Established by Bradley Barnes in 1973, the Bradley Henry Barnes and Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust has been supporting the health and wellness of Southington residents for nearly 50 years. This year is no different, with Main Street Community Foundation recently awarding $374,445 in grants from the Barnes Memorial Trust to five organizations that work to improve the health and wellbeing of Southington residents.

The Arc of Southington supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and has received an $80,000 grant to build an outdoor pavilion that will provide outdoor program and gathering spaces to be utilized by the clients and families they serve.

The Prudence Crandall Center has been providing care and support to individuals affected by domestic violence for as long as the Trust has existed, and has been awarded a $50,000 grant to continue their work in prevention and intervention in Southington.

The Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA has been awarded a $100,000 grant that will be used for unrestricted operating support to help sustain operations and provide programs and opportunities that enhance the quality of living in their community.

A $60,000 grant has been awarded to The LEAF (Lewis Educational Agricultural Farm) to continue school and community programs that focus on agricultural education and ensuring a healthy and sustainable food supply in Southington.

Lastly, United Way of Southington has been awarded a $84,445 grant which will be used to continue the Senior Transportation program providing free rides to Southington seniors in collaboration with Senior Transportation Services of New Britain.

The Bradley Henry Barnes and Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust was transferred to Main Street Community Foundation in 2004, and in those 18 years the Foundation has awarded nearly $11.9 million from the Trust, all in an effort to keep this legacy alive and to improve the health outcomes of Southington residents.