Established in 2000 by Joseph Gnazzo and James Reidy to support general charitable purposes in the towns served by the Main Street Community Foundation.
FUNDS
Grace and Norma Joy’s nieces, Eileen Moylan, Lorry Belanger, and Donna Ricci wanted to honor the memory of two women who would have excelled in college if given the opportunity. Both Grace and Norma were lifelong residents of Bristol. Grace was an outstanding financial manager who utilized those skills for over 45 years at Marlin Rockwell of Plainville. Upon her retirement, she brought her remarkable accounting talents to the TRW Credit Union in Plainville.
Dan Scoppetta, a longtime surgeon in Bristol, developed a relationship with the Grand Anse Women’s Special Health Program in 2016, on his way home from one of his regular volunteer surgical missions to Haiti. To Dan’s surprise, the Grand Anse Women’s Special Health Program was run by a nurse who grew up on a farm, in Bristol, where ESPN is now located. When he toured the local hospital, he was amazed when he found out that the hospital that served 500,000 souls did not have a single surgeon.
Hal Kilby, a Bristol resident who has been involved in youth athletic programs for decades, established this fund in 2016 to support the community athletic needs in Bristol.
Established in 2010 by Bill and Anita Hamzy to support a variety of charitable causes in the Greater Plymouth community.
Established in 2012 to purchase and maintain a fire safety trailer, which is a mobile classroom, to be used to instruct children about fire safety topics, including real life demonstrations of sprinkler systems, room fires, warning signs and other topics as part of the “risk watch” program. The trailer and the associated fire safety program are dedicated in memory of Carlyle “Hap” Barnes, who served as a fire commissioner in Bristol for 36 years.
Established by the Directors of the Barnes Foundation, Inc. in 2002 to honor Hap Barnes, distribution from this fund will support the Museum of Fire History at the New England Carousel Museum in Bristol, CT.
Established in 2015, this fund will provide an annual grant to Immanuel Lutheran School located in Bristol, CT to support tuition assistance for students with financial need enrolled in the school.
Established by former Southington High School student Rebecca Michlin and Southington Community Services in 2006, grants from this fund will provide school supplies or summer school for Southington students in need and fund other educational opportunities to benefit the Southington community.
This fund was established in 2020 in memory of Jacob Allen Perkins, who was only 20 years old when he died by suicide in October 2019. Jacob enjoyed many things including camping and just being outdoors. He had a strong affinity towards animals, especially dogs, where he seemed to be able to calm and befriend any animal he met. The Community Foundation will provide an annual grant to the Southington Police Department to benefit the Emotional Support Dog program or the Southington Police K-9 Unit.
The Jake Gilbert Memorial Culinary Arts Scholarship Fund was established by the Robert Rosenheim Foundation to honor the memory of Jake Gilbert. Jake studied Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University, and this scholarship not only honors his legacy but will help inspire other culinary students who have the same passion that Jake had for food.
This trust was established in the late 1970’s through a bequest by Colonel James Parker to help meet the needs of residents in the town of Burlington. The fund was transferred to Main Street Community Foundation in 2002 after being administered for many years by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
First established as the Paul Jaspersohn Memorial Fund after his tragic death in 2001, the fund's name was changed in 2005 to memorialize other family members after the death of Paul’s father, Tom. This fund supports programs and organizations that provide humanitarian efforts to the greater Bristol area.
This fund was established in 2011 through a bequest from Elizabeth Tyrrell in honor of herself and her late husband, Jay. Grants from this fund will provide support for artistic and cultural opportunities in the greater Bristol area.
Established in 2021 by his friends and family, this fund honors the memory of John “Jay” Bonetta. Jay was a true Bristolite. He enjoyed a long career as an educator in the Bristol school system. He served as co-editor of The Citizen, a local newspaper and for many years was active in city-wide volunteerism. This fund will support a variety of charitable organizations, primarily in the communities served by the Main Street Community Foundation.
This fund was established in 2011 through a bequest from Elizabeth M. Tyrrell in honor of her husband, Jay W. Tyrrell. This fund provides scholarships to assist individuals from the greater Bristol area in pursuit of higher education in the field of art.
This fund was established in 2015 in memory of Jean Sorey by her family and friends upon her passing. In remembrance of her passion and love for her family as well as her resilience as a single mother, distributions from the fund will support single parents for immediate needs to better their families.
For over 40 years, Jeffrey Downes drove commercial trucks, he loved his work, and truly had a passion for driving. This scholarship fund was established by his family to honor his memory upon his passing in 2015, after a hard fought battle with cancer. A scholarship will be awarded annually to an individual residing in Bristol, Burlington, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington or Wolcott to provide financial assistance towards obtaining skilled training as a commercial driver or other skilled trade with preference given to those applicants seeking a commercial driver license (CDL).
This fund was established in 2013 in memory of Jill Lynne Shackett, a beloved teacher at South Side School in Bristol who passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 35. This scholarship will provide assistance to students pursuing post secondary education at a four-year college or university with a major in education. The student must have a passion for teaching and the desire to become an elementary or secondary education teacher. Preference will be given to students who attended school in Bristol particularly at South Side School or Bristol Eastern High School.
Jill Lynne Shackett became a teacher in 2001 and taught at South Side School in Bristol, Connecticut. This fund was established in 2022 to honor the memory of Jill, who passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 35, and to honor the students in the school that meant so much to her. An annual grant will be distributed to South Side School to provide awards to fifth graders moving up to middle school to assist with the transition.
