New Scholarship Honors the Helping Spirit of Hope Mitchell
When someone makes such a lasting impact on everyone she touches and is no longer here, how do you honor her memory and keep her spirit alive? Last April when Hope Mitchell passed away after a tough illness, those who worked with Hope wanted to find a way to memorialize their friend and colleague. Clinton County Children and Youth reached out to the Keystone Central Foundation to begin working on a scholarship to benefit students in Clinton County with the same helping spirit.
As word spread about this new scholarship in Hope’s memory, the Clinton County Housing Authority partnered with Children and Youth to grow the scholarship even more. Donations small and large came from so many people touched by Hope’s natural gift of connecting with and advocating for others.
This spring will be the first time the Hope S. Mitchell Scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and complete an essay detailing activities geared towards helping others and how the career they intend to pursue will make a positive impact in the community. Applications are available on the Keystone Central Foundation website or the CMHS Schoology Scholarship page. The deadline is March 22.
Hope was loved by her friends, family, and colleagues for her heart of gold. She treated every person she met with dignity and kindness, believing each person had significance and possessed purpose. The goal with this scholarship is to keep her spirit alive and empower young people in our county to see the best in others, just as Hope always did.
Tax-deductible donations to Hope’s scholarship fund can be made any time by sending a check made payable to “KCF” to PO Box 565, Lock Haven, PA 17745 or by clicking the red “donation” button at www.keystonecentralfoundation.com. For further information, contact KCF Executive Director Melissa Bottorf at 570-660-1306.
