the honor to serve as president – and is fueled by the generosity of the town’s residents and businesses. Despite this small, scrappy structure, the Milton Community Foundation has had an outsized impact on the town’s look, traditions and quality of life.

The statue of John Milton in Milton’s Mill Park was the foundation’s first project. In 2006, we commissioned a bronze likeness of the English poet in whose honor the town was named. The statue immediately became one of Milton’s most visited landmarks. Countless photographs have been taken of park visitors chatting with Mr. Milton, and an unknown local artist has created another town tradition: dressing the statue to celebrate holidays with revolving changes of hats, scarves and accessories. 

In downtown Milton, the foundation supported the street clock and the “Welcome to Milton” mural, both of which have become iconic parts of our town center. Nearby, at the Milton Historical Society, with support from Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the foundation erected a commemorative plaque to honor Milton native and civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson. Down the road, the foundation supported a less visible but vitally important addition to Milton’s built infrastructure: a new freezer and large food scale at the Milton Community Food Pantry.

In addition to significantly contributing to the town’s built environment, the foundation has supported several projects to protect the natural environment. In 2013, we managed a $50,000 grant from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to create three stormwater gardens. We also paid most of the cost for a water bottle filling station to reduce the use of plastic bottles. 

Advancing the foundation’s mission to serve the future, several programs focus on youth. We support the Gladys Wilkins Seeding the Future Scholarship for students majoring in agriculture and the H.O. Brittingham Scholarship Fund for students planning to become teachers or work in medicine. The foundation has also donated funds to H.O. Brittingham Elementary School’s robotics team and to purchase books for its K-2 leadership program. 

Perhaps the program that touches hearts most is the Noble Prettyman Cap and Gown Fund. When foundation founder Joanie Martin-Brown learned that students who couldn’t afford cap and gown fees could not participate in their graduation ceremony, the foundation established this fund to honor lifelong Milton resident and longtime Cape Henlopen School District school board member Noble Prettyman. Each year, when MCF reaches out to the public to support this work, the response has been so generous. We’ve been able to pay for the cap and gown rental fees for every graduating Cape student in need. To date, the Prettyman fund has donated more than $15,000 so that every graduating Cape student can participate in their high school commencement ceremony. 

Because foundation board members are deeply connected to the community, we are able to respond quickly when needs arise. When the COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented job losses and plunged many into economic distress, the foundation appealed to the local community and raised $19,000 to purchase and distribute grocery gift cards. When a fire in downtown Milton displaced three local businesses, the foundation was able to donate funds to help defray recovery expenses.

Most recently, when we learned that the droppings of a greatly increased local goose population were threatening public health in Memorial Park and increasing bacterial levels from runoff into the Broadkill River, the foundation paid the full cost of a poop scooper for the town’s public works department.

Milton residents and visitors often benefit from the foundation’s largesse without even knowing it. The ice-cold bottles of water distributed free of charge at the annual Milton Fourth of July celebration are compliments of the foundation. So too are the cookies handed out at the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting. The Adirondack chairs folks settle into for a view of the Broadkill River are gifts of the foundation and Irish Eyes. Quietly and routinely, the foundation makes contributions to local organizations, including the Milton Garden Club, Lions Club, Women’s Club and Eagle Scout projects. 

Whether physically enhancing the town, sponsoring activities, escrowing funds for citizen-led initiatives or protecting Milton’s natural environment, Milton Community Foundation remains flexible and ready to serve. We do this because of the kindness of the generous folks who support us. To them, we offer our most sincere thanks and our promise to continue to serve the community on their behalf. We invite others to join us as donors and as volunteers at community events. We may be contacted at miltoncommunityfoundation@gmail.com.