First County Bank Foundation Donates to Westport Charities, Among Others

More than 70 local nonprofit groups in Fairfield County, including several in Westport, have received First County Bank Foundation grants totalling $479,000.

In total, 74 agencies received the grants to support the services they provide in their communities.

Grants to Westport-Based Organizations

• Homes with Hope: $10,000. Bacharach Community - emergency shelter for homeless single mothers and their children. Westport.
• Positive Directions: $5,000. Resilient Family Counseling and Parenting Program. Westport.
• Project Return: $2,500. Project Heal - after school community service program for troubled teen girls. Serves 42 girls in 6 high schools. Throughout school year,after school two hour get togethers of seven girls each. Westport.

“Unfortunately there are so many people and families in this area who are in need. Businesses and individuals should partner to support our community so all members of society can have at least their basic requirements met,” Karen Kelly, vice president of First County Bank Foundation, said in a statement.

“The Foundation is proud to support these worthy charitable organizations which provide essential services to improve the lives of people in the local communities they serve,” she said.

Since its inception in 2001, the First County Bank Foundation has awarded individual grants worth more than $6 million.

Grants to Organizations Near Westport

The grants include:

• Abilis: $7,500. Abilis Youth Services. Supports children from birth to 21 with delays in their development or developmental disabilities. Greenwich
• AmeriCares Free Clinic: $5,000. Free quality affordable health care to low income uninsured residents of greater Norwalk. They see about 800 patients. Stamford
• ARI: $7,500. Individualized Home Supports/Emergency Fund Program (formerly the Supported Living Services/Emergency Fund Program). Primary purpose is to assist individuals residing in our supported living program so they may be assured that their basic needs for food clothing and shelter are met. Stamford
• Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, Inc.: $10,000. Seven week summer camp. 285-300 youth. 6-15 yrs. of age. Education enrichment in a.m. Recreation in the p.m. Stamford
• CancerCare Connecticut: $2,500. Cancer Care for Kids Program. Utilizes children’s love of crafts to introduce coping strategies, increase family communication, and normalize emotional responses to the diagnosis of cancer with in the family. Norwalk.
• Carver Foundation of Norwalk: $7,500. Youth Development Program. Follows the Norwalk Public Schools academic calendar operating 4 day a week in 4 middle and 2 H.S. and 5 days a week in the Carver community center at least 3 hours a day. Norwalk.
• Catholic Charities of Fairfield County/New Covenant House of Hospitality: $5,000. New Covenant House of Hospitality to strengthen its ability to deliver three important services to needy and vulnerable men, women and children in Stamford.
• The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education: $5,000 Strengthening our community through sexual assault crisis counseling, advocacy and education program. ED makes less than $50k. Stamford.
• Child Guidance Center of Southern CT: $12,000. Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services (EMPS) Provide immediate mental health assessment and crisis stabilization services for children and adolescents experiencing serious psychiatric symptoms and severe reactions to traumatic event. Stamford.
• Childcare Learning Centers: $15,000. Teacher Education Initiative (TEI). Make available opportunities for teachers to enhance their skill set. Assoc Degree classes =$2108 each, Bach Degree = $2,920 each. Stamford.
• Community Plates: $5,000. Increase the amount of healthy, fresh food delivered to food-insecure families throughout Fairfield County by continuing to grow our technology fueled, direct-transfer food rescue platform through increased awareness, boosted volunteerism and community engagement. Norwalk.
• Domestic Violence Crisis Center: $5,000. Safe House and Housing Advocacy. Largest provider of emergency shelter to victims of domestic violence in the state of CT, sheltering over 20% of victims, including children, seeking a safe haven across the state. Stamford.
• ElderHouse: $5,000. Adult Day Services and Caregiver Support Services. Reduced fees. Respite, education programs, support groups, counseling, information and referrals for caregivers. Norwalk.
• The Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse: $10,000. Crisis Parent Aide general operating fund. Program’s clients are referred because of abuse or neglect. Meets weekly with the family for 2-6 hours or more over the course of 4 to 6 months. Stamford.
• Fairfield County Community Foundation: $2,500. Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Build the capacity of nonprofits so they may maximize their impact on addressing the needs in our community. Norwalk.
• Family & Childrens Agency: $20,000. Family Support - Prevention Programs. Through these programs, FCA has the ability to initiate services during pregnancy and follow a vulnerable family until a child turns 8. Norwalk.
• Ferguson Library: $12,000. Make Way for Makerspace: Bringing Makerspace Technology for Tweens and Teens @ the Ferguson Library. Stamford.
• The Food Bank: $15,000. To help pay for part of the cost of repaving the driveway/parking lot. Stamford.
• Future Five: $1,500. College Prep Workshop. General operational support for the weekly programs, specifically our College Prep Workshop which currently has 44 enrolled seniors. Stamford.
• Getabout: $5,000. New Canaan.
• Greenwich Alliance for Education: $5,000. Going Places with Books. Story mobile. Visits 300 preschoolers enrolled in 7 targeted preschools twice monthly. Greenwich.
• HomeFront: $5,000. Housing Rehabilitation Program. Keep low-income neighbors in their homes with an improved quality of life. Stamford.
• Horizons Student Enrichment Program: $5,000. Six week intensive summer program. K - 8. 265 students. Prevent summer learning decline, improve social and interpersonal skill, enhance self-confidence and aspirations. New Canaan.
• Housing Development Fund: $15,000. First Time Homebuyer program. Support for the counseling component. Stamford.
• Human Services Council: $10,000. Norwalk Mentor Program. School based. Students K - 12. Norwalk.
