Retiree Giving Becomes a Force of Philanthropy

When Carol Nash retired four years ago from Dimensions Healthcare System in Maryland after a long career in nursing, she had no inkling that she would soon be working harder than she ever did before.

But Nash, 70, is fine with that. “I burn with a passion for what I am doing,” she said. “If I can make the difference in the life of one child, then I believe I have fulfilled a purpose here.”

In 2012, Nash founded a small nonprofit, Bernadette’s House, based in Laurel, Md. The organization provides early intervention and prevention services through an after-school mentoring program for girls 10 to 17 at risk of teenage pregnancy, drug addiction or failing in school.