TORRINGTON, CT -- The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation has awarded grants to 36 area nonprofit organizations, totaling $135,965 during its third 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:
$6,500 to Five Points Gallery to support the purchase of equipment for the new Five Points printmaking studio
“In addition to providing open studio time to professionals, the proposed studio will be a public educational facility where members of the community can learn about printmaking through lectures, demonstrations and hands-on activities,” said Judith McElhone, Founding Executive Director. ”The print studio, which will be located on the second floor of 21 Water Street, will be an extension of the Five Points Hartford Art School - University of Hartford Launchpad Initiative. This Strategic Partnership is a revolving two year program where graduates of the art school are provided with affordable shared studio spaces located above Five Points and mentorships and exhibition opportunities.”$10,000 to Greenwoods Counseling Referrals to support a Suboxone Maintenance and Relapse Prevention Program to expand treatment options for Northwest Connecticut patients recovering from opioid addiction
“Through the Suboxone Maintenance and Relapse Prevention Program, Greenwoods will add another treatment center to the existing network, create openings at existing treatment centers, and expand the network of addiction specialists in Northwest Connecticut,” said John Simoncelli, Executive Director. “Greenwoods’ work will help alleviate the disproportionately negative effects of the opioid epidemic within the northwest corner.”$3,800 to Heritage Land Preservation Trust, Inc. to support painting as part of the restoration and preservation of the Coe Brass Mill Pond Gatehouse for use as classroom, museum, workshop, meeting, office and exhibition space
“Heritage Land Preservation Trust has demonstrated preserve management success at the Bowman Senior Community Gardens and Irving Mills Memorial Preserve and will proceed accordingly to develop the Coe Brass Mill Pond and Dam Preserve into a comprehensive environmental, ecological, educational, cultural, historical, experience for everyone in Torrington and beyond,” said Earl Skokan, President.$6,400 to Northwestern Connecticut Community College to support out-of-pocket educational costs for SNAP-eligible college students
“Even though the SNAP Employment and Training Program covers the cost of tuition for low-income students, out-of-pocket expenses still prohibit many students from going to college,” said Erin Kennedy, SNAP Scholarship Coordinator. “Our goal is to help SNAP-eligible college students at NCCC to pay for out-of-pocket expenses, like textbooks, that are above and beyond their tuition.”
The following is a comprehensive list of 2017 Third Cycle Grants:
After School Arts Program - $1,600 to support the participation of 12 at-risk Torrington middle school students in a new after-school writing program (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Beardsley & Memorial Library - $6,100 to support the installation of automatic door openers in the library entryway and the creation of a wider aisle through the stacks to accommodate clients with accessibility challenges (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Bethlehem Ambulance Association - $3,000 to support the cost of a Stryker Power pro stretcher (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
CHAMPS - $1,500 to support the cost of the annual spring musical by the Pearson Players Drama Club (from the Draper Foundation Fund and the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Community Mental Health Affiliates - $3,050 challenge grant to support an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program for children, youth and adult clients with behavioral or mental health issues (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Covenant to Care for Children - $8,000 to support the purchase of basic essential goods to keep children and families together (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
CT Public Affairs Network - $3,000 to support the Torrington Region Connecticut History Day Contest (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Connecticut Volunteers in Service to the Blind and Handicapped - $6,000 to support the digitization of 80 books, expanding the number of books available to local residents at no charge through the State Library for the Blind and Handicapped (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund and the Northwest Connecticut Philanthropy Fund in honor of Margaret Drayton Reventlow)
East Litchfield Village Improvement Society - $1,250 to support necessary electrical work for the East Litchfield Chapel (from the Ruth and Robert Cron Endowment Fund and the Keroden Endowed Fund)
Five Points Gallery - $6,500 to support the purchase of equipment for the new Five Points printmaking studio (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund and the Draper Foundation Fund)
Friendly Hands Food Bank - $10,700 to support the purchase of items needed for pantry clients during the winter months (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Geer Nursing & Rehabilitation Center - $1,500 to support the purchase of a handicapped accessible mini-bus to be used for Dial-a-Ride transportation services (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Greenwoods Counseling Referrals - $10,000 to support a Suboxone Maintenance and Relapse Prevention Program to expand treatment options for patients recovering from opioid addiction who reside in Northwest Connecticut (from the Marion Wm. and Alice Edwards Fund)
Harwinton Public Library - $2,600 to support the purchase of an AWE Afterschool Edge computer to serve children ages 6-12 (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)
Helping Hands Chore Service - $3,200 to support affordable home care services for seniors (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Heritage Land Preservation Trust, Inc. - $3,800 to support painting as part of the restoration and preservation of the Coe Brass Mill Pond Gatehouse for use as classroom, museum, workshop, meeting, office and exhibition space (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Hotchkiss Library of Sharon - $1,500 to support the cost of literacy packets presented to all families of babies born at Sharon Hospital (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Junior Achievement of SW New England - $7,700 to support financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship programming for 1,025 students in Canaan, Colebrook, Litchfield, Torrington, and Winsted (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Kitty Quarters, Inc. - $2,600 to support the cost of a cat cabin for the newly established Read-to-Succeed program at the shelter (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Litchfield Community Center, Inc. - $1,500 to support three History Comes Alive performances offered free to the general public (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)
McCall Center for Behavioral Health - $1,500 to support a substance abuse prevention program at Pearson School for at-risk male youth (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
New Hartford Land Trust - $1,200 to support the design and printing costs of a brochure for distribution to the general public to raise awareness of the organization and promote its mission, services and activities (from the Marion Wm. and Alice Edwards Fund and the Borghesi Family Fund)
New Hartford Volunteer Ambulance - $5,000 to support the purchase of a Lucas Chest Compression system (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Northwestern Connecticut Community College - $6,400 to support out-of-pocket educational costs for SNAP-eligible college students (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters - $4,000 to support one-to-one professionally supported mentoring services to four at-risk Torrington Middle School students (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - $2,000 to support two educational concerts serving up to 1,400 third graders from Torrington, Winsted, New Hartford, Harwinton and surrounding communities (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)
Salisbury Association, Inc. - $3,800 to support the creation of a new unified website to better represent all three organizations that comprise the Association (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
The Salisbury Forum - $1,500 to support a series of programs on diverse subjects of community need, interest and convenience (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Special Olympics Connecticut - $1,500 to support the cost of running the local Special Olympics program in conjunction with LARC of Litchfield County (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
St. John’s Foundation - $10,000 to support the restoration of five stained glass windows (from the Edwin M. Stone and Edith H. Stone Fund and the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
Steep Rock Association - $1,500 to support the purchase of equipment to conduct a marsh bird survey in the public access preserve areas (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)
The Torrington Library - $565 to support the cost of acquiring “America Through Film,” an educational PBS film series (from the Marion Wm. and Alice Edwards Fund)
Warner Theatre - $5,700 to support replacement of fluorescent panels in the main marquee with energy efficient LED lighting (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Winsted Area Child Care Center - $2,300 to support the purchase of Teaching Strategies Gold, an online assessment portfolio, to serve preschool students (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
Winsted Family Resource Center - $1,400 to support the purchase of book cases (from the Draper Foundation Fund)
YMCA Camp Mohawk - $2,500 to support the purchase of furniture for the new summer office (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund and 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