(January 7, 2014) - The Women & Girls’ Fund of the Main Street Community Foundation held its Annual Meeting on January 7, 2014 to celebrate the past year and all the Fund has accomplished. The celebration culminated in the announcement of grant distributions from the Fund – a record $30,760 was awarded to 12 organizations serving women and girls in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

The Fund’s 2013 grants were awarded to the following organizations for the purpose described:

• Bristol Boys & Girls Club - to support the Smart Girls program
• Bristol Community Organization – to support Rx for Success in which selected mothers with children in Head Start will be assisted in gaining education to earn a living wage
• Bristol Early Childhood Alliance – to support the Maternal Depression Screening Initiative which connects expectant and new mothers with the resources needed to address mental health issues
• Bristol Girls Little League Softball – to support pre-season skills and confidence building clinics for those involved in softball
• Bristol Technical Education Center – to support the BTEC Girls’ Healthy Choices Program, which explores life choices for women pursuing a career in the technical field (partially funded by the John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls)
• Bristol Youth Services – to support the Skills to Pay the Bills program which provides social/family life education and independent living skills
• Central CT Senior Health Services – to support the Good Life Fitness for Women program in which low income elderly women receive individualized exercise interventions (partially funded by the Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women)
• Girl Scouts of Connecticut – to support camperships for girls in the Fund’s service area to attend Girl Scout camps in 2014
• Plymouth Family Resource Center – to support the professional development of Plymouth women in licensed home based child care
• Wheeler Clinic – to support the Giving Girls Power through Gender-Based Education initiative by providing gender-specific reading and video resources to students
• Women & Girls’ Immediate Response Fund – to support immediate response grants to help women and girls in need of assistance with emphasis on basic needs, educational or employment opportunities or that which provides health and safety
• YWCA of New Britain - support a teen empowerment group at Plainville High School

Grants from the Women & Girls’ Fund are funded by proceeds from the annual Wonder of Women (WOW) event as well as two other named funds: the Barbara Hackman Franklin Fund for Women and the John & Gloria DiFrancesco Fund for Women and Girls. Both funds were established in 2011 and provide distributions to support initiatives identified by the Women & Girls’ Fund.

The evening also celebrated the election of a new Advisory Board Chair and four new Advisory Board members. Jeanine Audette was elected Chair of the Women & Girls’ Fund Advisory Board, and newly elected Advisory Board members are: Angela Chapman, Susan Moreau, Lisa Palen and Sharon Stotz.