Valley Foundation Welcomes New Members

DERBY- The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) welcomes James Hodge, Angela Powers, and Jack Walsh to the VCF Board of Directors and bids farewell to Will Ginsberg, Bill Nimons, and Diane Stroman as they conclude their terms.

 

Sharon Closius, VCF President and CEO, said:

 

“On behalf of the VCF Board of Directors, we would like to thank Will Ginsberg, Bill Nimons, and Diane Stroman for their terms of dedicated service to the Valley community. Our organization has grown dramatically under their tenure. We are also thrilled to welcome James Hodge, Angela Powers, and Jack Walsh to our Board. They each bring a range of diversified knowledge and a history of community involvement to our organization and will play a key role in helping VCF build philanthropy in the Valley.”

 

New VCF Board Members:

 

James A. Hodge, Jr.

James (Jim) Hodge retired from the Bridgeport School System in 2005 after 35 years serving as a classroom teacher and later as a teacher/administrator on special assignment for new schools and new project development.

Jim has been a member of the Board of Directors of Ashlar of Newtown, Masonic Home and Hospital. He serves as secretary of the Board of Managers for the Ralphola Taylor Community Center, Central CT Coast YMCA in Bridgeport, as well as Chairman of the Prince Hall Grand Masonic Lodge’s Scholarship Fund. He is the recipient of numerous community, Masonic Fraternity, and professional awards in the Bridgeport, New Haven, and Naugatuck Valley communities.

He has served as a member of the Admissions Review Board for Bullard Havens Technical School, member of the Board of Directors of the Charles Smith Foundation, and member of the Board of Directors of the Katherine Matthies Foundation.

 

Jim resides in Derby with his wife, Yvette. They have two children and four grandchildren.

 

Angela G. Powers

Angela has more than 35 years in development, communications, marketing, and senior management and leadership. In her role as Senior Vice President, she oversees The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF)’s work identifying and serving community leaders and donors and insuring their philanthropic goals are achieved now and in the future.

 

Prior to joining TCF as the first President of the Valley Community Foundation, Angela worked with its founding Board to design and grow the new organization. She is also associated with Ekstrom & Associates, a consulting firm of practitioners in philanthropy whose clients include community foundations, charitable organizations, families, individuals, and their advisors.

 

Angela served as Director of the Annual Development Program at Quinnipiac University, directed membership and development at the DeCordova and Dana Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and was a coordinator for the March of Dimes of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Angela also spent two years working in Greece with her husband, Bill, who was a teacher at the American Community School in Athens.

 

Angela earned her B.A. from Fairfield University, is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive and is a trained facilitator. She and her husband live in Hamden and have two sons, Will and John.

 

Jack Walsh

Jack Walsh is life-long resident of Derby who served as President & C.O.O of Valley United Way from 1989 until his retirement in 2016.

 

Jack has always been an active member of the Valley community. He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors at the Derby Neck Library and is Chairman of Derby’s Water Pollution Control Authority. He is a past Chair of Derby's Park & Recreation Commission, currently chairs the City's Greenway Committee, and is co-chair of the Naugatuck River Greenway Committee.

 

He served on the Valley Advisory Committee for the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, which helped create the Valley Community Foundation. Jack is a corporator for Griffin Hospital and a member and past Co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Yale/Griffin Prevention Resource Center. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Online Journalism Project. One of the founders of the Commodore Hull Thanksgiving Day 5K Road Race, Jack also served on the Community Advisory Board for the Yale Community Rowing Program, and is a recipient of several regional awards.

 

Departing Board Members:

 

Bill Nimons

Bill Nimons is a life-long Valley resident. He grew up in Seymour and lives in Ansonia with his wife, Elaine. Their three children and four grandchildren all live nearby. Bill is retired from a 40-year banking career—he was Executive Vice President of Shelton Savings Bank and Senior Vice President of Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan.

 

Bill brought his financial expertise to VCF and served as the Board’s Treasurer. He also served on The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Audit Committee. He sits on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club, BHcare and the Ansonia Board of Education. He is a member of the Derby-Shelton Rotary. Bill and his wife have their own charitable fund, Elaine N. and William C. Nimons Fund, at VCF, which supports the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club’s Ansonia Project after-school programs and pre-school slots. Bill is also the sole trustee of the Colonel Lloyd and Joan Platt Witmer Fund, held at VCF.

 

Diane Stroman

Diane Stroman is Vice President of TEAM Inc., where she’s worked for more than 20 years. Diane is deeply passionate and very knowledgeable about the community’s needs.

