2008 - 2009 Competitive Grants Approved by the Board of Directors
|
| Recipient & Purpose |
Amount |
Focus Area |
| ARTFARM, Inc. to support the fourth season of "Shakespeare in the Grove", an eight performance run of a professional, free outdoor Shakespeare play to be performed in the Cedar Grove at Middlesex Community College. |
|
$1,500 |
Arts |
| Greater Middletown Choral to support the creation of a new part-time position to oversee the management of the Greater Middletown Chorale and its new Chamber Ensemble concerts. |
|
$5,000
|
Arts
|
| Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation to build the capacity of the Playhouse by developing and installing online ticketing and website updates. This will improve customer service and improve staff efficiency. |
|
$4,000 |
Arts |
| Oddfellows Playhouse to expand its successful Neighborhood Troupes program from one after school meeting per week to two meetings per week. The Neighborhood Troupes provides a curriculum in the performing arts to at-risk and low-income children in Middletown |
|
$5,000
|
Arts
|
| Cross Street Training & Academic Center to support a tutoring service for Middletown students who are low-performing, skills deficient, and at-risk of failing. The program also serves students who are expelled or suspended from school. |
|
$3,000 |
Education |
Essex Library Association to support a library program to attract boys and young men.
The weeklong program culminates in a presentation by the prestigious Higgins Armory Museum, featuring actual armor, weaponry demonstration and hands-on learning about the Middle Ages. |
|
$1,500
|
Education
|
| Middletown School Readiness Council to support a collaborative program with the Connecticut Storytelling Center to bring storytelling performances to 350 low-income preschoolers in eight Middletown preschools. In addition, children will receive one free book per month. |
|
$5,000 |
Education |
| Middletown Youth Services to provide start up costs for a program that targets at-risk teenage boys and addresses barriers that interfere with their academic achievement and healthy youth development. Start up costs include training of mentors, background checks for mentors, and a full day of orientation for boys and their mentors, fields trips and food. |
|
$2,500
|
Education
|
| Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council to support planning to implement an NIH curriculum in Middlesex County High Schools. The curriculum looks at addiction not as a moral failing, but as an intriguing and serious physiological disease. |
|
$5,000 |
Education |
| Middlesex Hospital, Family Advocacy Program to support a program to empower parents and caregivers of children through in-home parent education and skill development, and will help achieve the community's goal that no child is expelled from his or her preschool program. |
|
$5,000
|
Education
|
| Region #4 Early Childhood Council for a collaborative project to purchase a computer and fundraising software, and to cover mailing costs to grow the Preschool Scholarship Fund. This will enable three and four year old children of low-income families the opportunity to attend preschool. |
|
$4,750 |
Education |
| Vista Vocational & Life Skills Center to support a program to bring people with disabilities into local middle and high schools, and other community venues, to speak about living and working successfully with disabilities. The program promotes understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and helps to overcome intolerance. |
|
$2,000 |
Education
|
| Wesleyan/Middletown Public Schools Collaborative to provide math and science workshops, academically focused field trips, family math and science events, guest presentations and a summer scholastic experience to 6th - 10th grade students in Middletown. |
|
$2,000 |
Education |
| Essex Land Trust to support the publication of a Trail Guide, which will include pertinent information and trail maps for the Essex Land Trust and Town of Essex Open Space properties. |
|
$3,000 |
Environment
|
| Jonah Center for Earth and Art to support general operating expenses including a part-time executive director and program costs. |
|
$3,000 |
Environment |
| Trust for Public Land to assist in the purchase of a 4.6 acre parcel of land located on the Connecticut River in Chester. The land will provide direct recreational access to the Connecticut River and is a rare opportunity to protect an ecologically valuable riparian land in an area that is highly developed. |
|
$1,000 |
Environment |
| Chester Historical Society to create a wall-mounted exhibition in the Chester Historical Society's new home, the Griswold Mill. The exhibition will highlight the history and importance of the Griswold Mill. |
|
$2,075 |
Heritage
Enhancement |
| CT River Museum to provide a challenge grant to raise funds to obtain a new fundraising software system. The company that developed their existing system is no longer in business or able to support the system, putting at risk all their donor and participant data. |
|
$3,500
|
Heritage
Enhancement
|
| Town of Killingworth to conduct a conditions survey and feasibility study of the historic 1835 Parmelee Farmhouse in order to be used as the headquarters for the Killingworth Historical Society. |
|
$3,000 |
Heritage
Enhancement |
| Olin Library for a collaborative project to preserve and provide access to the photographic and research files of the Middletown Press from the 1940's through the 1980's. The collection provides rich documentation of life in Middlesex County from every day life to visits by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Wesleyan. |
