Grants help expand digital literacy, promote community service and youth leadership development
BERLIN, CT – FEBRUARY 6, 2018 – The Comcast Foundation announced today that it has awarded $434,200 in grants to twenty nonprofit organizations in New England in 2017. The grants help grow the impact of programs aimed at expanding digital literacy, promoting service, and mentoring tomorrow’s leaders.
YWCA of Western Massachusetts, Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters in Hartford, Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs are among the many local organizations that are making a significant difference in the community and were supported by the Comcast Foundation this year. Comcast values the critical services these nonprofits provide to youth, underprivileged and disabled individuals and the proven results they have achieved in the communities where Comcast customers and employees live and work. A number of grant recipients, including the Boys & Girls Club of New Haven, Urban League of Springfield, and Lawrence Community Works Inc are using their funding for STEM and computer-related education and occupational workforce training.
“We all see how fast technology is changing. Technologies that we take for granted today were science fiction a mere 20 years ago. As the pace of change continues to speed up, people who can’t keep up will be left out,” said Stephen E. Morris, executive director of The Arc of the Farmington Valley in Connecticut, also known as Favarh. “This grant from Comcast will allow us to teach Favarh clients how to use computers, smartphones, and navigate social media safely and securely. Most people can become competent with just a little training and the right motivation.”
“Thanks to our great partnership with Comcast, countless Connecticut children in need are well on their way to reaching their highest potential,” added Andy Fleischmann, President and CEO of Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. “This is a multi-faceted collaboration. Since 2009, dozens of Comcast employees have volunteered their time as Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the ‘Beyond School Walls’ mentoring program. Children from Lincoln Elementary have gotten to spend quality time with their “Bigs” at Comcast headquarters. And generous Comcast Foundation grants have funded this great program since its inception. We are grateful for everything our collaboration with Comcast has helped Little Brothers and Sisters to achieve, and look forward to many more years of working together to help children succeed.”
“Comcast is proud to award these grants to our partner organizations that share our commitment to improving communities and enriching lives,” said Mike Parker, Regional Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Western New England Region which includes Vermont, Connecticut, western Massachusetts, western New Hampshire, and New York. “Thanks to the tireless and extremely important work of these nonprofit organizations, New England is a better place to call home.”
Additional organizations receiving Comcast Foundation grants in New England include:
Connecticut:
ARC New London County (Norwich, CT) - $10,000
Center for Latino Progress (Hartford, CT) - $10,000
Boys & Girls Club of New Haven (New Haven, CT) - $10,000
Easter Seals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut (Windsor, CT) - $20,000
Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters (Hartford, CT) - $30,000
The Arc of the Farmington Valley, Inc.(Canton, CT) - $15,000
Urban League of Greater Hartford (Hartford, CT) - $21,800
Urban League of Southwestern Connecticut (New Haven, CT) - $15,000
YWCA Hartford Region (Hartford, CT) - $20,000
Massachusetts:
ARC Norfolk (Westwood, MA) - $40,000.00
Big Sister Association of Greater Boston (Boston, MA) - $30,000
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (Boston, MA) - $13,000
Girl Scouts of Eastern MA (Waltham, MA) - $25,000
Lawrence Community Works Inc (Lawrence, MA) - $12,000
Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs (Boston, MA) - $75,000
Museum of African American History (Boston, MA) - $30,000
Urban League of Springfield (Springfield, MA) - $20,000
YWCA Western Massachusetts (Springfield, MA) - $12,470
New Hampshire:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire (Portsmouth, NH) - $12,000
Vermont:
Boys & Girls Club of Burlington (Burlington, VT) - $13,000
Including the support in New England, the Comcast Foundation in 2017 has donated about $20 million to nonprofit organizations in the communities it serves nationwide. In addition to the grants from the Comcast Foundation, Comcast also responds to community needs through local sponsorships and in-kind support, such as airing public service announcements, employee volunteerism, and providing technology equipment and services to organizations across the country. Looking ahead to 2018, the Comcast Foundation will build on its efforts through an added focus on expanding access to technology to promote digital inclusion, helping individuals build skills for the digital economy, and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurialism.
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—expanding digital literacy, promoting community service, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $200 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
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Contact:
Jessica Forrest
Comcast Corporation
Government & Public Relations Specialist
860-505-2049
Jessica_forrest@cable.comcast.com
Website: www.comcast.com/community