Valley Community Foundation Awards $170,000 in Scholarships

  

Valley Community Foundation Awards $170,000 from Scholarship Funds to Support Educational Pursuits of Local Students

 

DERBY, CT (October 22, 2020) – Whether at home conducting remote learning, via a hybrid model, or attending full-time and in-person, the start of a new school year looks very different for students pursuing higher education during the pandemic. With the 2020-2021 academic year under way, the Valley Community Foundation (VCF) is pleased to announce that it has awarded more than 160 scholarships totaling $170,000 from its 75 scholarship funds. While many of these students are entering their first year of higher education this fall, some awards provide renewable tuition assistance for up to four years.

“For many Valley residents, establishing a scholarship not only pays tribute to their family but it can also memorialize their name at a local high school,” said Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO. “Whether it’s participation on a sports team, the longevity of family history, or memorializing lifetime friendships that were made, establishing a scholarship to benefit local high schools is an investment in our community’s future and reflects the value of higher education.”

For years, VCF has worked with the Valley’s high schools to manage and administer scholarship funds. Rather than a high school holding the scholarship money in a CD or savings account, scholarships are established, managed, and invested with VCF. The high school continues to select the recipients of various scholarships, but the staff saves time and money by not administering individual savings accounts. Additionally, the money is invested in a large investment pool that has historically yielded a better return, which increases the size of the fund and the distributable amount over time.

Scholarship funds are often created in memory of someone special. Depending on preference, the scholarships can support any area of academic need, including tuition, room and board, or books. Donors can simply select eligibility requirements for the scholarship based on a student’s field of study, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, financial need, background, or geography. Some scholarships give a single award to support a graduating senior pursuing higher education while others can be renewable through college.

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship fund in honor or in memory of a loved one that can benefit a local graduating senior each year, contact Sharon Closius, Valley Community Foundation President & CEO, for more information at 203-751-9162 or visit www.valleyfoundation.org.

About The Valley Community Foundation

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes approximately $1.6 million in grants each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. In addition to grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF), to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton and receives funding from The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF that benefit the Valley. For more information, visit www.valleyfoundation.org.

 

Ansonia Board of Education Member Says Facts Being Misrepresented

(The following is a letter from Ansonia Board of Education Member Vinnie Scarlata who is seeking re-election the board , as well as running as a petitioning candidate for the Board of Aldermen, 7th Ward):

It’s unfortunate that an administration desperate to stay in office is irresponsible enough to misrepresent figures to try crediting themselves unduly! Recent articles talk about $40,125 unspent by the BOE, proving that through its benevolence this administration has actually overfunded education and these unspent funds of $40,125 are proof! The person chosen to pitch this notion is running for a seat on the BOE and should have been the one person responsible enough to have at least asked the BOE the one question, “WHY”!!! Instead she became another pawn for Team Cassetti.

I posed this question to our BOE Business Manager and here is the truth of this matter! The following is copied from her email to me:
 

 

I am providing this information with regards to the BOE not expending 100% of the funds allocated during the 2016-17 school year.
 

The BOE has several factors which impacted spending during the 2016-2017 year:
 

- I will start with the resignation of the Business Manager and a permanent placement not being

appointed for several months. This means that budgeted salary and health care cost for a family

were not being incurred.
 

- The district realized significant savings in health care cost by changing to a HDHP. (High

Deductible Health Plan)
 

- The City transferred Excess Cost funds to the BOE to cover the increased cost of Special

Education services. This is significant because in the past the BOE was absorbing these rising cost

within their existing budget.
 

- The City transferred in-kind expenses for LAP insurance to the BOE, this was not budgeted for

by the BOE originally,
 

- The last winter was mild and very warm, this combination resulted in savings for fuel heating and

OT for custodians.
 

The net result of all the above resulted in the BOE not expending 100% of its allocated budgeted. Each of these accounts had a positive balance on June 30th 2017. These balances were used to off-set accounts that had negatives balances, they include tuition, transportation, purchased services, liability insurance and supplies. I did not use numbers above in an effort to keep it simple, but heat energy alone had an unexpended balance of $46,803. 
 

Once the audit is final and adjustments are made I will provide an updated year-end report to all BOE members that show expenditures by object and the final figures expended and unexpended for the 2016-17 year. Currently, I do not have the back up to support the $40,125 figure that was referenced in the VIS, I was told that the number is from the audit (I cannot confirm this number).
 

