OC Home grant supports educational programs at Marine Mammal Stranding Center

Written by Staff Reports Wednesday, September 05, 2012 01:00 am

From conducting museum tours to helping care for rescued seals, interns play a vital role at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. With the help of a grant from the Ocean City Home Charitable Foundation, the center can now offer stipends to the interns who assist with public education, outreach to schools, children’s programs and animal care. 

“The stipends will allow us to attract interns from colleges throughout the United States, and with the help of those interns, we can inform many more visitors about the importance of our shore environment,” said Sheila Dean, who, with her husband, Robert Schoelkopf, founded and directs the Brigantine-based private nonprofit organization. 

The grant awarded to the MarineMammalStrandingCenter was one of 20 grants presented to area nonprofit organizations at the Ocean City Home Charitable Foundation awards reception in July. The foundation presented a total of $50,000 in grants, bringing its seven-year donation total to more than $740,000.

The foundation was formed during Ocean Shore Holding Company's initial public offering in December of 2004. A combination of cash and Ocean Shore Holding Company stock totaling $2 million was contributed to the foundation to provide funding to support charitable causes within the bank's market areas and neighboring communities. This support includes grants for community development, housing assistance, scholarships, local education, not-for-profit medical facilities, not-for-profit community groups, cultural organizations and other organizations and projects.