The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education announces 18 grant awards, awarding $149,500 to local Fairfield County programs and organizations this fall, from September 1, 2019 through December, 2019.
Grant awardees include organizations and programs providing education and/or social services to needy children, families and individuals, including: LVA School, School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport, Stamford Public Education Foundation, Mercy Learning Center, Building One Community, English Learner Support Services of Fairfield County, Shepherds, Kids in Crisis, REACH Youth Program at Bridgeport Hospital, Boys & Girls Village, Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Open Door Shelter, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Emerge, Center for Family Justice, Good Samaritan Mission, Homes with Hope, Homes for the Brave
LVA School in Danbury receives a grant to secure materials, mentoring and tutoring to help their students with the fundamentals of reading, writing, speaking and understanding the English language to enable them to take the next step in their career or education planning. School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport is awarded funds for operational support of the organization. Stamford Public Education Foundation receives a grant to help fund their nationally-recognized Stamford mentoring program, and Mercy Learning Center of Bridgeport receives funds to provide education and empowerment to low-income, undereducated women through their Literacy & Life Skills Tutoring program.
Building One Community in Norwalk receives a grant to support their English Language Learning Program which serves immigrants seeking to improve their English language skills so that they can integrate with the community, find better jobs, and improve their life circumstances. English Learner Support Services of Fairfield County, Inc. receives funds for their ASPIRE program, which supports English language learners who have recently migrated here and are attending Norwalk’s high schools and middle schools. Shepherds in Bridgeport receives funding that will help to close the achievement gap among inner-city high school students by providing access to a quality college preparatory high school education, developing work, study and life skills with a committed adult mentor throughout their high school years.
Kids in Crisis receives a grant that helps to provide free, emergency residential shelter and comprehensive medical, educational and therapeutic support services for Connecticut children of all ages and backgrounds who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, are homeless or are not safe in their homes. The REACH Youth Program at Bridgeport Hospital was awarded a grant to support their intensive outpatient program for children who are experiencing severe behavioral, emotional and/or psychiatric difficulties that impede their daily functioning at home and/or school. Boys & Girls Village receives a grant to support their Work-to-Learn program in Bridgeport; the program provides 16- to 21-year-olds under the care of the Department of Children and Families (DCF) with life skills, job skills and financial literacy necessary to begin a successful adulthood. Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport was awarded a grant to be able to continue and expand their school-based services and retain the professional services of a licensed social worker, and Open Door Shelter will use their Inner-City Foundation funds to move individuals and families from crisis to stability through case management services, homeless outreach, a hot meal and food pantry program and housing support initiatives.
Good Samaritan Mission receives funding to support their Work Therapy program; Homes with Hope is awarded a grant for Project Return, an emergency shelter for homeless youths ages 18-24 years old; and Homes for the Brave receives a grant to fund their Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes program, Connecticut’s first and only community-based transitional home for homeless female veterans and their young children.
The Inner-City Foundation has granted more than $30 million to hundreds of organizations over their 28-year history in Fairfield County, including programs that provide education and scholarship, adult education, food, shelter, help for addiction, domestic violence and more. The charity’s mission is to provide not only help but hope to needy and at-risk children, families and individuals of Fairfield County.