Main Street Community Foundation has awarded a total of $153,364 through its general grant cycle to 44 local organizations that are committed to serving the residents of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, or Wolcott. The grants will help these organizations further their reach in order to meet the needs of residents, from food insecurity to collaborative creative programs.

The grants awarded in this cycle reflect various needs in the communities the Foundation serves and are distributed from 35 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 are thoughtfully reviewed by twenty-eight 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 goals and programs of the grantees are feasible and align with the donor’s intent.

Since its establishment in 1995, MSCF has awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $29.5 million and is one of the leading grantmakers in the region.

The following grants were awarded in the 2024 General Grant Cycle as described below:

• American Clock & Watch Museum - $1,750 - Historic Window Replacement (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• American Red Cross - $4,000 - Disaster Relief Services for residents of the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund)
• Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. - $1,240 - Spay & Neuter Program for shelter cats and dogs in the Foundation’s service area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Arts for Learning Connecticut - $4,000 - Express Yourself, a social and emotional resiliency through the arts program to be held at Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School, Southington (KAWFY Memorial Fund, Lynda M. Mazur and Michael F. Colomonico Jr. Hands-On Fund)
• Boys & Girls Club of Bristol - $5,000 - Journeys: Path to Adulthood a program to help youth develop a sense of identity and define personal values as they transition to young adulthood (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Dumont Family Charitable Fund)
• Bread for Life - $1,078 - Technology upgrade to support organizational events and data collection as well as the education of clients (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Bristol Adult Education - $1,990 - Healthy snack pantry for food-insecure students (Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund, Ronald F. & Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund)
• Bristol Adult Resource Center, Inc. - $4,800 - New lawnmowers for Yard Service program in Bristol, Plainville and Terryville (Pyrzenski/Audette Family Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Charitable Fund)
• Bristol Child Development Center - $3,000 - Expansion of the Little Chefs’ program, a hands-on culinary and gardening experience for students and families (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund)
• 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 (Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Bristol Historical Society - $1,596 - Past Perfect initiative, a technology upgrade to enhance the museum’s visibility by allowing free online access to the collection (Stephen and Katherine Saman Memorial Fund)
• Bristol Recovery Club Inc. - $4,000 - Beverage vending machine for member’s use at meetings (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• BristolWORKS! - $3,000 - Financial aid for individuals enrolled in workforce training and development classes residing in the Foundation’s service area (Wally Barnes Fund for Community Leadership Initiatives, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Burlington Library Association Inc. - $6,000 - Hoopla, a library streaming service providing instant access to eBooks, audiobooks, comics, movies and music (Burlington Community Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Burlington Volunteer Fire Department Inc. - $5,378 - Purchase of two specialized nozzles that will help eradicate large fires (James R. Parker Trust)
• Charter Oak State College Foundation Inc. - $4,760 - Break the Paper Ceiling program to remove financial barriers to degree completion for adults returning to college (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Connecticut Foodshare - $3,500 - Mobile Food Pantry supplying meat/dairy/produce to underserved neighborhoods in Bristol, Burlington, and Southington (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Connecticut Humane Society - $1,000 - Veterinary care for at-risk pets in the Foundation’s service area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut, Inc. - $5,000 - Phase II of Wallace Barnes Accessible Nature Trail project including benches, signs and connection of trail ends (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Merriman Family Fund)
• Family Resource Center of Southington- Southington Board of Education - $4,582 - Building Blocks of Learning school readiness program for Southington children ages three to five (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Friends of Southington Animal Control Inc. - $3,000 - New ground surface for outdoor kennel to improve exercise area for animals (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Friends of the Wolcott Dog Pound, Inc. - $3,000 - Outreach and veterinary care of pets from low and moderate-income homes in the Foundation’s service area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund, Terry & Marguerite Fletcher Family Fund)
• Healing Meals Foundation Corporation - $4,500 - Healthy Meals program for seriously ill persons in our service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center - $5,000 - Building STEAM with Imagine Nation program for students and families in the Foundation’s service area (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Kelly’s Kids, Inc. - $3,200 - Kelly’s Kids Farm Playgroup, a therapeutic program focusing on social skills development 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 - Wolcott Youth Playgroup, an early childhood program for preschoolers in Wolcott (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund)
• New England Auto & Transportation Museum Inc. - $1,200 - Annual Summer Car Show in Bristol (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - $6,000 - Educational Children's Concerts in schools throughout the Foundation’s service area (James R. Parker Trust, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music)
• Operation Fuel, Inc. - $5,000 - Emergency Energy Assistance in the Foundation’s service area (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Plainville Community Food Pantry - $2,500 - Intervention, Outreach and Referral Program providing food and other basic needs for Plainville residents (Paige Wartonick Laferriere Memorial Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Becker Family Fund)
• South Central Health District - $5,000 - Community Life Saving classes such as First Aid, CPR, Stop the Bleed and AED training for Plainville and Southington residents (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Southington Festival Chorale - $1,000 - Winter (2024) and Spring (2025) concerts performed in Southington (Southington Arts Council Legacy Fund, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Southington Girls Softball League - $2,000 - Rookie and Farm Field upgrades (KAWFY Memorial Fund, JoAnn & David Mills Family Fund)
• Southington Southern Little League - $2,000 - Upgrades to three fields to improve quality and standardize size (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Terryville Public Library - $2,500 - Accessible adult seating for residents and library patrons (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Agape House - $4,000 - Client Transportation Initiative for housing-insecure clients in Bristol and surrounding towns (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Carousel Museum - $3,200 - Expansion of Thursday Night Lecture Series promoting the mission of the museum (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Jay & Elizabeth Tyrrell Fund for the Arts)
• The Children’s Law Center, Inc. - $4,000 - Legal representation of children in family court from the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Children’s Museum - $2,500 - Science Achievement for All (SAFA) program for students in Bristol Public Schools (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• The Diaper Bank of CT - $2,500 - Provide diapers to non-profit organizations serving low-income families through a diaper distribution network in the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• The Salvation Army - $5,000 - Creative Arts and Music (CAM) Academy for Bristol youth (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Thy Eagle’s Nest - $2,590 - Purchase of a used Chair Lift providing access to the second-floor classrooms for clients with restricted mobility (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Nana Jane's Fund)
• United Way of West Central CT - $5,500 - Staff support for BECA (Bristol Early Childhood Alliance) Coordinator (Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Veterans Strong Community Center - $6,000 - Operating support to conduct outreach and case management services for veterans in the Foundation’s service area (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)