MISSION STATEMENT
Bonnie Friedman was an educator in the Downingtown School District for 22 years. After her retirement, she could not give up teaching. So she became a tutor in the Volunteer English Program (VEP) and eventually served on the organization’s board. Bonnie soon learned the job was more than just being a tutor. She worked with students from Japan, Cambodia, Turkey, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bonnie, like other tutors, was motivated by her students’ hard work. One of these students, Bijou, arriving in the U.S. within days of 9/11, now serves as the Deputy Regional Director for West Africa & Haiti for Corus International, an NGO which delivers holistic, lasting solutions to overcome the interconnected challenges of poverty.
As Bijou recalls fondly, Bonnie and her family were more than just language tutors — they became her family when she had no one else to guide her, helping her find a safe place to live, buying her first car, and establishing permanent residency status so that she could pursue her goal of a master’s degree in International Economic Development.
The Bonnie Friedman Scholarship Fund awards a scholarship to a senior at Downingtown East or West High School who is pursuing a degree in education. The scholarship is based on financial need and will be awarded annually for four years.
Bonnie’s family is funding the scholarship but contributions to the fund in Bonnie’s memory are welcome.
To make a donation in memory of Bonnie Friedman…
Mail a check made payable to:
Bonnie Friedman Scholarship Fund c/o CCCF
28 West Market Street
West Chester, PA 19382
Or, make a donation online: