Stories: Millennium Fund for Children Stories

The youngest of five siblings, Momoe Garland was born on March 4, 1944, in Fukuoka, Japan, but for the past 53 years has built her family, career and life in Akron, Ohio.  After arriving in the United States in the 1970s, Momoe worked for a time at a...

Philanthropy runs in the family for Abby DiSalvo, the youngest member of the Millennium Fund's grant committee. From a young age, her grandparents made a point to involve the whole family in discussions about helping others through philanthropy. She credits...

Philanthropy isn't just the domain of the wealthy. In fact, small amounts can yield big returns, especially when donating to an endowment fund like the Millennium Fund for Children. Akron resident Rose Marie Schreier has given modestly, but what makes her...

It's time for recess, and physical education teacher Mary Breiding watches as her students play on the playground at McEbright Community Learning Center. Soon, she realizes they're not just playing – they're dancing. The kids are practicing the dance moves...

Each year, nearly 2.5 million children in the United States experience homelessness, making children the majority of the homeless population. Here in Summit County, dozens of families face this same plight, including more than 100 children and babies....

It was the 1999 Thanksgiving issue of the Akron Beacon Journal that first drew Jane Palmer's attention to the Millennium Fund for Children. Editors at the newspaper had taken advantage of the holiday weekend to announce the establishment of their new...

Taylor Wessels served as a youth representative on the Millennium Fund from 1999 to 2005. Now married and living in Cincinnati, Taylor reflects on the lessons he learned about philanthropy as a teen:  Ever since I was old enough to get an allowance, my...

As an internationally acclaimed museum, the Akron Art Museum is famous for its massive collection of art created by virtuosos like Norman Rockwell and Cindy Sherman. But six times a year, the museum showcases special pieces of art created by a different kind...

It was a quiet Sunday morning in December when a parade of fire trucks, police cars and semi-trailers suddenly appeared in a small Akron neighborhood blasting their horns. Children and parents alike came running out of their houses, shouting with excitement...

Betty Axline, an Ellet native, spent nearly 40 years working as a secretary for some of the nation's most notable companies: Goodyear Aircraft, General Tire and Chemstrand/Monsanto.  She was a woman of modest means, yet every year she donated her last...