It started with a Facebook post.
Steve Schultz saw a post about the deteriorating conditions at Mount Zion Cemetery in Collingdale. His father is buried there, so he decided to see the cemetery for himself. While he was there, he met a woman visiting the grave of someone she loved.
It was a simple encounter, but it made something clear: Someone needed to do something.
Mount Zion Cemetery had been struggling for years. In 2019, a major flood caused significant damage. Water from a nearby stream began pooling on the property, and the cemetery’s drainage system could no longer keep up. What started as flood damage became an increasingly more difficult problem with mosquitoes and public health risks.
The cemetery has been in the same family for multiple generations. The owner did what he could, but the repairs needed were far beyond what insurance could cover. Attempts to secure government support did not come together, and the problems continued to grow.
So, a group of community members decided to build put together resources to help.
The Friends of Mount Zion formed as a grassroots effort to coordinate the work, bring the right partners to the table, and determine what repairs were needed. An engineer volunteered his expertise pro bono. Local companies became involved. Together, the group began working toward a solution.
But they also recognized that restoring Mount Zion Cemetery would need more assistance.
That led to the creation of the Mount Zion Fund at The Foundation for Delaware County.
The fund provides a lasting source of support for cemetery restoration and improvement projects in Collingdale, beginning with Mount Zion and Eden Cemetery. Over time, the goal is to grow the fund and support additional projects—potentially expanding beyond Collingdale to help preserve cemeteries throughout Delaware County.
For the people behind the effort, establishing the fund at the Foundation was an important part of making that vision possible. They needed a partner that could provide responsible financial stewardship, transparency, and a structure for fundraising while they focused on the work itself.
The Mount Zion Fund is more than a way to address a drainage problem. It is an investment in places that hold the stories, memories, and histories of generations of Delaware County families.
And it began because one person saw a photograph, visited a cemetery, and decided that something could—and should—be done.