|
$5,000 |
Heritage
Enhancement
|
| Russell Library to support a collaborative project to present the first Middletown International Film Festival. The project will provide film showings and discussions on diverse cultures in a respectful environment. |
|
$2,700 |
Heritage
Enhancement |
| American Red Cross-Middlesex Central CT Chapter to provide funding for fuel assistance to ensure that families living in the ARC Family Homeless Shelter remain warm during the winter. |
|
$5,000
|
Human Service
|
| CT Coalition to End Homelessness to support LEAD Training, a program designed to engage and provide leadership training to residents within Middlesex County who are presently or formerly homeless in order to learn how to advocate for this population. |
|
$1,850 |
Human Service |
| Estuary Council of Senior Clubs to acquire several new and replacement pieces of equipment that are required for proper food service preparation in their commercial kitchen. The kitchen is utilized to prepare meals to congregate meal sites, homebound meals and outreach related events totaling 86,000 meals annually. |
|
$2,000
|
Human Service
|
| FISH for C.D.& E. to provide free transportation to medical, dental and physical rehabilitation appointments for ambulatory patients who have no transportation. |
|
$2,000 |
Human Service |
| I Have A Friend Youth Center to support the after school program that addresses the needs of low income and at-risk children in Middletown ages 6-12. Funding will enable the organization to purchase arts and crafts supplies and to cover field trip and food expenses. |
|
$3,000
|
Human Service
|
| Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore to support the purchase of reading materials, Citizen Test preparation materials and texts dealing with the development of English speaking skills, for tutors to use with students where English is their second language. |
|
$2,000 |
Human Service |
| MARC Community Resources to introduce a new component to their Adult and Shoreline Recreation program for people with disabilities. The expanded services include an art program of painting, photography, song, and recycling cast offs into art. |
|
$2,500
|
Human Service
|
| Middlesex Habitat for Humanity of CT to help defray the cost of rehabilitating two houses to provide homeownership opportunities of decent and safe housing for families of low income. |
|
$4,000 |
Human Service |
| Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries - As demand for services grows, this program will enable the organization to increase purchasing of food from wholesale distributors. SSKP expects a 20% increase in need for 2009. |
|
$6,500 |
Human Service
|
| St. Luke's Eldercare Solutions of Central CT to provide rides to seniors and older veterans at no cost for grocery shopping and other personal errands in the community and out-of-area medical appointments. Funds will be used to reimburse volunteers or provide taxi service when no volunteers are available. |
|
$5,000 |
Human Service
|
| St. Vincent DePaul Place to support the Community Assistance Fund that provides specific, direct emergency assistance for rent, security deposits, medical expenses, utility bills and transportation. Beneficiaries are expected to make payments to reimburse the fund. |
|
$5,000 |
Human Service
|
| HOPE Partnership, Inc. to sponsor the Second Annual Tour of Affordable Housing in Lower Middlesex County. The tour will help educate, build support and reduce opposition to affordable housing projects planned in the region. |
|
$3,000 |
Neighborhood Enhancement
|
| North End Action Team to expand organizing projects and initiatives within the low-income North End neighborhood, including expansion of Community Conversations, youth programs, educational advocacy, homeownership and financial management programs. |
|
$5,000 |
Neighborhood Enhancement
|
| Children's Home of Cromwell to support a volunteer mentoring program to girls living in their therapeutic group homes. The program will offer girls and their mentors the opportunity to participate in outings and special events and be made aware of the many community resources. |
|
$2,500 |
Women & Girls |
| Epoch Arts to empower at risk girls through journaling, theater-based activities, small group discussions and workshops. Funding will support a mini theater production, field trips, teaching artists and supplies. |
|
$5,000 |
Women & Girls |
| Essex Library Association to support a six-week series of lectures and workshops designed to teach self-esteem and life skills to girls ages 13-17. |
|
$1,000 |
Women & Girls |
| Middletown Public Schools to provide leadership training to families who have children in Middletown Public Schools. The 20-week curriculum seeks to enable parents to become leading advocates for children. |
|
$2,500 |
Women & Girls |
| Rushford Center to support a summer program for at-risk middle school girls in Middletown that focuses on the media, physical activity, nutrition and positive self-image. |
|
$4,000 |
Women & Girls |
| Woodrow Wilson Middle School to support a one night program for 5th - 8th grade girls and their mothers at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. The program gives mothers and daughters the opportunity to attend classes and spend quality time together. |
$1,850 |
Women & Girls |
2008 - 2009
Competitive Grants Approved
|
|
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