For 25 years, Main Street Community Foundation (MSCF) has been guiding charitable efforts with donors, strengthening nonprofits and improving the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott through philanthropy.

Since its establishment in 1995, MSCF has awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $19.3 million and is now one of the leading grantmakers in the region. The organization stewards $48.5 million in assets, comprised of 245 named funds that support a wide range of charitable causes.

Through its recent Spring competitive grant cycle, MSCF awarded $90,040 in grants to 27 local organizations representing a broad range of programs and projects. The grants were awarded from endowed funds established by donors to support the local community and the causes they care about.

“During this important anniversary year, we are thrilled to be announcing $90,040 in grants, thanks to the generous donors who have established and built these funds to strengthen our communities and support our neighbors,” said Susan Sadecki, President & CEO of MSCF.

Sadecki also acknowledged the 23 local residents that comprise MSCF’s volunteer Distribution Committee. “The Distribution Committee worked tirelessly this year in difficult circumstances to ensure that thoughtful decisions were made and donor intent was honored,” stated Sadecki. “Through the use of virtual meetings and interviews with organizations, we made the best possible decisions we could in a trying time.”

It should also be noted that MSCF has been rapidly deploying flexible resources over the last several months to aid communities during the coronavirus outbreak. Total grants awarded to support COVID-19 Response and Recovery Efforts to date is $105,330.

The following grants were awarded in the 2020 Competitive Spring Grant Cycle from the various funds as described below:

• American Red Cross Connecticut Chapter - $2,500 - Disaster Relief Services for residents of the Foundation’s service area (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Bristol Family Resource Centers - $3,000 - W.O.R.K.S. (Working Parents Options Resources and Key Supports) program to help parents build positive collaborative relationships with their children’s schools (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Bill & Janet Brownstein Charitable Fund)
• Chrysalis Center, Inc. - $4,000 - Veteran Support Services at The Elms supportive housing in Bristol (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund)
• City of Bristol-Emergency Management Dept. - $3,000 - Three Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) for Public Buildings (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Ronald F. & Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• Connecticut Humane Society - $2,000 - Medical Support Program for pets brought to the Society from Animal Control Officers located in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Connecticut Storytelling Center, Inc. - $3,000 - Start with Stories arts-based program to improve literacy of elementary students in the Bristol Public Schools (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Jay & Elizabeth Tyrrell Fund for the Arts)
• For Goodness Sake - $2,500 - Sweet Dreams Bedding Bundles program for low-income children primarily from Bristol, Plainville and Southington (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Grace Baptist Church-Food Pantry - $2,000 - Food and essential items from Foodshare to distribute to Bristol and surrounding communities (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity - $2,500 - Bristol Build 2020 - Construction related costs to build two new housing units in Bristol (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund)
• Kelly's Kids, Inc. - $4,000 - Interactive Therapeutic Farm program primarily for DCF involved youth from Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, JoAnn & David Mills Family Fund)
• McCabe-Waters Little League - $5,000 - Playing Field Three upgrade including leveling and drainage (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• New Britain Museum of American Art - $2,000 - Access to the Arts program for Wolcott students (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters - $4,000 - Community Based Mentoring in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Dumont Family Charitable Fund)
• Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - $2,040 - Educational Children's Concerts for third graders in Bristol, Burlington and Plymouth (James R. Parker Trust, Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music)
• Operation Fuel, Inc. - $6,000 - Emergency energy assistance for residents of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Parent & Child Center at Bristol Hospital - $5,000 - Family Life Works - Parent Education Program serving at-risk families (Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Plymouth Volunteer Ambulance Corps - $3,500 - Motorized Stair Chair to transport injured clients (Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Prudence Crandall Center, Inc. - $4,000 - Domestic & Teen Dating Violence Prevention Services for youth and teens attending public schools in Plainville (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Senior Transportation Services, Inc. - $3,500 - Free or low-cost rides for Plainville seniors in collaboration with Plainville Senior Center (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund)
• Shepard Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. - $5,000 - Care for Therapy Horses (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Terry and Marguerite Fletcher Family Fund)
• Sustainable Connecticut, Inc. - $2,500 - Sustainable CT 2020 Fellows program to provide technical support to assist local towns with certification (Merriman Family Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Tabernacle Christian Church - $3,000 - Giving Back Food Pantry program to provide groceries and fresh produce to food-insecure residents (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund)
• The Agape House - $5,000 - Part-time Administrative Coordinator for homeless outreach center (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Children’s Law Center, Inc. - $2,500 - Legal Representation of low-income children from the Foundation’s service area in family court (Paige Wartonick Laferriere Memorial Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Becker Family Fund)
• The New England Carousel Museum - $5,000 - S.T.E.A.M. program for Bristol second grade students including purchase of equipment for virtual delivery of program (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community, Sid Bernard & Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• The Palace Theater, Inc. - $2,000 - Subsidized tickets for Bristol, Southington and Wolcott high school students to attend Anastasia performance to reinforce learning concepts in History, Language and Performing Arts (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Southington Arts Council Legacy Fund)
• Wolcott Citizens Against Substance Abuse (CASA) Coalition - $1,500 - Wellness Activities and Services for youth and families in Wolcott to promote positive mental health (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)