 

Diane has served on several boards: the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club, Ansonia’s Elderly Services Commission and the Valley Juvenile Review Board. She co-chairs the Julian A. Taylor Scholarship Committee, which has a fund at VCF. Diane is corporator for Valley United Way, Griffin Hospital and BHcare. She was formerly on the Ansonia Board of Education and past president of the Derby-Shelton Rotary Club. She is active in her church, Greater Evangel Temple Church of God in Christ. In 2017, Diane was awarded the Platinum Award from the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce – one of the most prestigious and time-honored community service awards in the Valley.

 

Diane lives in Ansonia, where she grew up. She has two children and two grandsons. She enjoys taking her grandsons to action movies and reading African American literature and motivational books.

 

William W. Ginsberg

Will Ginsberg has devoted his career to community issues, working at the local and national levels in community economic development, community banking, and community philanthropy.

 

William W. Ginsberg has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven since 2000.  Mr. Ginsberg serves on the boards of numerous local organizations including New Haven Promise, Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Connecticut Council on Education Reform, and the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology. He recently completed a six-year term on the board of the Council on Foundations, the national trade association for the philanthropic sector. From 2006-09, Mr. Ginsberg served as a Gubernatorial appointee to the Connecticut Early Childhood Policy and Research Council. In 2011, Mr. Ginsberg received the Community Leadership Award from the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the community's highest recognition for lifetime civic leadership.

 

Mr. Ginsberg graduated from Columbia Law School in 1980 and practiced law in New York City from 1980 to 1984. He graduated from Trinity College in 1976. He has been married for 35 years to Ellen Kelly Ginsberg, who directs Yale University's efforts to create Asia's first liberal arts college in collaboration with the National University in Singapore, and they have two children: Emily and Connor. Will and Kel live in New Haven.

 

About the Valley Community Foundation

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of grant dollars each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. 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 a majority of its discretionary funding as a result of The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF that benefit the Valley. To learn how your gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets can help to support the quality of life in the Valley, please visit the website at www.valleyfoundation.org or contact VCF President, Sharon Closius, at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162.

 

(This is a press release from VCF)

Valley Non-Profits Awarded $595K in Grants

DERBY - The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) is pleased to announce it has awarded $595,000 in single- and multi-year grants to 13 nonprofits providing services to Valley residents. Grants were awarded through VCF’s responsive grantmaking cycle, which is done with its partner in philanthropy, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (TCF).

 

“There have been severe budget cuts to our nonprofits over the past number of years,” says Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO. “The programs they provide are critical in addressing some of the needs highlighted in the recently released 2016 Valley Community Index. VCF has a thorough application review process and, with the help of so many donors, we are able to support many of the requests received.”

VCF’s Responsive Grant Program is funded by a generous annual grant from TCF’s Gates and field of interest funds as well as VCF field of interest funds. The Gates Fund, established in 1952, is one of the largest funds at TCF, which supports the residents of Derby and vicinity. 

 

Additionally, 13 donor advised fundholders at VCF contributed funds to the amount allocated through this granting program. These funds include:  Agape Fund, Bassett Family Fund, Salvatore and Linda Tiano Coppola Family Fund, D’Addario Fund, Haywood Fund, Kaplan Fund, Konwerski Fund, Mary Fund, Joseph A. Pagliaro, Sr. Family Fund, Palazzi Fund, Sally and Dominic Thomas Fund, John Tyma Fund, and Warichar Family Fund. 

2016 Responsive Grant Recipients:

 

Area Congregations Together, Inc. to provide general operating support for the provision of food, shelter and support services to 4,000 Valley people in need; $120,000

BHcare to support one-time merger costs with the Lower Naugatuck Valley Parent Child Resource Center; $70,000

Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley to support capacity building in the areas of marketing, development, human resources and staff leadership to sustain growth of organization and prevent service disruption to its 2,717 members; $90,000

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford to support the Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic for children which promotes the emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of the Valley's neediest children, adolescents, and their families; $60,000

Center Stage Theatre Inc. to provide general operating support for growth and education through performing arts programming, participation in and access to live theater; $55,000

Central Connecticut Coast YMCA to provide general operating support for the Valley YMCA; $25,000

Derby Day Care Center to support the purchase of playground equipment to meet national guidelines for physical activity, thus reducing incidences of obesity and creating a safe space for children; $20,000