• Inspirica: $10,000. General Operations. Support residential and non-residential programs.
• Stamford.
• Jewish Family Services of Greenwich: $3,000. Supermarketing for Seniors - grocery shopping and case management program. Greenwich.
• Jewish Family Services of Stamford: $5,000. Family Support Services/Case Management. Stamford.
• Junior Achievement of Southwest CT: $3,000. Develop economics and business understanding for all students. Programs focus on the relevancy of business, economics and entrepreneurship to life’s opportunities. Norwalk.
• Keystone House: $5,000. Supported Apartment Services. “Home Sweet Home’ Assistance Program is designed to assist adults with serious mental illness or a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder with the necessary financial supports needed when first moving into their apartment or to maintain their apartment. Norwalk.
• Kids in Crisis: $10,000. Safe Haven for Kids shelter program, a one of a kind shelter program for children ages newborn to 17 who have been abused, neglected, abandoned and are not safe in their homes. Cos Cob.
• Laurel House: $5,000. IT Equipment - Server. Replace outdated software, expand our computer infrastructure, increase memory and disk space, and create a more secure technological environment for the next 5 years. Stamford.
• Liberation Programs, Inc.: $5,000. Families in Recovery Program (FIRP). One of only seven programs for women in the state and the only one that allows mothers to bring up to two children with them into the program. Moving to a new building - costs involved. Norwalk.
• Malta House: $3,000. Assist homeless, pregnant and parenting mothers. Norwalk.
• The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk: $2,000. TeMPEST (Teen Maritime Program for Entry into Science and Technology). Norwalk.
• Mill River Collaborative: $20,000. Stamford.
• Neighbor to Neighbor: $3,000. Supplemental Food/Food Pantry. Weekly program. Client choice food pantry is set up to resemble a small grocery store. Point system determines the quantity of food each family receives. Greenwich.
• Neighbors Link Stamford: $5,000. Expanding Opportunities for Low and Moderate Income Immigrants. Stamford.
• New Canaan Mounted Troop, Inc.: $2,000. Funding for therapeutic riding and horsemanship programs for children and adults with special needs. New Canaan.
• New Neighborhoods, Inc.: $15,000. Tenant Advocacy Program (TAP) for residents at the Atlantic and Belltown, two NNI developed, owned and managed properties for low and moderate income seniors and disabled in Stamford.
• Norwalk Community College Foundation: $5,000. English as a second language - Bridge to Credit Tutoring program. Work on verbal, reading and writing skills. Norwalk.
• Norwalk Hospital Foundation: $10,000. Project Lean is currently in its fourth year of operation and helps underserved children (2 - 5th) initiate behavior change to improve their health and lead them to the path of lifelong wellness. Norwalk.
• Norwalk Summer Youth Employment Program: $5,000. Summer Youth Employment Program. Provides jobs, teaches job seeking and retention skills to economically disadvantaged youth and exposes them to a range of professions. 6 week program.
• Open Door Shelter: $7,500. Services for Children and Families. Separate living area for families. After school tutoring program - 12 to 18 children; parent counseling and employment skills. Norwalk.
• Person to Person: $5,000. Emergency Assistance Program. Provide a safety net to the low income individuals we serve, by providing food, clothing and emergency financial assistance. Darien.
• Rebuilding Together Fairfield County: $5,000. Rehab homes and nonprofit facilities. Need funding for 3 -5 additional homeowner projects. All volunteer organization. Stamford.
• Saint Joseph Parenting Center: $3,000. 20-week parenting program, Spanish. Strengthen families through parent education in an attempt to prevent child abuse and neglect. Stamford,
• The Salvation Army: $5,000. Back to School Back Pack Program. Purchase backpack for low income students when return to school. Other supplies as well. Stamford.
• Senior Services of Stamford: $10,000. Senior Medical Transportation Program. Signage on the car. Would do so on other vehicle. Stamford.
• Serving All Vessels Equally, Inc.: $1,000. Human Services nonprofit organization. In past 24 months school based programs have served approx. 125 high school youth. (Previously incarcerated or otherwise disadvantaged youth.) Norwalk.
• Shelter for the Homeless: $10,000. Emergency Shelter Services. Infrastructure upgrade - replacement & upgrade of the computer server and replacement and upgrade of phone system. Stamford.
• Silvermine Arts Center: $2,500. Art Partners - outreach program. Curriculum based studio art workshops to under-resourced schools in Norwalk and Stamford. New Canaan.
• Soldier Socks: $2,500. Will be split between 3 programs: purchase personal hygienic items to ship to military units in Afghanistan, to our Veterans College Grant Foundation and for research for skeletal suit. Stamford.
• SoundWaters: $10,000. Camp SoundWaters. Learn science via a variety of learning activities along the coastline and on the open waters of Holly Pond and LI Sound. Stamford.
• Stamford Center for the Arts: $5,000. Triple Threat Performer Intensive (TTF). Summer program provides skills, training and performance opportunities in dance, drama and voice to all children in the community. Stamford.
• Stamford Emergency Medical Services: $10,000. Stryker Power-Load. Support the ambulance cot throughout the loading and unloading process. Stamford.
• Stamford Jewish Community Center: $7,500. Hand in Hand Summer Camp Program. An engaging and inclusive summer camp experience for 3rd-8th graders with a variety of challenges. Stamford.
• Stamford Public Education Foundation: $3,000. Stamford Mentoring Program. Partners college and corporate volunteers for weekly one on one mentoring sessions with students in grades 6 - 8 and biweekly mentoring sessions for those in 9 -11. Stamford.
• Stamford Senior Center: $3,000. Health and Wellness Promotion Program. Designed to help older adults to better manage their health conditions. Stamford.

Contributed photo: New Canaan Mounted Troop “Super Troopers” members help a young rider take part in their therapeutic riding and equine care program. This program offers therapeutic riding and equine care programs to people with special physical, cognitive and emotional needs in the local community.