Main Street Community Foundation recently held the Women & Girls Fund Annual Meeting & Grantee Reception on January 10, 2023 to recognize annual accomplishments and honor the nonprofit organizations supported. The event gathered together donors, community partners, and volunteers to celebrate the grants awarded from the Women & Girls Fund.

This year, a total of $43,400 in grants were awarded to 13 organizations serving women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott in a variety of ways. The grants awarded and their purposes are as follows:

• Brian’s Angels Homeless Outreach - $1,000 - Warm winter outerwear for women and girls experiencing homelessness.
• Bristol Family Resource Centers - $4,600 - Girl Up! program, a targeted small-group initiative to build leadership skills in girls ages 6-12 in three Bristol public schools.
• Bristol Historical Society - $600 - Celebrating Local Firsts event, an intergenerational program for Women’s History Month in collaboration with the Girl Scouts.
• Girl Scouts of Connecticut - $3,000 - Girl Scout Starter Troop pilot program to establish three new Girl Scout troops in the Foundation’s service area.
• Kelly’s Kids - $1,000 - Wolcott Youth Services Bureau pilot program featuring activities to increase girls’ confidence, self-esteem, social skills and positive development.
• PARC - $5,000 - Aging with Disabilities program for senior women with developmental disabilities in Plainville.
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - $2,400 - Supplies for the Community Diaper Bank, including diapers, wipes, food and formula
• Prudence Crandall Center - $5,000 - Emergency Shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children in the Foundation’s service area
• Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center - $5,400 - Mothers and Daughters Equine-Assisted Workshop series aimed at strengthening the mother/daughter bond while also increasing self-esteem and well-being
• St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Bristol - $1,900 - The Lunch Table program featuring inspirational speakers and group activities to foster dignity, independence and friendship for women and girls who are either in the shelter or homeless
• Southington Valley Midget Football League - $4,000 - Scholarships and safety head gear for the Powder Puff League serving girls ages 8-17
• The Agape House - $2,000 - Food for prepared meals provided to women and girls experiencing homelessness

These grants were funded by four sources: the proceeds of the annual WOW event, the endowment, and two other named funds whose distributions support initiatives identified by the Women & Girls Fund: The John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls and the Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women.

Both of the named Funds were established on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary Year of the Women & Girls Fund. The John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls was established in 2011 by John and Susan Scarritt to honor Susan’s mother Gloria and honor the memory of Susan’s father John DiFrancesco, who both lived their lives full of compassion and were committed to community service. The Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women was established in 2011 by Barbara Hackman Franklin’s family. Barbara was the 29th United States Secretary of Commerce, and led the first White House effort to recruit women for high level government jobs, nearly quadrupling the number of women serving in those positions.

Main Street Community Foundation has awarded over $718,000 in grants from the Women & Girls Fund to organizations and individuals in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott since the Fund’s establishment in 2001.