On January 23, donors, community members, and nonprofit partners joined together to celebrate the local organizations that were awarded grants in 2024 from Main Street Community Foundation’s Women & Girls Fund. The Annual Meeting & Grantee Reception is held to acknowledge the accomplishments of the fund and the organizations it supports with its annual grant cycle, benefiting programs serving women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott.

This event facilitates conversation between representatives from grantee organizations and the Women & Girls Fund donors and volunteers about the programs being supported and the impact they have on the community. This year, a total of $60,000 in grants were awarded to 14 organizations, all of which serve and support local women and girls in a variety of ways. The grants awarded are:

• Boys & Girls Club of Bristol - $5,000 - SMART Girls: Giving Girls Confidence program for girls ages 8-12 to teach responsibility and to develop a healthy attitude and lifestyle by engaging in discussions and activities that reinforce positive behavior
• Bristol Family Resource Centers - $5,000 - Expansion of the Girl Up! program, a targeted small-group intervention to build leadership skills in girls ages 6-12 in three Bristol Public Schools: Greene-Hills School, South Side School and West Bristol School
• BristolWORKS! - $3,400 - Women’s Workforce Empowerment Series program, a series of workshops to empower women to be confident, successful, and healthy within the workplace and develop skills for both in and out of the workplace
• Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut - $1,200 - Women’s Outdoor Adventure Day at Indian Rock Nature Preserve, a full-day program to empower women and girls, ages 10 through adult, by providing opportunities to connect with nature and engage in a variety of outdoor activities
• Girl Scouts of Connecticut - $5,000 - Supporting Girl Scout memberships and camperships to provide access to programs and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience by removing financial barriers for members and new troop leaders
• Memorial Military Museum - $1,500 - Bristol Women in the Military program, honoring over 120 Bristol women who have contributed to local and national military heritage
• Plainville Youth Services - $3,000 - A Space to Shine program which will empower young girls to reach their fullest potential and develop confidence, leadership and coping skills using arts and humanities workshops
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - $3,000 - Access to Personal Care Items for Senior Women (APCISW) program to provide senior women with personal care products falling into four categories: hygiene, incontinence, dental, and other, which SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase
• Prudence Crandall Center, Inc. - $7,000 - Domestic Violence Counseling and Support Groups for Women and Girls program offering counseling services focused on women’s mental health and wellbeing, providing emotional support and practical assistance to address the complex impact of domestic violence on their lives. $1,000 will be earmarked for diapers and hygiene products for the women.
• Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center, Inc. - $6,125 - Women’s Equine Gestalt Group, an on-going program to strengthen mental health, well-being, and self-esteem for mature women
• St. Vincent De Paul Mission of Bristol - $3,805 - Unrestricted support for women and girls
• The Agape House - $4,000 - To establish a fund for clothing for women and girls that will allow the purchase of items that are properly sized, as well as specific type of clothing such as scrubs, non-slip shoes, etc. to meet individual personal needs
• Wolcott Youth Services/ Kelly’s Kids - $1,970 - Girls on the Run program for middle school aged girls focusing on the physical element of running, emotional well-being, and learning life skills to build strength and resilience. Additional funding to be used to cover the total program cost for wages.
• YWCA of New Britain - $10,000 - The Sexual Assault Crisis Service program for women and girls provides free and confidential services to survivors of sexual violence. Services include: 24-hour crisis hotlines, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, accompaniments and advocacy to medical, police, and court proceedings, campus services, information and referrals, state certification training for Counselor Advocates, prevention education for all ages/groups, and outreach events in the community.

These grants were funded by the Women & Girls Fund, the John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls, the Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women, and the proceeds from the annual Wonder of Women (WOW) event.

Main Street Community Foundation has awarded a total of $850,000 in grants from the Women & Girls Fund since the Fund’s establishment in 2001.

For more information on the Women & Girls Fund, contact the Main Street Community Foundation at 860.583.6363 or visit mainstreetfoundation.org/women-girls-fund.