United Way Announces Community Innovation Grants for 17 Partners
Awards Aim to Increase Equity and Opportunity in Fairfield County
United Way of Coastal Fairfield County has announced investments in 17 community partners to increase equity and opportunity in three impact areas: health, education, and financial stability. Awards were made to organizations serving each of the 12 towns in the United Way service area, and each ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 (list below).
“We are proud to partner with you to empower people to improve their lives,” commented Margo Amgott, United Way Interim President & CEO. “I am truly inspired by the innovative work being done to meet community needs.”
Investments were made though United Way’s Impact Philanthropy Fund. Recipients were chosen by a diverse committee of 15 community volunteers, staff, and United Way Board members from a pool of 62 applicants. Proposals were evaluated based upon their innovative approach and their ability to promote equity and opportunity. Selection criteria also included extent of impact, objective measurements of success, and a willingness to collaborate in learning and sharing data on outcomes.
According to Katerina Vlahos, United Way Director of Community Impact and leader of the granting process, “We are pleased that this round of grant funding reaches broadly into the twelve communities we serve. It represents a wide range of initiatives, including books for families of newborns in Bridgeport, workforce development of youth in Norwalk, and food and summer camp supports for families in Stratford.”
At the award presentation, grant recipients provided keen insight into the impact and importance of their initiatives.
According to Carla Miklos, Executive Director of Operation Hope, “Everyone deserves an opportunity for positive change, and that starts with a stable home. But a big barrier to housing access is the lack of security deposits, and federal funds can’t be used for that purpose. This United Way grant will fund deposits to help clients find both housing and financial stability at the same time, since once stably housed, clients are able to gain, keep and increase employment.”
Michael Testani, Superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools, noted, “If students aren’t reading on grade level by the Fourth Grade, their chances of graduating high school are greatly diminished. This grant from United Way will help support our struggling readers with a proven intervention, so that they will meet that critical benchmark.”
One grant recipient offered a personal story of the need for an innovative suicide prevention approach. “I am a survivor of several suicide attempts. That’s why I’m excited to bring this initiative to a community that I recovered in and that I also struggled in. This therapy model allows clients to focus on what’s affecting us, and importantly, on what’s keeping us here,” commented Allison Kernan, Peer Support Specialist at Westport-based Positive Directions. The grant will be used to expand capacity and use of the peer support model, “Alternatives to Suicide.” According to Executive Director Vanessa Wilson, this model allows a “safe space” to discuss thoughts and feelings, and Positive Directions will be the first in Fairfield County to host training in the model.
Addressing the new grant recipients, United Way Interim CEO Margo Amgott noted, “We are honored to be working with you. Together, we can create communities where all of our neighbors have an equal opportunity to thrive.”
Grants were presented by United Way of Coastal Fairfield County Board members who chaired or served on the three subcommittees, Lyn Salsgiver-Kobsa (Health & Wellness), Susan Weinberger (Education), and Paul Reszutek (Financial Stability).
Receiving the 2022 Community Innovation grants are:
Health and Well-Being
“Well-being is fundamental to health and happiness. Our United Way aims to ensure access to programs that advance health equity, improve individual and community-level outcomes, and enhance the quality of life.” (Lyn Salsgiver-Kobsa, UW Board Member, Chair of the Impact Philanthropy Health and Well-being Committee)
Bridgeport Hospital Foundation & CIRI (CT Institute for Refugees and Immigrants), mental health support groups for Afghan & Ukrainian refugees to address PTSD, depression, isolation, and substance use disorder
Partnership to End Human Trafficking, holistic healing for sex trafficking victims through housing, employment, and trauma-focused services
HomeBridge Ventures, trauma healing, economic mobility, and job training for those returning to the community from incarceration
Newfield Park Youth Baseball, mentoring for underserved youth through the vehicle of baseball
Positive Directions, suicide prevention thorough peer support groups and facilitator training in the “Alternatives to Suicide” therapy model
Triangle Community Center, programming, resources, and wraparound supports for the LGBTQ+ community
Education
“Education is the key to long-term success in the U.S. Key factors in student achievement include parent engagement, early development of language, literacy, and social-emotional skills, and reading on-level by the end of Grade Three. Our United Way grants recognize the importance of these critical factors.” (Susan Weinberger, UW Board Member, Member of the Impact Philanthropy Education Subcommittee)
Bridgeport Public Schools, promotes reading on level at the Grade Three benchmark through Lexia, a proven intervention for struggling readers
Make the Road Connecticut, for a parents’ Bill of Rights that allows non-English speaking parents of students to fully support their child’s education
Norwalk Early Childhood Council, promotes healthy child development from birth to age 5 with a system of screening and tracking
Read to Grow, for an early language and literacy initiative that provides reading coaching and children’s books for families, prenatally to age three
Financial Stability
“United Way is very intentional about targeting services that empower people to build financial independence in addition to getting help to weather a crisis.” (Paul Reszutek, UW Board Member, Chair of the Impact Philanthropy Financial Stability Subcommittee)
Building Neighborhoods Together, promotes home ownership through housing counseling and financial literacy classes
Homes for the Brave, support for women veterans with housing and employment services
CT Association for Human Services, income tax prep assistance for the elderly, persons with disabilities, limited-English speakers, and low to middle income individuals
Norwalk ACTS, supporting the cradle to career partnership to create equitable outcomes for children & families
Operation Hope, homeless prevention by aiding families with housing security deposits
Sterling House, food security for families and camp scholarships for youth
Youth Business Initiative, provide workforce training and mentorship for high-risk, underserved youth, using local community members as guides
For more information on grant recipients or our Impact Philanthropy granting process, please contact:
Katerina Vlahos
Director of Community Impact
kvlahos@unitedwaycfc.org