Norwalk Resident Wins National Grant to Aid Breast Cancer Patients, Survivors

St. Luke’s School junior Catherine Steele has been selected as one of 40 recipients of a Vital Voices Award and ANNpower Grant that is given to future women leaders by the parent company of clothier Ann Taylor.

Steele, who is a Norwalk resident, was recognized on an international level for her commitment to driving positive social change within her community, according to the organization. The competition to earn the grant was open to young women in high school and college across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

Announcement of the grant was made Monday by ANN INC., the parent company of Ann Taylor and LOFT, and Vital Voices through the ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative, a partnership dedicated to investing in the next generation of female leaders.

The ANNpower Project grant will help fund Steele’s social change project within the community, which is focused on giving breast cancer patients, survivors, and their families the gift of free portraits to honor their courage and resilience. Receiving this competitive recognition will help bring her community plans to the forefront of high-profile female leaders. Steele is receiving the grant during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

“Our ANNpower Grantees are remarkable young women who, with the proper resources, will become agents of change in their communities,” President and CEO of ANN INC. Kay Krill said in a statement. “Their energy and passion is contagious and through projects like these, our ANNpower Grantees and Fellows have positively impacted more than 16,000 people in 12 countries around the world.”

As part of the ANNpower Vital Voices Leadership Forum, the ANNpower Grantees were provided with leadership training and mentorship from global women leaders in business, politics, and media, including executives from ANN INC. Following the Forum, they were challenged to develop projects addressing societal issues, both locally and globally. This year, the grant application process was open to both current and previous ANNpower Fellows in an effort to continue investing in projects that are already making an impact and have the most potential to continue doing so.

The ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative is a partnership between ANN INC. and Vital Voices Global Partnership to empower young women from across the U.S. with the leadership skills they need to affect global progress, invest in their communities

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Contributed Photo: Catherine Steele.