TORRINGTON, CT -- The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation has made awards to 21 area nonprofit organizations, totaling more than $79,045 during its second grant cycle of 2017. The Community Foundation awards discretionary grants to northwest Connecticut charities three times a year: early spring, late June and late fall.
Noteworthy among the recent include:
- $1,500 to Healing Meals Community Project to support the cost of providing 100% organic meals for 12 weeks at no cost to families in the Foundation’s service area experiencing a health crisis
“Healing Meals also aims to teach clients that nutritious, whole foods can be a foundation for their healing,” said Sarah Leathers, executive director. “The meals are prepared by youth volunteer chefs (ages 14-24) who are learning leadership skills, job readiness skills, nutrition and wellness education and the joy of supporting their community.”
- $4,000 to Northwest Connecticut Arts Council to support the creation of CultureConnectNWCT, a pre-packaged webpage that will be distributed to towns within the CF's service area to facilitate real time updates about cultural offerings
“CultureConnectNWCT aims to engage, at first 5, and eventually all 25 towns within its service area in utilizing arts and culture to play an ongoing role in communities,” said Amy Wynn, executive director. “This program will also nurture stronger relationships between the municipalities and NCAC through promotion, scholarships, public projects, and enrichment programs.”
- $6,000 to RC Productions, LLC (through the fiscal sponsorship of Greenwoods Counseling Referrals) to support the cost of sound design and a music score for “Recovering Community,” a film exploring the roots of drug and alcohol addiction and how communities can play a role in providing lasting solutions
“By offering viewers a unique window into the hardships and triumphs of these marginalized, misunderstood, and stigmatized members of society we aim to highlight the fact that addiction can be understood as a reaction to pain and is best addressed with understanding, compassion, and access to proper treatment,” said Tory Jadow, co-producer, RC Productions
The following is a comprehensive list of 2017 Second Cycle Grants:
Chore Service - $4,500 to support the purchase of BidPal for fundraising (from the Marion Wm. & Alice Edwards Fund)
CAFTA Connecticut Academy For The Arts - $4,500 to support Summer Art Camp scholarships for low-income students (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Cornwall Conservation Trust, Inc. - $2,775 to support the cost of summer interns to assist with stewardship activities for one week (from the Ruth and Robert Cron Endowment Fund)
Harwinton Historical Society - $1,200 to support speaker fees for seven free programs that are open to the public (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)
Harwinton Land Conservation - $2,070 challenge grant to support the cost of repaving and expanding the driveway and parking access to Bull Pond Preserve (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)
Healing Meals Community Project - $1,500 to support the cost of providing 100% organic meals for 12 weeks at no cost to families in the Foundation’s service area experiencing a health crisis (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Hotchkiss Library of Sharon - $2,000 to support program costs for two presentations about the Great Migration to Region One High School students and the general public by Pulitzer Prize winning author Isabel Wilkerson (from the Ruth and Robert Cron Endowment Fund)
Little Guild of Saint Francis - $1,500 to support a no-cost public vaccine clinic for dogs (from the Robert V. Carr Fund)
McCall Center for Behavioral Health - $1,500 to support the Girls' Circle group program for students at Shepaug Valley School (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
New Hartford Volunteer Ambulance - $1,500 to support the cost of three AEDs (from the Robert V. Carr Fund)
Norfolk Historical Society - $1,500 to support the cost of digitizing the Marie Kendall photography archives which will allow for open public access to the entire collection and form the basis of a collaborative local history curriculum in process with Botelle School in Norfolk (from the Keroden Endowed Fund)
Northwest Connecticut Arts Council - $4,000 to support the creation of CultureConnectNWCT, a pre-packaged webpage that will be distributed to towns within the CF's service area to facilitate real time updates about cultural offerings (from the Robert Venn Carr, Jr. Fund)
Northwest Music Association - $1,500 to support program costs for the 2017 Baroque summer concert series (from the Marion Wm. & Alice Edwards Fund)
Northwestern Connecticut Community College - $6,000 start-up grant to support the on-campus food pantry and student emergency fund to provide assistance to food insecure students and students facing emergency needs (from the Keroden Endowed Fund)
Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities - $7,500 to support the cost of a walk-in cooler and water purifier for the Northwest Connecticut Regional Food Hub (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Prime Time House - $9,000 to support a matching grant awarded for the purchase of a used minivan to transport clients (from the Edward W. Diskavich Fund and the Pierpont Chapter #49 Order of Eastern Star Fund)
RC Productions, LLC (through the fiscal sponsorship of Greenwoods Counseling Referrals) - $6,000 to support the cost of sound design and a music score for “Recovering Community,” a film exploring the roots of drug and alcohol addiction and how communities can play a role in providing lasting solutions (from the Lucia Tuttle Fritz Fund)
Salisbury Sinfonietta - $2,000 to support program costs for an arts education program at Salisbury Central School (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Susan B. Anthony Project - $6,500 to support upgraded security and phone systems for the Water Street location (from the Eva M. Coty Fund and the Borghesi Family Fund)
Warren Church Community Childcare (through the fiscal sponsorship of Warren Congregational Church) - $4,000 to support the cost of replacing carpet in the school's hallway and entrance (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Working Lands Alliance (through the fiscal sponsorship of American Farmland Trust) - $8,000 to support the cost of the Farmland Protection Circuit Rider program which provides direct outreach and assistance to land trusts and municipalities to ensure farmland parcels are protected and productive (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Established in 1969, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves 20 towns in Northwest Connecticut. Its total endowment, comprised of more than 250 funds, has grown from initial assets of $15,000 to more than $94 million. Last year, combined grants and scholarships totaled more than $3 million.
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Contacts:
Nicole Carlson Easley
Communications Director
Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
860-626-1245
neasley@northwestcf.org
Christina Tranquillo
Program and Communications Associate
Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation
860-626-1245
ctranquillo@northwestcf.org
Website: www.northwestcf.org