Support from BGE, The Thalheimer Foundation, and M&T Bank Promotes Reading Statewide

Maryland Humanities Council (197 x 70)In support of the One Maryland One Book (OMOB) program, promoting reading and discussion programs throughout the state, the Maryland Humanities Council has been awarded $2,500 by M&T Bank, $10,000 by the Thalheimer Foundation, and for the fifth consecutive year $10,000 by BGE.

One Maryland One Book, a program of the Maryland Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, is Maryland’s statewide community reading project, boasting participation in all 24 Maryland counties. In its sixth year, One Maryland One Book is a year-long project that culminates with two months of public programs each fall, using literature to spur conversations in diverse communities on issues critical to Marylanders and inspiring lifelong reading, learning, and civic engagement. One Maryland One Book is also funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, LSTA grant funds, through the Division of Library Development & Services, and the Maryland State Department of Education.

“We are thankful to have such generous partners in BGE, the Thalheimer Foundation, and M&T Bank, who have seen the value in the One Maryland One Book program since its early years,” said Phoebe Stein, Executive Director of the Maryland Humanities Council. “Ongoing partnerships with leaders in the business community allow our nonprofit to reach as many Marylanders as possible.”

BGE’s community giving goals are closely linked with the overall success and health of communities, and it is committed to programs that sustain and improve the lives of Marylanders. Areas of giving focus include energy efficiency, environment, economic and community development, emergency response/safety, and education.

“BGE has a long-standing commitment to support educational initiatives in the communities we serve, and we are truly excited to team with the Maryland Humanities Council for their One Maryland One Book program,” said Calvin G. Butler, Jr., Senior Vice President of regulatory and external affairs for BGE. “Literacy is essential for our youth and young adults to become knowledgeable, productive members of their community. Therefore, we applaud One Maryland One Book for its efforts to use literature as a catalyst to achieve higher levels of literacy and to inspire more conversations on the important issues here in Maryland. We know that an informed community promotes civic engagement and BGE is proud to participate as a supporter of the One Maryland One Book program.”

The Thalheimer Foundation is invested in improving the quality of life in Maryland. The foundation carries on the philanthropic tradition of its founders by supporting programs which improve public education, funding workforce development and job opportunity programs, improving the basic needs of the disadvantaged, and supporting Jewish continuity and community development.

The 2013 One Maryland One Book Pick
One Maryland One Book unites diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading and discussing the same book accompanied by programs to promote a lifelong love of reading. The 2013 One Maryland One Book selection is King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman. King Peggy chronicles the journey of an American secretary, Peggielene Bartels, who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 people on Ghana’s central coast, half a world away. Peggy’s first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town is uplifted by the ambitions of its decidedly modern female king, and Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

About the Maryland Humanities Council: The Maryland Humanities Council is a statewide, educational, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The purpose of MHC is to stimulate and promote informed dialogue and civic engagement on issues critical to Marylanders. For more information, visit www.mdhc.org. MHC is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Maryland, and the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Awards.