NEST staff from left to right: Fernando Cerdena, Kevin Taylor, Maybeth Morales-Davis.
Connecticut Community Foundation’s Trustee Fund recently announced its annual Trustee Fund Awards, recognizing three recipients that exemplify excellence in collaboration and innovation in Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills. The awards were presented during the Foundation’s Centennial Celebration and Annual Meeting at the Lake House in Wolcott on September 7.
NEST (previously Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Waterbury) and St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury received this year’s awards for collaborative and innovative work that benefits the community. The Litchfield Land Trust also received honorable recognition for their lead role in revitalizing a former railroad station for nonprofit office space. Along with recognition, each organization received a financial award to support their continued work in the community.
Waterbury-based NEST has demonstrated its strong collaborative spirit by acting as a fiscal sponsor for newer or smaller resident-led and community-focused efforts that do not yet have federal nonprofit, tax-exempt status. In this role, NEST acts as a supportive mentor for these groups, providing education, guidance, and connection to other organizations and resources. This nurturing of smaller entities helps to build a stronger and more collaborative cohort of community partners. NEST received $4,500 in recognition of their impactful work.
“We have supported 33 grassroots individuals and groups, supporting the transition from good ideas to solid and successful implementation,” said Kevin Taylor, executive director of NEST. “With NEST’s assistance, talented groups and individuals are free to do the important work, knowing that they fall under our nonprofit umbrella. By providing essential financial systems and expertise, handling financial management, compliance requirements, assisting with grant applications, we reduce costs and ensure that funding goes to programming and not the duplication of personnel. Our background work opens access to grants and funding opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable to our partners. For smaller organizations and groups, this is critically important.”
St. Vincent De Paul Mission (SVDP) representatives from left to right: Gary Beaulieu, Edwin Rodriguez, Frank Parafati.
St. Vincent De Paul Mission’s (SVDP) soup kitchen and food pantry—which together provide over 300 cooked meals per day and an equivalent of 45,000 meals per year—relies on a high-quality, on-site commercial kitchen. The organization charted an innovative course with the launch of the Merriman Culinary Job Training Program, which leverages that kitchen space to provide shelter guests and other individuals facing high barriers to employment the opportunity to learn skills in food preparation, as well as job readiness, resume writing, interviewing, and financial literacy. Taught by an accredited Chef Instructor, graduates of the 12-week program receive nationally recognized ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification and job placement assistance in a wide range of food service settings. SVDP received $4,500 to support their important work in the community.
“I’m profoundly excited that the culinary job training program is recognized by a distinguished committee of trustees and former trustees of Connecticut Community Foundation,” said Edwin Rodriguez, director of operations at SVDP. “Since its inception a year ago, 22 students have graduated from the culinary program and are able to find employment in the food industry. Many of these individuals had high barriers to employment. I’m proud that we are making a positive endless impact on their lives and the others coming through our program. None of this could of have been possible without the initial funding provided by the Foundation to launch the culinary program, and for that I’m also grateful”.
Litchfield Land Trust representatives from left to right: John Markelon, Marcia Fowler, Dean Birdsall.
The Trustee Fund also offered recognition for the Station, a nonprofit office space being developed by a collaborative group of local organizations, including lead organization and nominee Litchfield Land Trust as well as the Litchfield Community Greenway, Litchfield Audubon Society, Rivers Alliance and Litchfield Housing Trust. The Land Trust received $1,000 to support their work in the community.
The project came about when the Litchfield Land Trust was offered a derelict former railroad station in the middle of Litchfield. The Land Trust saw an opportunity to restore the building as a means of enhancing the historic district, and to create much-needed office space for local nonprofit organizations. The Station has enhanced the community by turning what was an eyesore into a beautiful, restored building, and also by creating shared workspace that allows local organizations to work more collaboratively and efficiently.
“It is inspiring and reaffirming for the Litchfield Land Trust to be recognized with the Trustee Fund Award. We are steadfast in our efforts to support our community and fulfill our mission. All of us in the Litchfield Hills and Greater Waterbury regions benefit from the dedicated, generous support of Connecticut Community Foundation,” said Dean Birdsall, director of the Litchfield Land Trust.
Each year, Connecticut Community Foundation’s Trustee Fund—a giving circle made up of current and former members of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees—honors organizations or initiatives that demonstrate the value and promise of collaboration and innovation.
