In its 30th year, Main Street Community Foundation is proud to have recently awarded a total of $160,635 through its General Grant Cycle. The grants will support 50 local organizations to further their reach and meet the needs of residents in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, or Wolcott. Since its establishment in 1995, MSCF has awarded grants and scholarships totaling over $32.7 million and is one of the leading grantmakers in the Central Connecticut region.

General Grant Cycle awards support basic needs, access to opportunities, and programs that create vibrant communities, while also meeting the needs of the communities served by the Foundation. These specific grants are distributed from over 30 endowed funds, all of which were established by donors to support causes they are passionate about, from arts and culture, to food and housing, and mental health and wellbeing.

Applications for the General Grant Cycle are submitted once a year in the spring, and are thoughtfully reviewed by over 25 local residents that volunteer on the Distribution Committee. The Committee not only reviews all proposals, but also conducts site visits, and makes the final funding recommendations to the Foundation’s Board of Directors. This annual process ensures that the goals and programs of the grantees are feasible and align with the donor’s intent.

The following grants were awarded in the 2025 General Grant Cycle:

• Animal Rescue Foundation - $1,500 - Facility safety upgrades pertaining to the fire system (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Hamzy Family Charitable Fund)
• Arts for Learning Connecticut - $4,000 - Express Yourself, a social and emotional resiliency through the arts program, to be held at Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School, Southington (KAWFY Memorial Fund, Paula & Rick Knight Family Fund for the Southington Community)
• Boys & Girls Club of Bristol - $5,000 - Young Men of Purpose program, a mentoring initiative for ages 10-18 to help develop the tools needed to succeed in adulthood (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Dumont Family Charitable Fund)
• Bristol Adult Resource Center, Inc. - $3,500 - Procurement of a commercial lawn mower for the Yard Service program in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville and Terryville (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Angela and Al Caruso Family Charitable Fund)
• Bristol Brass & Wind Ensemble - $2,500 - Free concerts and community outreach performances to benefit the Bristol community (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund)
• Bristol Child Development Center - $2,500 - Financial assistance for 5-11 year-olds to attend Summer Camp 2025 (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Bristol Historical Society - $750 - History is All Around Us walking tour of the historic cemeteries and a historical scavenger hunt (Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund)
• Bristol Little League - $5,500 - New hood for concession area to enable food sales and maintain health department standards (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• Bristol Works Inc. - $5,000 - Workforce Readiness Services program: free or low-cost, one-to-one services to residents in the Foundation’s service area (Wally Barnes Fund for Community Leadership Initiatives, Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Bristol Youth Football and Cheer - $2,060 - Critical upgrades and enhancements to Youth Athletic Fields (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund)
• Burlington-Harwinton Little League - $4,000 - New scoreboard for the league’s flagship Library field in Burlington (Malerbo Children’s Field Maintenance Fund, Burlington Community Fund)
• Burlington Library Association - $3,600 - Live from Library Lane program to provide a series of monthly music performances and cultural entertainment free to patrons of all ages (Burlington Community Fund)
• Burlington Volunteer Fire Department - $2,500 - Replacement of outdated IPADS in all emergency response vehicles (Burlington Community Fund)
• Connecticut Institute for the Blind dba Oak Hill - $1,500 - Adaptive recreation activities for Burlington Group Home residents with disabilities (Burlington Community Fund)
• EdAdvance - $2,500 - New Early Childhood Outdoor Play-Based equipment at the Plymouth Family Resource Center playground (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Family Resource Center of Southington-Southington Board of Education - $4,000 - Building Blocks of Learning school readiness program for Southington children ages three to five (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Friends of Southington Community Services - $2,000 - Operation Stay Warm (OSW) to purchase dedicated equipment and supplies essential for the operation of clothing program for families in need (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Gloria Dei Lutheran Church - $3,090 - Food & Diaper Distribution program serving families with children and senior citizens experiencing food insecurity (Ciccarelli-Vitale Community Advancement Fund)
• Grace Baptist Church - $4,000 - Purchase fresh food items including meat and produce for Grace Pantry program (Edward W. and Audrey K. Mink Memorial Fund, Jaspersohn Family Memorial Fund)
• Healing Meals Foundation Corporation - $4,000 - Healthy Meals program for seriously ill persons in the Foundation’s service area (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund, Jim & Eleanor Frawley Community Fund, Turkus Family Fund)
• Human Resources Agency (HRA) of New Britain, Inc. - $4,000 - Expansion of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program serving low-income residents of Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth, and Southington (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Becker Family Fund)
• Imagine Nation, A Museum Early Learning Center - $4,000 - Updates to the light and reflection enhancement studio needed for educational learning (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Ronald F. & Emilie P. Duhaime Family Fund, Formagioni-Lodovico Family Fund)