Griffin Hospital to support the Advance Care Planning program which ensures that patients' choices at the end of their life are known and implemented; $20,000

Housatonic Council, Boy Scouts of America to provide general operating support for scouting programs for 1,000 Valley youth; $30,000

Naugatuck Valley Health District to support Freedom2Breathe which raises awareness about asthma and provides education about asthma to parents, caregivers and workers in childcare settings in the Valley; $55,000

Salvation Army, Greater Valley Corps to support the Client Choice Food Pantry to meet its increased demand for food assistance for 4,000 individuals annually; $20,000

Valley Emergency Medical Services to support the replacement of a Life-Pak 15 Cardiac Monitor, a life saving tool utilized in its response to close to 6,500 requests for emergency paramedic service; $20,000

Workplace, Inc. to support the Ansonia and Derby American Job Centers; $10,000

 

Click here to view this press release on the VCF website.

 

(This is a press release from Valley Community Foundation)

Grants Available to Nonprofits Serving the Valley

DERBY- The Valley Community Foundation (VCF) is accepting grant applications from nonprofits that serve its 5 town region covering Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton and Oxford, CT. Grant amounts, application deadlines and eligibility requirements vary by grant process; details and applications are available on the VCF website at www.valleyfoundation.org/grants.

 

Grantseekers are encouraged to attend an informational orientation session about the types of competitive grants available on February 3, 2016 from 9:30 – 11:30 am at the Derby Public Library, 313 Elizabeth Street in Derby CT. Participants will learn the criteria required for applications and the timelines for submission for VCF’s Community Grants (application due 5:00 pm on March 4), Sponsorships (open year-round), Responsive Grants (application due 5:00 pm on Mar 31) and Needs & Opportunities Grants (open year-round) processes.

 

A Nuts & Bolts Workshop for Needs & Opportunities and Revolving Response Grants is being scheduled for early February for those who want more, in-depth guidance on completing the application. Registration is required for all sessions; for more information and to register, please contact Beth Colette at 203-751-9162 or bcolette@valleyfoundation.org.

 

Thanks to the generosity of Valley donors, hundreds of thousands of grant dollars each year are distributed from the Foundation. In addition to grantmaking, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven toward building a stronger community by: working closely with donors to grow and deepen the impact of their philanthropy; identifying and supporting grassroots leadership; and strengthening nonprofits and promoting philanthropy through technical assistance programs.

 

To learn more about how your gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets can help to support the quality of life in the Valley, please contact Sharon Closius, President & CEO, at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162 or visit VCF’s website at www.valleyfoundation.org or follow VCF on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vcf_ct.

 

(This is a press release from Valley Community Foundation)

Valley Programs Receive $40,000 Boost

Valley United Way's Board of Directors recently approved close to $40,000 in Special Needs grants for 12 needs of Valley agencies. The allocated funds are earmarked for special needs and programs not normally covered by an agency's regular budget and the funds come from funds designated by donors for particular areas of need. These funds are in addition to the funds awarded through the annual allocations process.

Jack Walsh, President & C.O.O. at Valley United Way noted that grants made through the Special Needs process have now amounted to $367,000 since the program first started. He said that the grants have been very helpful for agencies in dealing with special situations and opportunities that arise during the course of the year. "This program is a nice supplement to the regular allocation process that meets both the special interests of donors and unique situations facing agencies during the course of a year," he said. He also thanked the Allocations Committee for their work in reviewing the requests and making recommendations to the Board of Directors.

The full list of awards:

Agency	Program Name	Award
Boys & Girls Club	Teen Outreach	5,000.00
Derby Day Care	Child Assessment	3,300.00
Derby Youth Services	Mental Health First Aid	1,500.00
Junior Achievement	Career Exploration	2,126.78
Literacy Volunteers	Valley Program	1,150.00
Parish Nurse Program	Children's Education	4,000.00
PCRC	Intensive Outpatient	4,006.39
TEAM	Budget for Families	3,000.00
TEAM	Diaper Bank	3,000.00
TEAM	Meals on Wheel Packs	2,500.00
TEAM	Senior Council	2,000.00
VSAAC	Public Health strategy	8,000.00

 

Valley United Way is the leading philanthropic resource for the Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton matching the needs of the community and the interests of donors to improve the quality of life in the community. United Way supports and creates initiatives addressing youth, families and people in crisis. Each year Valley United Way funds programs and organizations that make a measurable difference in the lives of people living and working in the Valley.

