Click here to take a look at the recent grants awarded to help build equitable opportunity programs in our community.
From left to right: Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, St. Vincent DePaul, Women’s Business Development Council.
Connecticut Community Foundation backs local initiatives to reduce disparities, foster opportunity, and improve inequitable systems. Investing in education, youth development, job training, economic security, and affordable housing, we envision a community where all residents thrive.
Literacy Volunteers on the Green and Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury
In 2022, Foundation grants totaling over $17,000 supported the efforts of Literacy Volunteers on the Green in New Milford and Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury to collectively help nearly 300 low to extremely low-income adults across our region build critically important communication skills. Between the two organizations, more than 130 trained volunteers provide weekly tutoring sessions that use a skills-based curriculum focused on real-life scenarios that adults face in their family, community, and working lives. English language learners report that the knowledge, skills, and confidence they build with support from their tutors are essential to pursuing job opportunities, navigating school and other systems, preparing for the U.S. Citizenship test, and building personal and family economic security.
Community Partners in Action: Waterbury Reentry Welcome Center
Community Partners in Action (CPA) was founded nearly 150 years ago to champion criminal justice reform and advocate for preserving the dignity of those in and out of prison. With a $12,700 grant from the Foundation in 2022 CPA’s Waterbury Reentry Welcome Center supported 123 people released from incarceration. Coordinating with 30 community partners, the Center ensures individuals’ most basic survival needs are met—including food, clothing, shelter, transportation, identification, and phone and computer access. The Center then provides long-term case management and peer support so that residents can stabilize, address any health or substance use concerns, find employment, and successfully reintegrate as independent, healthy, and productive members of the community.
Look here for more examples of grants like this in action. To support work that addresses disparities and expands equitable access to care, food, housing, and a healthy environment, make a gift to fund Equitable Opportunity programs.
