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.
FUNDS
This fund was established by Ginny and Geoff Fitzgerald as part of a special match opportunity at Main Street Community Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. Their generous donation was matched with a grant from the Money in Motion Fund at MSCF.
Grants from this unrestricted community fund will support the emerging and changing needs of the communities served by the 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 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.
This fund was transferred to Main Street Community Foundation in 2025 by the Harold M. Johnson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Foundation. This scholarship honors the life and legacy of Harold M. Johnson, Jr., Plainville High School Class of 1980, who was a four-year, three sport athlete who passed away in 2010. Harold earned multiple letters in each of his chosen sports: football, basketball and track & field. Harold was dedicated to putting in the time and effort in order to improve himself so that each of the teams he was on had the best chance of winning. Evidence of his willingness to lead by example was proven when during his senior year his teammates elected him as team captain for each of teams for whom he played.
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.
This fund was established by Jan Neri as part of a special match opportunity at Main Street Community Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. Her generous donation was matched with a grant from the Money in Motion Fund at MSCF.
Grants from this unrestricted community fund will support the emerging and changing needs of the communities served by the Foundation.
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.
