On November 4, the Fund for Women and Girls awarded their inaugural Liz Gray Erickson Memorial Grant to HomeWorks Trenton. Homeworks is a free, community-based after-school residential program that provides academic and social-emotional enrichment to high school girls in Trenton. The members of the Fund are honored to award this 3-year, $75,000 grant in the memory of Liz Gray Erickson, who led the Fund for Women and Girls from 2012-2014.

Liz believed in sustained nonprofit investment as a means to foster meaningful, positive community change. Implicit in her life of service was the belief that by working together, we can make our communities better. These values of service, respect, inclusion, and leadership are reflected in HomeWorks’ mission and practices. Founded in 2017, HomeWorks brings the benefits of a boarding school experience to public education, providing a safe and supportive home environment for up to 24 young women.

“We are honored and grateful to receive the inaugural Liz Gray Erickson Memorial Grant this year,” said Natalie Tung, Co-founder and Executive Director of Homeworks. “Thank you so much to the Fund for Women and Girls for all your support and for your intentional and thoughtful approach to supporting non-profits in our community. We are so excited to work hand in hand with you over the next three years to continue building a space where our scholars will achieve academic and social-emotional growth, and gain more confidence in who they are and are becoming as young women leaders of our community!”

This year, thanks to the generosity of its nearly 100 members, the Fund for Women and Girls awarded over $325,000 to seven nonprofits in greater Mercer County.