Thanks to a $100,000 gift from The Charles Fund, more Hillside staff will be able to attend courses and workshops to improve their skills. The Charles Fund is a private foundation established by a member of the Eisenhart family, long-time supporters of Hillside. The foundation supports a number of preservation and education programs in organizations that benefit children.
The gift is the continuation of a legacy of support that dates back to 1907, when William Bausch (son of Bausch & Lomb founder John Jacob Bausch) joined the Board of Trustees of the Rochester Orphan Asylum, which was later renamed Hillside Children’s Center. William and other Bausch family members were instrumental in the building of Bausch Cottage on the Monroe Avenue campus.
William’s niece, Elsa Bausch Eisenhart, and her husband, M. Herbert Eisenhart, continued the family tradition of service to Hillside. Herbert became a trustee in 1920 and served as board president from 1928 to 1938. Elsa and Herbert’s son, Richard (Dick) Eisenhart, was a sustaining member of the Board of Trustees from 1947 to 1948 and chaired the Hillside Children’s Center Board of Directors from 1954 to 1957. His wife, Virginia (Ginnie), served on a number of board committees during the 1940s and 1950s and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1965. Dick and Ginnie were recognized with the President’s Award in 1984 for their exceptional commitment to Hillside. The tradition of board service continued to the family’s fifth generation with their daughter, Debbie Eisenhart Maggs, who served on the HCC Board of Directors from 1973 to 1999.
The family has also provided generous financial support throughout the years, including creation of the Bausch-Mead Educational Fund to support educational needs of Hillside youth; funding for renovations to Bausch cottage in the 1970s; and generous contributions to the Monroe Avenue campus renovation project currently nearing completion.
Dick and Ginnie believed that a well-trained, educated staff was key to the success of the children and families Hillside serves. In 2001 they made a $10,000 gift to establish the Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Staff Scholarship Fund. Each year the fund has provided a $500 scholarship to one Hillside direct care staff member to attend a training workshop, conference, college course, or other learning opportunity. While these scholarships have been extremely beneficial to the recipients, the cost of continuing education is still a significant hurdle for many Hillside staff members. Last year Hillside Children’s Foundation submitted a proposal to The Charles Fund requesting $50,000 to enhance the scholarship fund.
The Charles Fund was established by Edward Eisenhart, Richard’s brother and son of Herbert and Elsa Eisenhart. Edward was a strong believer in education. Debbie Maggs notes that, "even though Ed never had children of his own, he was always concerned about children and wanted to be sure they had a good education. And he knew that not everyone has the advantages we had."
The seven Charles Fund Board members visited Hillside Children’s Center last September. According to Board President Rick Richmond, "We saw a caring, upbeat, and nurturing environment. We saw tremendous enthusiasm and dedication among the staff. We were impressed by the continuous evaluation for improvement of the programs. And we saw a commitment to continuing education for Hillside staff."
The board was so impressed, in fact, that Rick suggested doubling Hillside’s requested amount to $100,000. "I was thrilled for the rest of the Charles Fund Board to see what I had always seen and known to be a very special place with incredibly dedicated and devoted staff," Debbie says. "It felt especially good for me to be able to direct funds to Hillside because Hillside has been such a part of my life."
The additional funding will significantly enhance educational opportunities for Hillside staff members.
According to HCC Executive Director Karen Zandi, "Our services often need to change significantly in response to changing circumstances that confront our families or trends experienced by our funders. Having funds like the Eisenhart's available allows us to be pro-active in quickly disseminating the latest interventions to those who directly impact the well-being of children in our care. Their generous investment in the capabilities of our staff will provide benefits for years to come.
Hillside Children’s Foundation President Thomas Hildebrandt says, "The wonderful generosity of The Charles Fund and the Eisenhart Family extends Dick and Ginnie’s legacy for generations to come. Having greater resources available to our staff ensures we can continue to deliver high quality care to our children and families in a rapidly changing environment."