(This is a press release from Valley United Way)

Gentile reminds developers of brownfield grants

Application deadline is June 30

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile

     State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, reminded area developers and local leaders that the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development is accepting applications for a new round of funding to help remediate and redevelop brownfield sites throughout the state.   

     Applications for the pool of $20 million in grants and loans are due by June 30.

     “Bringing these brownfield and contaminated sites back online is an important investment by the state,” Gentile said. “We know that towns and individual businesses can’t pay for the total clean-up on their own, and this funding will help to alleviate some of these costs. I strongly encourage Naugatuck Valley residents and businesses to apply for this funding. I thank the Governor and DECD for recognizing the need for cleaning up these sites.”

     According to DECD, awards made under this round of funding may be used for a range of brownfield remediation and redevelopment activities, including abatement, demolition, site investigation and assessment, groundwater monitoring, installation of institutional controls, and professional services fees associated with redevelopment including attorney’s fees, and planning, design and consulting fees.

     Eligible applicants for grant funding include municipalities and economic development agencies; municipalities, agencies and both for-profit and nonprofit developers are eligible to apply for low-interest loan funding. 

     Grants applicants can request funding of up to $4 million; loan applicants can request funding of up to $2 million.

     The rating and ranking sheet for this funding round, which provides further details on application criteria, as well as the program application, is available at ctbrownfields.gov. 

     Applications must be submitted to DECD, 505 Hudson St. Hartford, CT 06106-7106 no later than June 30.

    Questions related to the application must be submitted to brownfields@ct.gov by June 9, 2014; responses will be posted at ctbrownfields.gov by June 16, 2014.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.

Crisco announces arts grants

Organizations in Bethany, Hamden, Naugatuck among awardees

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday three local organizations have been awarded grants through the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund to sustain their contributions to the community.

“Congratulations are in order for these outstanding awardees,” Crisco said.

“Thriving local arts are a hallmark of flourishing communities, and my constituents are lucky to have access to such outstanding offerings. I want to thank the governor for taking an active role in supporting the arts in our cities and towns.”

“Having a vibrant arts community not only increases our quality of life, it also spurs our economy and helps to create thriving centers of commerce,” Malloy said. “I’m proud that we could make investments in these different groups, so that they can continue to do the good and important work of enriching our communities.”

The grants will be awarded through the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund, which is maintained by the state Department of Economic & Community Development and its Connecticut Office of the Arts.
The Fund was established to stimulate the development of private sector funding for the arts and to help stabilize arts institutions.

COA develops and strengthens the arts in Connecticut through its grant programs, investing in Connecticut artists and arts organizations and encouraging the public’s participation as creators, learners, supporters and audience members.

The local grants are:

Bethany	Dandelion Productions/Bridgeport Free School	1,081.00
Hamden	The Eli Whitney Museum	941.00
Hamden	Young Audiences of Connecticut, Inc.	694.00
Naugatuck	Shakesperience Productions, Inc.	1,221.00

This is a press release from Crisco's office.

Grants awarded to early education programs in Valley

SHELTON - The Board of Directors at Valley United Way has announced the first grants under the new Special Issues Grant Program.

Earlier this year, the Board identified early childhood education as an especially important issue in the Valley and set aside $25,000 for programs designed to have an impact on the issue.

Requests from several Valley groups were received, and after a thorough review by the Allocations Committee the Board has made three grants.

TEAM, Inc. has been awarded a $16,000 grant to implement the research-based "Tools of the Mind" curriculum and instructional approach within its Early Childhood Programs.
The "Tools of the Mind" approach is renowned for its successful preschool age outcomes around self-regulation, social-emotional development, language, literacy and mathematical thinking.
In addition to providing training for the teachers in the program, the program will provide for parent orientation to support implementation of the program within the home as well as at the preschool center.
TEAM will partner with Eastern Connecticut State University to implement the program.

Task force 
The Valley's Early Childhood Task Force will be receiving a grant of $8,000 to train day care providers on the use of the Ages & Stages program.
The ASQ's are developmental screenings designed to be given to children from 2 months of age through 60 months. They track children in the development areas of communication, gross motor, fine motor and personal/social skills.
Not only will the care providers be trained in the use of the tool, but parents will also be given the information they need to participate in the program at home.


School readiness
The Shelton School Readiness Council will be receiving a grant of $1,000 for the Read & Grow: 1,000 Books before Kindergarten Program.

