Established by a bequest in 1975 from Bristol resident Frederick T. Manross, the Foundation was named trustee in 2020. Annual distributions will support Bristol Hospital and the F.N. Manross Memorial Library in Forestville.
FUNDS
This fund, established in 2013, will serve as a collection mechanism for the Bristol Parks and Recreation Department. Grants will be awarded to the City of Bristol for park enhancement projects.
This fund was established in 1998 to honor the memory of local industrialist and community leader Fuller Barnes and his wife Myrtle by providing special educational programs and opportunities for teachers and students in the pre-school to 12th grade populations.
Created in 2005 by the Furey children, in memory of their parents, Charles L. and Priscilla K. Furey, this fund supports worthy charitable causes to enhance the quality of life for residents of Bristol and other geographic areas as recommended by the donor.
This scholarship was transferred to the Main Street Community Foundation in 2015 by GE’s Industrial Solutions in Plainville. Since that time, GE’s Industrial Solutions was acquired by ABB Industrial Solutions, and subsequently relocated to Bloomfield, CT. Scholarships will be awarded annually to eligible dependents of ABB Electrification’s North America Product Development Center in Bloomfield, CT.
This fund was established in 2017 by family and friends to honor the life of Geoff Pierce who passed away of a drug overdose in 2016 at the young age of 26. Geoff was a lifelong Bristol resident who loved sports and was always there when friends needed a listening ear. The Geoffrey M. Pierce Memorial Fund will support organizations for general charitable purposes with preference for programs that promote addiction recovery.
Established in 2013 by the Barnes Group Foundation in honor of George Carpenter’s twenty-eight-years of service as a member of the Barnes Group Board of Directors. This fund will support a variety of charitable organizations, as recommended by the donor, primarily in the communities served by the Main Street Community Foundation.
Glo Sessions was a well known, award winning Connecticut artist who wanted to leave a legacy to future artists in the greater Bristol community. Before her passing in late 2011, Glo left a bequest in her estate plan to provide an annual scholarship to a Bristol resident to assist with the tuition necessary to pursue a career in art.
Established in 2000 by Joseph Gnazzo and James Reidy to support general charitable purposes in the towns served by the Main Street Community Foundation.
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.
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.