• Invent the Summer - $2,850 - Expand the STEM Summer Workshops to Bristol and Southington for children ages 5-12 years old (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, JoAnn & David Mills Family Fund)
• Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc. - $3,000 - Pathways to Careers program at Terryville High School during the 2025-2026 school year (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Lewis S. Mills Football Boosters - $4,000 - Equipment for the 2025 football season to increase the safety of players (James R. Parker Trust, Burlington Community Fund)
• Literacy Volunteers of Central CT - $2,500 - Greater Bristol Literacy Project for low and moderate-income residents of Bristol, Burlington and Plainville (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• Mattatuck Museum - $3,000 - After School Art with the MATT in collaboration with the Southington YMCA’s after-school program to introduce participants to diverse artists, mediums and styles (Lynda M. Mazur and Michael F. Colomonico Jr. Hands-On Fund, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• Memorial Military Museum - $1,000 - The Year of the Woman exhibit honoring the WWII letter writing campaign of Lillian O’Connell (secretary of the Wallace Barnes Co.) and other women who contributed to local and national military heritage (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Nana Jane’s Fund)
• New Britain Museum of American Art - $2,000 - Access to the Arts: Terryville Learning Center (TLC) Summer Learning program for elementary aged students (Sid Bernard & Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts)
• New England Auto & Transportation Museum Inc. - $1,200 - Annual Summer Car Show in Bristol (Karen and Kim Murphy Family Charitable Fund, Jay & Elizabeth Tyrrell Fund for the Arts)
• Nutmeg Symphony Orchestra - $5,885 - Educational Children's Concerts in schools throughout the Foundation’s service area (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, James R. Parker Trust)
• Palace Theater Group - $2,000 - Performance and post-show discussion of Clue on stage at the Palace theater, for high school students from Bristol and Southington (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• Plymouth Community Food Pantry - $4,000 - Purchase low-salt and low-fat foods, dairy, and fresh produce for Healthy Options Program Plus (HOPP) (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Paige Wartonick Lafrerriere Memorial Fund)
• Prudence Crandall Center, Inc. - $5,000 - Domestic Violence Counseling Services at the Bristol Community Office (Betts Family Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Hamzy Family Charitable Fund)
• Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center, Inc. - $5,000 - Equine expenses related to herd of therapy horses (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Terry & Marguerite Fletcher Family Fund)
• Southington Community Cultural Arts, Inc.-SoCCA - $2,060 - Financial assistance for children ages 5-12 to attend Summer Arts Adventure Camp (Sid Bernard & Ed Miller Children’s Fund for the Visual Arts, Southington Arts Council Legacy Fund)
• Southington Festival Chorale - $1,000 - Winter (2025) and Spring (2026) concerts performed in Southington (Margaret Haberman Memorial Fund for Music, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• St. Vincent De Paul Mission of Bristol, Inc. - $5,860 - General client support for the Emergency shelter (Smith Family Charitable Fund)
• Tavern Day Group Corp. - $4,000 - Tavern Day 2025 – Town festival event supplies and utilities (James R. Parker Trust)
• Terryville Public Library - $2,000 - Digital Library Support and Expansion to provide access to ebooks, audiobooks, and digital media (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community)
• The Bristol Edition - $2,025 - News Media Youth Podcast project for teen students to interview and capture stories from Bristol residents, events and their respective schools (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• The Bristol Farmers Market, Inc. - $1,870 - SNAP Benefit Coordinator to assist with managing the SNAP benefits process at the market each week (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Tedesco-Gallant Charitable Fund)
• The Children’s Museum - $2,000 - Science Achievement for All (SAFA) program for students in Bristol Public Schools (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)
• The Salvation Army - $5,000 - Creative Arts and Music (CAM) Academy for Bristol youth (Pat & Bob Wollenberg Family Fund for the Community, Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• The Tabernacle Christian Church-Giving Back Food Pantry - $3,000 - Giving Back Food Pantry program to purchase groceries and fresh foods for food-insecure residents of Southington and surrounding areas (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• United Way of Southington Inc. - $3,185 - New and Expanded Marketing efforts in radio, social media, and print to build community of donors (KAWFY Memorial Fund)
• United Way of West Central CT - $5,000 - Cultivating Community Youth Leaders - Kids in the Middle (KIM) program to empower youth to take meaningful action in their communities (Douglas and Noreen Schumann Special Interest Fund)
• Veterans Strong Community Center - $5,000 - Operating support to conduct outreach and case management services for veterans in the Foundation’s service area (Gnazzo/Reidy Charitable Fund, Bristol Brass General Grant Fund)
• Wheeler Clinic - $5,000 - ACCESS Mental Health Program providing free consultation to primary care physicians and individual support to youth and their families awaiting treatment (Bristol Brass General Grant Fund, Calvanese Foundation Green & White Fund for Behavioral Health)
• Wolcott Citizens Against Substance Abuse (CASA) - $700 - CASA Family Yoga Event to promote family togetherness and prevention education (Fuller and Myrtle Barnes Fund for Education)