The program is a multi-year, pre-literacy effort aimed at encouraging families to read at least 1,000 books to their pre-schoolers. The national model encourages parents to read one book a night over three years at bedtime to their children.
The project is designed to help kids enter school ready to learn, expose them to a wide variety of books and instill a lifelong love of reading.
The program also promotes use of the library and the extensive collection of materials available to parents.

Jack Walsh, President and Chief Operating Officer at Valley United Way, said the Valley has become a model for cooperative efforts in the area of early childhood education.
"All three of these groups have been working together for years now to ensure that all children in the Valley are prepared to succeed in school by the time they reach kindergarten," Walsh said. "The lessons learned through these three grant programs will be shared across the entire Valley and provide benefits in the way of student achievement for years to come."

 

This post is taken from a release from Valley United Way, the leading philanthropic resource for the towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton matching the needs of the community and the interests of donors to improve the quality of life in the community. 

Applications available for Community Grants

Program funds Valley organizations 

The Valley Community Foundation announced that applications to receive a grant through its Community Grants program (formerly known as Valley Small Grants) are now available. 

The Community Grants Program provides funding up to $3,000 to assist organizations in carrying out their civic agenda, and to support the development and implementation of projects that will improve the quality of life in the Valley, as defined by the five towns served by Valley Community Foundation (Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton and Oxford).

Projects eligible for funding include: self-sufficiency (such as collective buying clubs, farmers markets); neighborhood identity and pride (such as fairs, festivals, house and garden tours); beautification efforts (such as mural painting, clean-ups, upgrading playgrounds and public spaces); youth enrichment (such as leadership development, mentoring, tutoring); elderly and parent activities and more. 

Guidelines, eligibility criteria and applications are available at www.valleyfoundation.org/grants or by calling Beth Colette, 203-751-9162. Deadline to apply is 12 p.m. April 12, 2013.

Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation is dedicated to making the Valley a better place to live and work by increasing philanthropy, especially permanent endowments; connecting donors to needs and opportunities; and providing leadership on critical community issues. 
It serves Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton. For information, visit www.valleyfoundation.org.

This information is taken from a press release.

Car seat initiative gets funding boost

DERBY - Griffin Hospital and Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley recently received several grants
to help provide child car-seat training and free child car seats to the community.

The CT Department of Public Health awarded Griffin and Safe Kids a grant to purchase 20 booster car seats, which will be distributed in a free training event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 11 at Griffin’s Dining Room, 130 Division St.

At the end of a two-hour training session, participants will receive a free highback booster seat and instruction on proper use.
To be eligible for the giveaway, participants must have a child that weighs between 40 to 80 pounds and is between 42 and 57 inches tall.
Also, the participant’s vehicle must have lap-shoulder seat belts in the back seat.

A Safe Kids Worldwide “Start Safe” grant has provided 16 child car seats.
The Griffin Safe Kids Chapter was one of just 17 across the country to receive this funding.
The seats will be distributed through a car seat clinic at the Head Start TEAM Early Care and Education Center in Ansonia.

The third grant comes from Valley United Way Special Needs program. This $1,100 grant will purchase car seats for special needs children.

For information about the car seat distribution or to register for the April 11 event, call Cathi Kellett, 203-732-1337. Please have the age, weight, and height of your child.

This information is taken from a press release from Griffin Hospital.

United Way grants to Valley nonprofits top $31G

Funds to aid programs for children, seniors

    Valley United Way has announced 17 grants to area nonprofits covering a wide range of issues in the Valley.
    The Special Needs Grants Program is a small grants program created with funds that donors have designated to address needs in the community.
    The funds are separate from the traditional United Way funding program which takes place each year.
    Grants awarded in this round of funding total more than $31,000.
   
    In making the announcement of the awards, United Way Board Chair Fred Ortoli and Allocations Committee Chair Adrian Cabral said, “Valley agencies requested funding that was more than double the dollars available for a wide variety of needed and innovative programs.
    “The Allocations Committee and the Board of Directors were impressed by the quality of the requests and wished that more of the programs could have been funded. However, we are pleased to see that the 17 programs selected will make a measurable difference in the Valley area this year.”
   
       The programs in this year’s cycle include a series of workshops for senior caregivers, before and after school programs for children, and resources for literacy programs.
    Grants for training in mental health first aid and reducing school based arrests are also in this year's mix.
    The full list includes:
         
    Ansonia Community Action: Before and After School Program, $1,600; Area Congregations Together, Bus Token Assistance, $1,000; BHcare Antoinette's Angel's House, $500; BHcare Mental Health First Aid Training of trainees youth program, $2,000; Boy Scouts, BSA Technology, $1,500.

