• Our Mission
• The Need
• Simple Concept, Big Impact
• History
• Get Involved
• Contributing to the Men & Boys' Fund 

Our Mission

The Men & Boys’ Fund works to make it possible for men and boys to improve the quality of their lives, increase self-sufficiency and make a positive difference in their community. The Fund serves Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott.

Advisory Board

Rodger Stotz, Chair
Whit Betts, Vice-Chair
Rob Sanderford, Secretary
Rob Caiaze, Treasurer
Chris Amorosino
Rich Carmelich
Chris Cassin
Hal Kilby

The Need

Men and boys have specific important needs that are not being met:

• Many boys lack a positive male role model. Research shows that means they are:
  • More likely to use and abuse drugs and alcohol
  • More prone to anger and violent behavior
  • More apt to be affected and influenced by peer pressure
  • More likely to perform poorly in school
• A greater percentage of men compared to women are homeless, unemployed, suicidal and incarcerated.
• Girls outperform boys in school and some boys view doing well in school as a negative.
• Men in need are much less likely to ask for help compared to women.
• Some social services are only available to women and girls—not to men and boys.
• Single father households are growing. There were 6,404 single-father families with children under 18 in Connecticut in 1970. In 2010, there were 30,792. Nationwide, single father households have increased about nine-fold since 1960 now totaling more than 2.6 million.
• Nearly one in four people age 25–34 live at home. Self-sufficiency is a critical issue.
• In 2014 only 40 percent of men age 30 earned more than their fathers did at the same age compared to 92 percent in 1970.
• The age-adjusted suicide rate for males (20.7/100K) is more than three times that for females (5.8/100,000).
• The percentage of men aged 25 to 54 who are not working has more than tripled since the late 1960s to 16 percent.

Sources available upon request. 

Simple Concept, Big Impact

The Men & Boys' Fund seeks to:

In fulfilling immediate short-term needs and supporting long-term programs, the Men & Boys’ Fund seeks to partner with local organizations that are working to improve the lives of boys and men in the areas of education, health and wellness, leadership, life skills, and workforce readiness.

History

The Men & Boys’ Fund is a community-based endowment established in 2016 at Main Street Community Foundation to improve the lives of men and boys in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, and Wolcott. The idea was brought to the Foundation by a group of local residents. The group then began holding several community meetings with local leaders, social service providers and businesses to discuss and identify the unmet needs of local men and boys.

Get Involved

□ Call 860.583.6363 to arrange a 10 minute phone conversation with a Men & Boys’ Fund Advisory Board member to learn more
□ Be added to our email and/or mailing list
□ Attend a Men & Boys’ Fund event
□ Schedule a Men & Boys’ Fund representative to speak to your local organization or group
□ Volunteer to serve on one of the Fund’s committees: Distribution, Community Engagement, Asset Development and Event Planning
□ Donate

Contributing to the Men & Boys' Fund

To make a donation directly to the Men & Boys' Fund, please click here.
To contribute to any other funds, please visit our Donate now page.

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