High School Girls Group Donates To Norwalk's Open Door Shelter

Press release from Generation Impact:

Aug. 26, 2020

Generation Impact hosted its “Big Give” event online this year, and awarded its second annual $10,000 grant to Norwalk-based non-profit, Open Door Shelter. The grant will fund a program leader to oversee and implement after-school education and enrichment activities for homeless children.

The program leader will be on-site at Open Door’s Children’s Resource Center four days every week throughout the school year and during summer months. To maintain social distancing, children at the shelter will use the Center in groups.

The curriculum will be developed by retired teachers who volunteer at Open Door, donating time and expertise to provide homeless students access to some of the (often costly) benefits that are accessible to many of their peers throughout Fairfield County.

Each Generation Impact member donated $100 to the grant award of $10,000. Before voting for a grant winner, they reviewed grant applications and budgets for proposed projects and programs, along with compelling videos submitted by Open Door and three other non-profit finalists:

● Center for Children’s Advocacy

● New Beginnings Family Academy

● STAR Inc. - Lighting the Way

The four finalists were selected by members from an initial applicant pool of 43 Fairfield County-based organizations.

Each organization proposed its youth-focused project or program. Finalists were applying for projects/programs that would impact homeless children in Norwalk, bilingual students and public charter school students, both in Bridgeport, as well as intellectually and/or developmentally disabled youth across Fairfield County.

Members voted online and votes were tallied in real-time.

“We are beyond thrilled ... so excited to have a way to open our Children's Resource Center [for the upcoming school year]!” Michele Conderino, MSW, Executive Director, Open Door Shelter

In addition to the $10,000 grant, thanks to generous donations from members and friends, Generation Impact is awarding $2,500 to each of the three other finalists to use toward their proposed projects or programs, or general operating expenses, or a particular need that has arisen during the pandemic. Generation Impact’s overall mission is to introduce the next generation to the needs in the community, the organizations working to meet those needs, and how to join together to make an impact.

“It’s been a crazy year, and it took a while, but we were committed to awarding this grant! Since we couldn’t be together for live presentations and voting, we did the next best thing. Our non-profit finalists worked hard to bring their organizations and proposed projects to life through amazing videos. Their causes are so important and they each need the funding now, more than ever. It was very hard to vote for only one winner.” - Isabel Allard, Generation Impact Founder and Leadership Committee Chair

This press release was produced by Generation Impact. The views expressed here are the author's own.