    Bureau of Youth Services/Derby, Reducing school based arrests, $1,500; Discovery Project, Valley Early Childhood Task Force Play and Learn Fair, $2,390.70; Junior Achievement of Western CT,  Achievement Middle School Graduation Pathway Programs, $3,000; Literacy Volunteers, Literacy volunteers test books for literacy volunteers, students and teachers, $1,777.

       Salvation Army, Family night and kids' club, $2,000; Shelton Youth Services Bureau, Remedial tutors, $400; TEAM, Inc. Caregivers’ Workshops; $1,750; TEAM, Inc. Early head start diapers by the dozens program, $4,320; TEAM, Inc., Volunteer caregivers shoveling for seniors program, $1,560.

    United Way Community Gardening $972.25; Griffin Hospital's Valley Parish Nurse program, Children restraint seats; $1,102.21; Valley YMCA, Members in residence, $4,000.


    Valley United Way, based in Shelton, is the leading philanthropic resource for the Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton matching the needs of the community and the interests of donors to improve the quality of life in the community.
    United Way supports and creates initiatives addressing youth, families and people in crisis. Each year Valley United Way funds programs and organizations that make a measurable difference in the lives of people living and working in the Valley.


This information is from a press release from Jack Walsh, President/Chief Operating Officer, Valley United Way.

Gentile hails rehab funding

HUD grant to subsidize upgrades to 10 properties in Ansonia 

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-104, joined Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Wednesday in welcoming funds for housing rehabilitation in Ansonia. 

A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant will subsidize renovations to 10 properties in Ansonia. 

The $300,000 grant, administered through Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development, will be used for lead testing and abatement, energy efficiency upgrades, code enforcement, electrical and plumbing improvements and window and door replacements.

“These subsidized projects create and retain local jobs that are critical to improving the distressed city of Ansonia and the local economy. I want to thank Governor Malloy for his support for local property upgrades that help protect public safety, people’s health and also keep neighborhoods livable,” Gentile said. “Projects such as this are one of the best ways Connecticut can reinvest in the community.”

“I’m very excited about the housing rehabilitation project in Ansonia, where this grant will not only underwrite energy efficiency upgrades and electrical and plumbing repairs, but also lead testing and remediation as necessary, to better protect residents from that potential environmental hazard,” state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, D-Woodbridge, said. “This seems to be a very cost-effective and creative use of public funding to help residents attain and enjoy a higher quality of life by making better housing available to them.”

“Expanding access to affordable housing is critical to strengthening the statewide economy and a major focus of my administration,” said Malloy said. “Over the next 10 years, the state will invest $500 million to revitalize and expand affordable housing options so that our cities and towns will be a better place to live, raise a family and do business.  These grants from the U.S. Department of Housing will go a long way to help us realize our goals, and we are appreciative of their recognition.”

A total of 31 Connecticut towns have been awarded a total of $10,987,840 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program. 

The Small Cities Block Grant Program, administered by Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development, funds economic development, affordable housing, and other community revitalization projects. 

Crisco welcomes housing-rehab grants

4 towns to get federal funds

State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. , D-Woodbridge, today welcomed news of state approval for federal grants applied for by four 17th District towns.
Crisco said Naugatuck will receive a $500,000 grant while Ansonia, Beacon Falls, and Woodbridge are each in line for $300,000.
In each town state funds will help underwrite housing rehabilitation projects to improve conditions for residents without impacting the municipal budget.
 “I’m delighted by news of these successful grant applications because in the modest budgets of these four small towns there isn’t always room enough to complete all the projects one might like,” Crisco said.
“The $1.4 million to be shared in our district is part of a $10.9 million grant program for housing improvements in 31 Connecticut towns.”
This federal funding originates with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program, which is in turn administered by Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development.
Crisco said the work to be completed ranges from energy efficiency upgrades to lead testing and remediation as necessary, and from electrical and plumbing improvements to kitchen and bathroom upgrades.
 “I’m particularly excited about the project in Naugatuck, where improvements will not only upgrade existing ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) units to ensure compliance, but it will add a half-dozen ADA-compliant units after conversions from six regular units,” Crisco said.
 “This seems to be a very cost-effective and creative use of public funding to help residents who require fully accessible housing by making more housing available for them.”

This is a press release from Crisco's office.