Main Street Community Foundation has awarded a total of $144,200 through its general grant cycle to 44 local organizations that are committed to serving the residents of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott. The grants will help these organizations further their reach and impact by meeting the needs of residents, from food insecurity to collaborative creative programs.

The Foundation strives to bolster a variety of causes in the communities it serves, working with local organizations to determine what the needs are in the community that must be met, and these grants reflect those needs. The annual spring general grant cycle supports these causes with grant distributions from over 30 endowed funds, which were established by donors to support causes they are most passionate about.

applications for this cycle are submitted once a year, and they are thoughtfully reviewed by 24 local residents that make up the Community Foundation’s volunteer Distribution Committee. The Committee not only reviews all proposals, but also conducts site visits, and makes the final funding recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. All of this is to ensure that the grants awarded are feasible and align with the donor’s intent.

Since its establishment in 1995, MSCF has awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $27 million and is one of the leading grantmakers in the region.
The following grants were awarded in the 2023 General Grant Cycle as described below:

• American Red Cross - $4,100 - Disaster Relief Services for residents in the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Army’s Legacy Animal Rescue and Sanctuary - $1,000 - Spay and neuter surgeries for foster animals in the Foundation’s service area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT - $3,500 - Community-Based Mentoring program for at-risk children in the Foundation’s service area (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Bristol Little League - $5,500 - Phase two of field improvements at Peck Park to install a new scoreboard (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• Bristol Eastern High School - $2,000 - Collaborative Masterworks Concert with Bristol Eastern chorale and Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music)
• Bristol Family Resource Centers - $4,500 - W.O.R.K.S. (Working Parents: Options, Resources & Key Supports) program to help working parents build collaborative relationships with their children’s school (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Bristol Health - $3,500 - Marketing materials to educate the public and revitalize the City of Bristol Recovery Alliance (COBRA) program (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Bristol Health Ingraham Manor - $3,500 - Installation of six raised garden beds that are wheelchair accessible for elderly residents to enjoy gardening (Dumont Family Charitable Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Bristol Police Department - $7,580 - Emergency Preparedness Upgrades to include two Mass Casualty Walk Kits and two Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund)
• Bristol Youth Lacrosse, Inc. - $2,500 - Uniforms and equipment for youth who otherwise would not be able to play due to financial barriers (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, JoAnn & David Mills Family Fund)
• Bristol Senior Center- Department of Aging - $4,000 – Provision of personal care items monthly for members who are receiving SNAP benefits (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Becker Family Fund)
• Burlington Volunteer Fire Department - $2,000 - Purchase of a specialized “Mercury Quick Attack LE” nozzle for large fires (James R. Parker Trust)
• Chrysalis Center, Inc. - $3,000 - Case management services for the Community Supportive Housing (CSH) program to benefit residents of Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth, and Southington (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Connecticut Humane Society - $2,000 - Veterinary care for at-risk pets in the Foundation’s service area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Connecticut Foodshare - $3,720 – Mobile Food Pantry supplying meat/dairy/produce to underserved neighborhoods in Bristol, Burlington, and Southington (Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Covenant to Care for Children, Inc (CCC) - $1,000 - Provision of basic essential goods such as beds, furniture and diapers for youth primarily in DCF care in Bristol and surrounding towns (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut, Inc. - $2,000 - New Raptor Aviary at Indian Rock Nature Preserve (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Friends of the Terryville Public Library - $2,220 – Purchase of a rainbow seating area and chairs for the children’s reading center (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Pyrzenski/Audette Family Fund)
• Friends of the Wolcott Dog Pound, Inc. - $4,000 - Outreach and veterinary care for pets from low and moderate-income homes (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Gloria Dei Lutheran Church - $3,600 - Food & Diaper Distribution program serving primarily Bristol residents (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Grace Baptist Church - $3,800 – Purchase fresh food items including meat and produce for Grace Pantry program (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Ronald F. & Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• Human Resources Agency (HRA) of New Britain, Inc. - $3,000 - Expansion of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to assist low-income residents of Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth, and Southington (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Kelly’s Kids, Inc. - $5,000 - Therapeutic After-School Care and Summer Camp program for children in the Foundation’s service area (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Kelly’s Kids, Inc. (Wolcott Youth Services Bureau) - $2,000 - Expansion of youth programming at the new Wolcott Youth Services Bureau (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Nana Jane’s Fund)
• Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut - $5,000 - Greater Bristol Literacy Project for low and moderate-income residents in Bristol, Burlington and Plainville (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Lewis S. Mills CREW Booster Club, Inc. - $1,530 - Boat Cover to protect the newly refurbished boat "Typhoon" (James R. Parker Trust)
• Memorial Military Museum, Inc. - $2,500 - Restoration of two Bristol veteran’s WWII leather flight jackets (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund)
• New Britain Museum of American Art - $2,470 - Access to the Arts program for elementary aged students in the Wolcott Public Schools (Sid Bernard and Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts)
• New England Carousel Museum - $4,700 - Thursday Night Educational Program Series promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Jay and Elizabeth Tyrrel Fund for the Arts)
• Palace Theater Group - $2,000 - Performance of To Kill a Mockingbird at the Palace theater for high school students from Bristol, Southington, Wolcott, Burlington and Plymouth (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Southington Arts Council Legacy Fund)
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - $5,450 – Purchase low-salt and low-fat foods, dairy, and fresh produce for Healthy Options Program Plus (Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund, Paige Wartonick LaFerriere Memorial Fund, Betts Family Fund)
• Productions for Change - $4,000 - Helping the Homeless promotional video and social media project for the Agape House in Bristol (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund)
• Rebuilding Together Litchfield County, Inc. - $6,000 - Roof repairs for elderly homeowners in Plymouth (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center, Inc. - $3,000 - Creation of a video and handbook for a Volunteer Training program (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Southington Northern Little League - $3,000 - Construction of a dedicated field for Southington's T-Ball players ages 4-6 (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Southington Public Library - $1,460 - BELONG (Building Equitable Library Opportunities for Neurodiverse Groups) featuring special artistic, cultural and technology related programming (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Tabernacle Christian Church - $4,000 – Giving Back Food Pantry program to purchase groceries and fresh food for food-insecure residents of Southington and surrounding areas (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• The Children’s Law Center, Inc. - $3,000 - Legal representation of children in family court from the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• The Diaper Bank of Connecticut - $2,000 - Diapers for low-income families through an existing Diaper Distribution Network in the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Thy Eagle’s Nest - $2,500 - Vehicle for collection and distribution of furniture benefitting low-income residents living in the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• United Way of Southington, Inc. - $3,350 – Technology upgrade project (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Wheeler Clinic - $5,000 - Operating support for a Peer Specialist in the Walk With Me program to support the behavioral health of LGBTQ+ adolescents (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Calvanese Foundation Green & White Fund for Behavioral Health)
• Wolcott Citizens Against Substance Abuse (CASA) - $1,220 - CASA Family Togetherness Night program to promote communication and connections (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church - $3,000 – Meals for Neighbors Program to purchase food for the pantry and soup kitchen (Smith Family Charitable Fund)