I have not received any communication from the auditor lately, so I cannot confirm that the figures are final (I have not been given a final figure for BOE). Additionally, I have not been apprised of any changes/adjustments resulting from the audit being completed that would change numbers I currently have.
 

So, Ansonia, there a lot of fluid parts to any BOE. A statement made referencing 3 lines in a budget document represents little if any relevance to the overall budget of education. One thing that is glaring, though, is where did Team Cassetti get its information from in the first place since the BOE has yet to receive its final audit figures?
 

 

Vincent Scarlata

Member Ansonia BOE

Spooner House in Shelton to benefit from philanthropist's challenge

For the 17th consecutive year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will be dividing $1 million among nonprofit hunger-fighting agencies nationwide using it as a spur to help them raise funds from now through April 30.

 

The drive to stamp out hunger is going strong with the Alan Shawn Feinstein $1 Million Giveway to Fight Hunger campaign in full force now. 

Feinstein, a philanthropist  from Rhode Island, has pledged to give away $1 million to hunger relief nationwide. 

Feinstein will add to all contributions received by Spooner House in Shelton during this campaign. 

The larger the contribution received by Spooner House, the more Feinstein funds will be given to help us help others in the Valley. 

This is the 14th year Spooner House has participated in the program. Last year donations totaling more than $31,000 were collected and reported to the Feinstein Foundation from Spooner House. Donations received during this time will make you a partner in the most successful grassroots campaign to fight hunger of all time. 

 

Only gifts of cash, checks or non-perishable food received by April 30 will count towards the Spooner House total used to determine the amount of funds they will be eligible to receive from Feinstein’s challenge grant. 

Non-perishable food donated will be valued at $1 per item. 

The Feinstein million dollars will be divided proportionately among all agencies complying with the food drive formula. There will be a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $35,000 given to participating agencies. 

Complete results from this year’s drive will be posted on the Feinstein Foundation website in August and also will be posted periodically on Spooner House’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/spooner.house.

 

“Many of us recognize that providing food is the most basic human need, one that has increased even more than normal over the past year,” said Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House.

“In addition to the continuing difficult economy and expensive cost of living in this area, families have also been hit hard by the extreme cold and snow this winter. Participating in this year’s Feinstein Challenge Grant is more important than ever.”

 

Spooner House has played a critical role in meeting the needs of Valley neighbors for more than 30 years. 

This past year Spooner House provided almost 130,000 meals to more than 6,000 community residents, including men, women and children, senior citizens, veterans, the disabled and others, who may have otherwise gone without a meal. This represents an increase of more than 100 percent since 2008.

 

Checks should be made payable and mailed to: Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton, CT

06484. 

Donations may also be made via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at

http://www.actspooner.org/. 

Deliveries of non-perishable food items are accepted at the above location weekdays between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Donors also may set up a special time for food delivery by calling

203-225-0453.

This is a press release from Spooner House in Shelton. 

Conroy: Seymour needs time to pursue state funds for school project

Legislation co-sponsored by state Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, was the subject of a public hearing today by the legislature’s Finance Committee.

Seymour Middle School

The bill (HB 6602) would allow the Town of Seymour to renew its construction loans on the Seymour Middle School project beyond the limits set in state statute.

The extension would allow the town time to receive state funds for the project.



In her testimony the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Conroy said, “It was brought to my attention at the end of 2012 that the 10-year construction note term for Seymour Middle School will be due on May 1, 2013.
By extending the time for the temporary notes, it will allow the town to apply for state reimbursement of $1.3 million.”

Although construction on the Seymour Middle School project was technically completed in 2002, due to a number of factors and delays, the town was unable to pursue state reimbursement through the Bureau of School Facilities until very recently.
Their internal process could take up to six months and the temporary notes on the construction project mature on May 1 of this year. State statute (C.G.S. Sec. 7-378a) limits the renewal of temporary notes to 10 years from the date of initial issuance.

Without an extension on the terms of the construction note, the town would need to pay about $550,000 on May 1.

Conroy said, “During a time where we have been impacted with several large storms that are affecting our local budgets, Seymour cannot afford a large hit to its budget.”

The legislation awaits a vote by the Finance Committee.

In addition to representing the 105th Assembly District, Conroy is a member of the Seymour Board of Selectmen.

This information is taken from a press release from Conroy’s office.