Fund for Women to honor Cheryl Mitchell Oct. 20

The Fund for Women at the Delaware Community Foundation announced the selection of Cheryl Mitchell as its 2021 First Founders awardee.

The First Founders Award is presented annually to a founder who has a record of exceptional generosity, demonstrates civic and/or charitable responsibility and has through their leadership encouraged others in philanthropic endeavors throughout Delaware.

This award honors the Fund for Women vision that all women and girls in Delaware are empowered to achieve their potential.

Mitchell will receive the award at the First Founders Breakfast at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 20,  at Riverfront Events in Wilmington. Registration is required at fundforwomende.com.

A proven leader in philanthropy and volunteerism in Sussex County and Delaware, Mitchell has been a FFW founder since 2007 and has worked diligently for more than 13 years on the Sussex County Development Committee. She recruits many friends and founders to participate in philanthropic campaigns with her, and has held monthly Lunch with a Purpose/Coastal Delaware fundraising luncheons from September through May for over 14 years.

Since the group began, Lunch with a Purpose/Coastal Delaware has raised more than $250,000 for local nonprofits in Delaware, gathered tens of thousands of pounds of food for the Food Bank of Delaware, and engaged over 200 participants each month. This year, the group was recognized by Gov. John Carney at the 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Awards.

Recently, when her own grandson was tragically killed in a car accident, Mitchell partnered with the nonprofit SmartDriveUSA to help teach kids about safe driving so such accidents are less likely to occur.

Born and raised in suburban Philadelphia, Mitchell has been a Delaware resident since 1974. She lives in Georgetown with her husband of 37 years, Curt Mitchell. After retiring in 2003 from the financial services industry as an executive working for several banking institutions in Delaware, Mitchell continued working as an independent consultant.