Established 2012

The Dogwood Fund of The Community Foundation has been created to support opportunities to help children who have lost a parent or a close relative get through the grieving process through its initiative, The Dogwood Project.

The Dogwood Project sends children a living memorial in honor of their loved one (a small Dogwood tree or perennial flower arrangement) and we will help their care-givers find grief counseling.

The Dogwood Project was created in honor of Thomas Allen Schlapman who was killed on Thanksgiving Eve, 2012 while visiting his Brother and Sister-in-Law, Stephen and Kimberly Schlapman, for a family Thanksgiving tradition; less than 24 hours before his death, he stood in their yard and talked at length about how much he loved Dogwood Trees.

“Allen” left behind a wife, Linda, and a 9-year-old daughter, Rachel. After her Daddy’s funeral, random acts of kindness, some from people she had never met, helped Rachel realize she was special, she was loved, and LIFE DOES GO ON.

Please support The Dogwood Project through tax-deductible donations, by helping to spread the word, and/or through prayers.