Community Corner

Non-Profit Programs Serving Berlin Receive Community Foundation of Greater New Britain Grants

Good Causes Gifts, Peck Memorial Library Among Beneficiaries


Good Causes Gifts, a job training and socialization program serving Berlin and New Britain residents with disabilities, and a summer artist in residence program at Peck Memorial Library are among a variety of local non-profit programs receiving recent grants from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain.   The funding to programs serving Berlin are among more than $150,000 in area-wide grants awarded by the Community Foundation in its first round of 2013 grant awards.   

Good Causes Gifts
will receive $15,000 from the Foundation’s Johnstone Vance Memorial and Weld Fund for Capital Needs Funds for renovations associated with the program’s expansion into a newly purchased building at 384 Main Street in Berlin. The newly renovated space will help the program in its efforts to expand employment, job training and socialization opportunities for individuals with disabilities from Berlin and New Britain.  

A $1,500 grant to the Peck Memorial Library from the Foundation’s A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund will support a four-week artist-in-residence program this summer at the library. Twelve Berlin High School students will be selected to create visual artwork that will culminate in a library exhibit.   Other local grants awarded by the Foundation’s Board of Directors include:  

ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE
 

New Britain Museum of American Art, $50,000.
From the A.W. Stanley Discretionary and Talcott Stanley Funds to support the Museum’s Outreach and Education program. The funding will allow the Museum to continue its ongoing efforts to bring students and educators from surrounding communities to the Museum and to conduct a variety of programs and exhibits involving area students.  

New Britain Public Library, $2, 150.
From the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund for two summer workshops: a puppetry workshop for children in grades 3 to 5 and a digital film program for teens.  

Plainville Public Library, $2,000.
From the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund for a graphic designer/illustrator in residence program for high school and middle school students during the summer and fall of 2013.  

Queen Ann Nzinga Center, $20,580.
From the William T. Livingston and A.W. Stanley Discretionary Funds to support the arts and performance group’s third year at Trinity on Main, which will allow for increased programming and capacity building as a stronger arts organization.  

Southington Library, $5,841.
From the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund to purchase a three dimensional printer for an innovative program that will integrate STEM (Science, Math, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines with the arts, and also to hire a muralist to work with teens during this summer to create a mural that will be displayed in the library.  

EDUCATION
 

United
Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, $7,500. From the J. Edward and Justine Melson Family and Jeanette Elizabeth Westlake Memorial Funds to expand the Smalley Summer Extended Year program to grades 1 through 3 in order to decrease summer learning loss among participants.  

FIRST YEARS FIRST
 

Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington, $13,000.
From the First Years First Fund dedicated to advancing and improving early childhood development programming and efforts area-wide, for a consultant who will assist the collaborative by creating a Community Plan for Southington that will support the needs of young children and their families.  

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
 

Connecticut Legal Services, $10,000.
From the Johnstone Vance Memorial Fund to support the Domestic Violence Legal Support Project, which provides enhanced legal support to victims of domestic violence in the communities the Foundation serves.  

Living in Safe Alternatives, $7,500.
From the Anna T. Deutsch and Johnstone Vance Memorial Funds for staff training aimed at improving services to youth in LISA’s residential group homes and reducing staff turnover.  

Prudence Crandall Center, $10,000.
From the Johnstone Vance Memorial Fund to add a third Family Violence Victim Advocate to the staff at the New Britain Superior Court in order to keep pace with the demands of a heavy caseload and ensure that each victim receives the counseling and advocacy needed.  

For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org


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