WEST CHESTER, PA (Tuesday, February 2, 2021) – The Fund for Women and Girls (The Fund) will honor Mary Lou Sterge – a longtime and devoted advocate for women and girls in Chester County — with its Kitchen Table Award at the 16th Annual Making a Difference Luncheon on Friday, May 7, 2021, at The Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Malvern. This year’s Luncheon celebrates The Fund’s 25th Anniversary with a theme of “Silver and Bold,” and will be hosted in-person, outdoors, with proper social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions in place. There will also be a virtual option for attendees.

The Fund established the Kitchen Table Award in 2011 to honor a Chester County woman who has made substantive contributions through service and/or philanthropy to improve the lives of women and girls through her own time, talent or resources. It is named in celebration of the genesis of The Fund in 1996: the many conversations held around kitchen, board and coffee tables about what could be done to address the needs of local women and girls. This year, The Fund considered the highest number of candidates in the award’s history.

Mary Lou Sterge has been devoted to The Fund’s mission of supporting women and girls since the early days around the Kitchen Table, where the seeds of the organization were planted and nurtured. She is a powerful example of transforming passion into action, well respected for her various leadership roles within The Fund that have included serving as former Board Chair and as one of the key women who established the Girls Advisory Board (GAB) girls’ leadership and grantmaking program over 17 years ago. Mary Lou’s leadership and steady guidance – as well as her personal commitment to the mission and intimate knowledge of the organization’s roots – has helped guide The Fund to where it is today.

Mary Lou is a well-known philanthropic force in Chester County and the Philadelphia region. Not only does she provide financial support, but Mary Lou rolls up her sleeves and works at making the organizations that she supports stronger. She is willing to go to almost any length – from providing strategic direction at the Board level to personally hosting events or meetings to representing the organizations that she supports in the public sphere. Her contributions to Chester County are significant but often anonymous – a sign of true, selfless leadership. Additionally, Mary Lou has volunteered with a wide spectrum of local organizations and programs, including the Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County, Home of the Sparrow, The Colonial Theater, The Woodlynde School, Volunteer English Program, and The Barn at Spring Brook Farm.

In the words of The Fund Board Member and nominator Cate Sennett, “Mary Lou would never expect to be recognized for her work. She is a ‘behind the scenes’’ force that is looking to make things better – not looking for a pat on the back. Her faith, her devotion to her family and friends, all inspire her work and we all are lucky to be the beneficiaries. She has been devoted to the cause since the beginning and has never wavered in bringing out the best that The Fund can be.”

“I am fortunate to have experienced firsthand the depth of Mary Lou’s leadership and her passion to see women and girls thrive. She has been a part of our journey from the beginning, helping to grow our reach and impact throughout Chester County and beyond. I am so pleased to be able to honor her during our 25th Anniversary,” added The Fund Executive Director, Michelle Legaspi Sánchez.

The 16th Annual Making a Difference Luncheon will also feature keynote speaker Uva Cristina Coles, Founder and CEO of Inclusiva, a consulting firm specializing in developing inclusive workforce strategies. A former non-profit and higher education executive, Uva has garnered over 25 years of experience focused on designing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) solutions, spearheading workforce development strategies, negotiating local-to-global academic partnerships, and advising C-suite and non-profit governance leaders on integrating systemic DEI change management. She also currently serves on the City of Philadelphia’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board. Uva has been honored with Main Line Today’s 2020 Power Women Award, the 2019 Al Dia News Hispanic Heritage Award in Education, the 2018 Urban Affairs Coalition Friend Award, and the 2018 Social Innovations Award for her leadership in leveraging education as a poverty disruptor in underserved communities.

Stay tuned in the coming months for more details and registration information for the 16th Annual Making a Difference Luncheon. Please contact The Fund Development Director Dana Wiley at dwiley@thefundcc.org or 484-356-0940 for Luncheon partnership opportunities.