BURLINGTON, CT -- At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 30th at the Burlington Public Library, the Men & Boys’ Fund of Main Street Community Foundation will host the third community briefing on the unmet needs of local men and boys. The public is invited to attend; RSVP is required to Julie Matthews at the Foundation by calling 860-583-6363.
The 90-minute program will feature a discussion on the unmet needs of men and boys in Burlington as well as the story of a local man who struggled through foster care and school but found success with support from resources like this Fund.
“Our main speaker, Christopher Marinelli, is an example of just the type of person the Fund tries to help,” said Rodger Stotz, the Fund’s Advisory Board Chair. “We’re always looking for ways to encourage boys and men to become more self-sufficient, gain work and life skills, and make a positive impact in their community.”
“About two years ago a group of men came to Main Street Community Foundation with an overwhelming concern,” said the Foundation President & CEO, Susan Sadecki. “They were concerned about things like the need for more positive male role models, increased school achievement among boys, the growing number of single parent fathers, and more. We asked local town, school, and social service agency leaders to identify the unmet needs they observe and the Men & Boys’ Fund was established to help try to meet some of those challenges.”
The Fund has already provided more than $10,000 in program and immediate response grants to boys and men in the six towns the Fund covers. In 2018, the Men & Boys’ Fund awarded $6,000 in grants to four local nonprofits. Those grants support ongoing programs that teach high school students work and life skills, help single fathers improve their parenting skills, and engage young boys in activities that build character, leadership, and positive behavior. The Fund also awards immediate response grants for small needs that can make a big difference. Examples include paying a rental application fee for a homeless man, providing a high school graduate with clothes for his job interviews, and helping an aspiring student attend a national invention convention.
Light refreshments will be served and community members are invited to come with questions and ideas. The snow date is January 31.
The Main Street Community Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for both present and future generations in the communities served by encouraging and promoting gift planning, prudent stewardship of assets, effective grantmaking and community leadership. A nonprofit public charity, created by private citizens, the foundation works with donors in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott who wish to build permanent charitable endowments to support their communities. Since its founding in 1995, the foundation has provided over $16.5 million in grants and scholarships.
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Contact:
Samantha Rajotte
Scholarship & Program Officer
Main Street Community Foundation
860-583-6363
samantha@mainstreetfoundation.org
Website: www.mainstreetfoundation.org