Aquatics safety. Leadership skills. Expanding audiences. Veterans support. 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 41 organizations representing a broad range of programs and projects received $126,459 in grant awards. This is the result of the Foundation’s competitive 2019 General Grant Cycle, which saw the submission of 45 grant proposals.

The grants were awarded from 33 endowed funds established by donors to support the local community and the causes they care about.

“We are thrilled to be announcing $126,459 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 the Community Foundation.

Sadecki also acknowledged the 26 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. “They thoughtfully review all applications to ensure feasibility and they remain committed to honoring donor intent.”

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

• Animal Rescue Foundation - Spay & neuter program and supplies for Pet Food Bank (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Family Center - Careers for Cambridge job-readiness and career exploration program for teens (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Dumont Family Charitable Fund, JoAnn & David Mills Family Fund)
• Bristol Adult Resource Center - Art Calendar project for intellectually disabled adults in the art program (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community, Jay & Elizabeth Tyrrell Fund for the Arts)
• Bristol Auto Club - Family entertainment, music and games for Saturday Cruise Nights (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund)
• Bristol School Readiness Council - Operation HALO (Healthy Alternatives for Little Ones) program for preschoolers in collaboration with the Bristol Police Department and Parent & Child Center at Bristol Hospital (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Bill & Janet Brownstein Charitable Fund)
• Bristol Soccer Club - Finishing lawn mower for field maintenance (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• City of Bristol Parks & Recreation Department - Arts in the Park event for children in conjunction with Bristol Parks & Recreation Department’s Summer Concert series (Sid Bernard & Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts)
• Connecticut Humane Society - Medical Support Program for pets from local Animal Control Officers located in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund)
• Connecticut Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America - Expansion of the STEMScouting program in the Bristol elementary schools (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Connecticut Storytelling Center - Start With Stories program presented by professional storytelling artists in residency in the Bristol Public Schools (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund, Ronald F. & Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• CT Coalition for Animals - Subsidized wellness exams for pets with owners in need of financial assistance from the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund, Terry and Marguerite Fletcher Family Fund)
• Environmental Learning Centers of CT - Purchase of two-way radio communication system for Indian Rock Nature Preserve summer camp (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• For Goodness Sake - Sweet Dreams Bedding Bundles program for low-income children from the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Smith Family Charitable Fund)
• Friends of Wolcott Dog Pound - Fencing to create a pet exercise run and meet and greet area (Elizabeth I. and Louis J. Matt Animal Protection Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Girl Scouts of Connecticut - Pilot program for teacher-led troops in the Bristol schools (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center - Career program for young children to introduce them to a wide variety of occupations in their community (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Living in Safe Alternatives (LISA) - Life Skills Academy for community youth from the communities of Bristol, Plainville and Southington (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Calvanese Foundation Green & White Fund for Behavioral Health)
• McCabe-Waters Little League - Improvements to Greenleaf Field in Bristol (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - Educational Children’s Concert for third graders from Bristol, Burlington and Plymouth (James R. Parker Trust, Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Parent & Child Center at Bristol Hospital - Family Life Works, a parent education program to support at-risk families (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund)
• Plainville Community Food Pantry - Holiday Basket program to support low-income families (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund)
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - Low-sodium and low-sugar pantry items to continue the Healthy Options food program (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Plymouth Historical Society - Passport to Plymouth historic tours in conjunction with the town anniversary celebration (Betts Family Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Reach Out and Read - Bristol Rx for Success–Clinical Literacy Initiative, an early literacy partnership with local pediatricians to encourage parental involvement in reading (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Senior Transportation Services - Provide free or low-cost rides to medical appointments, pharmacy, banks, and care facilities for Plainville seniors (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Shepard Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center - Support certified instructor for summer therapeutic riding program (Paige Wartonic Laferriere Memorial Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Becker Family Fund)
• Southington Community Theatre - Production costs for Willy Wonka–the Musical (Southington Arts Council Legacy Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Southington South Little League - Replacement of outdated uniforms and catcher’s gear (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Sustainable Connecticut - Technical assistance to the municipalities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott to become certified in Sustainable Connecticut program (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Merriman Family Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Tabernacle Christian Church - Giving Back Food program to provide groceries and fresh foods to people in need (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund)
• Terryville Public Library - Website redesign project (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Betts Family Fund)
• The Children’s Law Center - Family court legal representation of low-income children from the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Bristol Savings Bank Fund)
• The Children’s Museum - Science Achievement for All program for K-8th grade students in Bristol (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• The Palace Theater Group - Subsidized tickets for Bristol, Southington and Wolcott high school students to attend performance of Les Miserables at the Palace Theater to reinforce concepts taught in history, language and performance arts classes (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Salvation Army - Weekend Snack Packs for homeless clients (Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Town of Southington Recreation Department - Camp RISE (Recreation Integrated into Social Experiences) summer program for students with special needs (Bristol Savings Bank Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Tunxis Community College Foundation - Stipends for Civic Engagement internships benefitting students and nonprofit organizations in the communities of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• United Way of West Central Connecticut - Community outreach and engagement for the Bristol Early Childhood Alliance (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund)
• Veterans Strong Community Center - Part-Time Coordinator to continue direct outreach and service referrals for veterans in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Wheeler Regional Family YMCA - Adaptive Aquatics Safety program for youth and young adults with autism (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Wolcott Citizens Against Substance Abuse - Family focused educational forums on substance abuse prevention and related topics (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund)