The Chester Cafe Scholarship Fund 2020-2021

Hi, my name is Dawn Horst and in 2016 I started a non-profit in Manchester, MD to give local teens a place to call their own; cafe and lounge called The Chester Cafe, affectionately known as "The Cafe" by our members.

I have donated the space, the utilities, and my time to this cause that is so very dear to my heart for the last 4 years.
We provided a place where local teens could earn service hours, support their community, spend time together, learn new skills and meet new friends. 
Our activities included everything from streaming a scary movie to providing live music to local Community Outreach Fairs.  We have karaoke nights, costume and pajama parties and so many more activities to promote self love, respect, and community kindness. Learn More about our structure at https://thechestercafe.com/our-programs

On March 16, 2020 due to the global pandemic and local restrictions we were forced to close our doors to the public, and to our teens.  We have lost of our grant funding, because those funds have been reallocated to COVID related needs in our area.  We have made the difficult decision not to re-open the space for the remainder of the school year.

We are asking for your help today to raise funds to give 1 high school graduating student in Carroll County Maryland (our service area) a small scholarship to help them continue their education, purchase books, electronics or other needed items.

While we still continue to support our community from a distance, and fund-raise by selling things in our eBay NonProfit Flag Store , without the ability to have our doors open, our impact is small. We want to make a change in someone's life in a big way this year.

The scholarship application will be released in December 2020 and will be awarded in May 2020.  Any funds raised here will go directly to a student who demonstrates and meets the following criteria. 

Applicants must meet the following to apply:

1.       Have or scheduled to have qualifying credits to graduate on or before June 15, 2021

2.       A minimum of 150 Service Learning Hours (Community Service)

3.       Attending a program for furthering education after graduation.

4.       Participate in a minimum of 1 extra-curricular activity in or outside of school.

5.       Not eligible for a full scholarship from another source.

Applicants will be asked to:

1.       Write an essay about their experience in the community, and their experience with The Chester Café if they have any, and how the year 2020 has changed their current situation and their future plans.

2.       Provide information about their community service history, future education, other scholarship applications, and their current attendance and GPA.

3.       Additional personal information as required by our guidelines for funds distribution.


If you can spare a share, a like a comment or a donation I would appreciate it.  We are 100% Non-Profit and want to continue to make a difference, even in today's social distancing environment. We are part of the GoFundMe #SmallBusinessRelief campaign where we hope to qualify for up to $500 in additional assistance from GoFundMe.