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2006 Grants

2006 Competitive Grants Approved by the Board of Directors Recipient & Purpose Amount Focus Area ARTFARM, Inc. for Shakespeare in the Grove, free outdoor performances of Macbeth preceded by an EcoFestival showcasing local performers, farmers and environmental groups. $5,000 Arts Greater Middletown Chorale for a marketing and public relations project, to build Chorale membership, audiences and patrons though marketing and media relations. $4,500 Arts Ivoryton Playhouse Foundation to support the Annual Community Holiday Production which provides an opportunity for local residents to enjoy theatre, while providing other non-profits with a fund-raising opportunity. $3,000 Arts Oddfellows Playhouse for capacity building through an Alumni Outreach Project to hire staff to re-establish contact with alumni to broaden donor base. $3,500 Arts Tracy Art Center for capacity building to defray the expenses of an office administrator while the organization is making the transition from a volunteer-driven organization. $5,000 Arts Green Street Arts Center for scholarships for homework assistance, mentoring and art enrichment for children ages 7 – 18 in an After School Program in Middletown's North End. $1,500 Education Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore for an Affiliate Library Collection that will expand library materials and books to be used by tutors in helping students from over 55 countries with language and cultural adaptation skills. $3,000 Education Middlesex Community College Foundation for Community Eyecare Days a program which provides eye examinations and eyeglasses for county residents who are unable to pay for them. $4,000 Education Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council for Youth Leadership Workshops focused on developing leadership skills to help prevent and reduce substance abuse and problem gambling. $1,000 Education Middlesex United Way for increasing racial diversity among non-profit Boards of Directors by assisting them to reflect the diverse skills, assets and experiences of all people in Middlesex County. $2,500 Education Middletown School Readiness Council to purchase children's books and for storytelling performances for low-income preschoolers to promote early literacy and improve young children's readiness for school success. $5,700 Education Regional School District #13 – John Lyman Elementary School for Butterfly Garden: An Outdoor Classroom to provide environmental education. $1,500 Education Wesleyan – Middletown Public Schools Collaborative to provide an after-school enrichment and educational program for 4th and 5th grade's in Middletown's high-need elementary schools. $5,000 Environment Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District to publish a new edition of the Mattabesset River Canoe / Kayak Trail Guide. $2,000 Environment Essex Land Conservation Trust to design, construct and install historical markers and a parking lot which will provide public access to the new Linear Park at the Millrace in Ivoryton. $6,300 Environment Jonah Center for Earth and Art for a part-time Project Manager to build coalitions for environmental education, create public access to local rivers and natural resources and work toward developing alternative energy projects in Middletown's North End. $5,000 Environment Essex Historical Society to design, purchase and install historical markers explaining properties of significance to Essex history. $6,400 Heritage Enhancement Godfrey Memorial Library for the Middlesex County Histories Digitization Project to place the full text of three classic, hard-to-find histories of Middlesex County online. $5,000 Heritage Enhancement Old Saybrook Historical Society to produce 17 Miles, The Birthplace of the Lower Connecticut River Valley, a documentary film on the 400 year history of the original Saybrook Colony and Old Saybrook in particular. $5,000 Heritage Enhancement Estuary Council of Senior Clubs for Estuary Medical Outreach Transportation (EMOTS) to help defray the costs of transportation for elderly living at home to get to medical appointments. $5,000 Human Service High Hopes Therapeutic Riding to employ two groups of disabled adults from SARAH, Inc. in Old Saybrook to work at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding stables. $3,000 Human Service Middlesex Area Patient Services for financial assistance, home adaptations, medical equipment and social activities for persons with Multiple Sclerosis. $2,000 Human Service Middletown Parks and Recreation Department to provide support for Grandparents who are raising their grandchildren including summer programming for children and classes and respite for grandparents. $2,000 Human Service Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries to fund a part-time partnership coordinator to work with other social service agencies and providers to promote a more coordinated delivery of services to people in need on the shoreline. $5,000 Human Service St. Vincent DePaul Place for Community Assistance Program to provide emergency assistance for rent, security deposit, medical expenses, utility bills and transportation. $2,400 Human Service St. Vincent DePaul Place to purchase food and supplies or support staff positions providing over 74,000 meals a year to the poor and hungry in Middletown. $2,600 Human Service North End Action Team for an Erin Street Community Garden to reclaim a blighted site, reduce crime and promote stability and civic engagement in Middletown's North End. $1,500 Safer Communities St. Luke's Eldercare Solutions of Central Connecticut to provide the elderly with home safety information, fall risk assessments, and home modifications to reduce home hazards and risk of falls. $3,000 Safer Communities Gilead Community Services to provide adolescent girls with mental illness with an opportunity to participate in various arts and cultural activities to foster personal growth and build self-esteem. $3,000 Women & Girls Girl Scouts Connecticut Trails Council for a College Pathways Program that introduces at-risk girls ages 14 to 17 to college life and prepares them for college. $5,000 Women & Girls Rushford Center for “Girl Talk,” a summer program for Middle School girls in Middletown, to encourage healthy behavior by focusing on media analysis, positive self-image, nutrition, being physically active and building supportive relationships. $1,600 Women & Girls Valley Shore YMCA for a Girls Being Girls Program for girls ages 9 to 13 with Autism Spectrum Disorder in collaboration with the Westbrook Youth and Family Services. $5,000 Women & Girls Total Competitive Grants Approved $116,000