July 18, 2016 - Viewing a musical performance. Shopping at a food pantry. Attending support groups and educational experiences. Those are a few ways that the recent grants awarded by Main Street Community Foundation will inspire, affect and touch the residents living and working in the towns of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

A total of 36 organizations representing a broad range of programs and projects received $96,140 in grant awards. This is the result of the Foundation’s 2016 General Competitive Grant Cycle, which saw the submission of 44 grant proposals.

The grants were awarded from 23 endowed funds established by donors to support the local community and the causes they care about.

“We are thrilled to be announcing over $96,000 in grants thanks to the generous legacies of the donors who have established and built these unrestricted community, field of interest and donor advised funds to bolster our communities and help our neighbors,” said Susan Sadecki, President & CEO of the Community Foundation. “We are proud to support these programs that not only positively impact our neighbors’ lives but fill vital needs in the community.”

Sadecki also acknowledged the 27 local residents that comprise the Community Foundation’s volunteer Distribution Committee. “The Distribution Committee reviews all proposals, conducts site visits and makes the final funding recommendations to the Board of Directors”, stated Sadecki. “Their thoughtful review of the applications to ensure feasibility and their commitment to honoring donor intent is unmatched.”

The following grants were awarded from the various funds as described below:

• American Clock & Watch Museum - two traveling programs for Bristol schools, one on mass production and the benefits of an assembly line and one about preserving history through time capsules (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. - a spay and neuter program for dogs and cats being surrendered to the Animal Rescue Foundation (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Boy Scouts of American, CT Rivers Council - an after school mobile STEMScouting lab for middle school aged students in Bristol (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Boys and Girls Club and Family Center of Bristol - an on-line membership system to effectively track participants, attendance and outcome measures (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Bristol Adult Resource Center - an Aquaponics system that would employ individuals with developmental disabilities and grow vegetables for the organization’s restaurant and the local community (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Merriman Family Fund, Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund)
• Bristol Brass & Wind Ensemble - new and updated sound equipment for concerts (Bristol Saving Bank Fund, Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music, Jay and Elizabeth Tyrrell Fund for the Arts)
• Bristol Central High School - RAMbassadors, a peer mentoring program to address and decrease the critical problems students are having transitioning to high school (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Bristol Community Organization, Inc. - to increase the hours of the Volunteer Coordinator to strengthen the volunteer program and establish a Veteran’s coffee house (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
  Bristol Historical Society, Inc. - trolley for the Tour of Historic Federal Hill (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund)
• Bristol Legion Baseball Post 2 - a national tournament at Muzzy Field during the 2016 summer (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Bristol Preparatory Academy - to enable the Academy to integrate physical education into their weekly lessons (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Ronald F. and Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• Bristol Preschool Child Care Center - cribs and high chairs for the new Center (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Bristol School Readiness Council - Grandparents as Parents, a program that provides a support system to reduce family stress, develop increased networking and peer support and teach and enhance parenting skills (Wally Barnes Fund for Community Leadership Initiatives, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Community Health Network of CT Foundation, Inc. - Cooking Matters, a program to equip low income families with information on how to shop smarter, make healthier choices and cook delicious, affordable meals (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Connecticut Humane Society - Medical Support Program for pets impounded by municipal animal control agencies in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Connecticut Radio Information System - installation of internet radios in two assisted living/retirement facilities in Bristol to enable seniors to listen to audio versions of newspapers, magazines and interviews (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Covenant to Care for Children - Critical Goods, a program that purchases new beds, cribs and car seats to address the urgent needs of at-risk children (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Paige Wartonick Laferriere Memorial Fund)
• For Goodness Sake - new mattress supplies for families in need (Smith Family Fund)
• Hillside Community Church - Necessities Cupboard, a program that provides food and personal care items for families in need (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund)
• Junior Achievement - financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills education in Southington elementary schools (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Lewis S. Mills Band Booster Club - secured rack system for the band’s trailer to properly hold instruments and other equipment during transportation to community events (James R. Parker Trust)
• Lewis S. Mills High School - two pitching machines and accessories to support the baseball and softball programs (James R. Parker Trust)
• The Children’s Museum - Science Achievement for All, a program for Bristol students in PreK-Grade 8 with field trips or in-school presentations (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - children’s concert for third grade students (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Parent & Child Center at Bristol Hospital - Family Life Works Program, which provides comprehensive education and referral services to at-risk families (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Eva M. Pierce Memorial Fund, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Plymouth Beautification Committee – creation of a mural depicting important events, places and people in Plymouth’s history on a concrete wall at the Terryville Library (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - purchase of low-sodium and low sugar food for those with dietary restrictions (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Plymouth Early Childhood Council - support the work of early care educators to increase the number of children who are ready for kindergarten (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Plymouth Volunteer Ambulance - Emergency Medical Responder class for youth in Plymouth and surrounding communities (Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Reach Out and Read - early literacy program in partnership with local pediatricians who encourage parental involvement in reading to their children and give out books for children aged six months though 5 (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund)
• Salvation Army - a creative arts and music program for Bristol youth in kindergarten through 12th grade (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Southington–Cheshire Community YMCAs - scholarships for those with financial need to attend summer camp (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Tabernacle Christian Church - Giving Back Food program (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Talcott Mountain Science Center for Student Involvement, Inc. - attendance at a summer STEM program for underserved Bristol students (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• United Way of West Central Connecticut, Inc. - computers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• West Bristol School - to provide kindergarten through second grade students an opportunity to participate in a social emotional learning curriculum (Bristol Savings Bank Fund)