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The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain connects donors who care with causes that matter in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. If you'd like to make a difference in your community, please contact us for more information.

New Britain Academy for Health Professions off to Healthy Start in 2012 with $25,000 Education Grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain

Final Round of Community Foundation Grants for 2011 Brought Total Grant Making for the Year to Almost $900,000

(January 5, 2012) – The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain (CFGNB) recently awarded $248,177 in grants to 14 local non-profit organizations in the final round of grant making for 2011. Among those grants was $25,000 to the New Britain Academy of Health Professions, a smaller learning community at New Britain High School. The grant money will fund the Academy’s final year of program consultant services.

The New Britain Academy for Health Professions was launched as the result of discussions among the School District, the Employability Task Force and the CEO’s of New Britain’s two hospitals (Hospital for Special Care and The Hospital of Central Connecticut). The task force identified healthcare as the area’s largest and fastest growing employment opportunity. The Academy’s purpose is to provide interested high school students with a foundation in the basic skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for pursuing health professions by offering them a comprehensive curriculum and supportive learning environment to both learn about and experience a variety of healthcare careers.

Students at Hospital for Special Care Field Trip

“We began the Academy for Health Professions program in September of 2010 with 57 students enrolled. This academic year we have 176 students, and our goal for next year is to reach 250 students. In this final year of my consultancy, we will develop a plan to track students after high school graduation to determine the numbers employed in a healthcare setting as well as the number pursuing college degrees or certificate programs in healthcare professions. The initial cohort of students will graduate June 2013. We will also continue to build affiliation agreements with organizations such as Tunxis Community College, UConn Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine and Community Health Centers, Inc. as sources of clinical opportunities and field trips for students. During this last year of my consultative services, all responsibilities will be transitioned to District staff. Lead Teacher, Michael Knight Zayas has already taken on some of the coordination and administrative responsibilities,” explains Academy consultant Maria Pietrantuono, RN.

“The Academy has been a real success story. With the healthcare industry offering great potential for future growth and employment, it makes sense to train the young people of our community who are interested in a healthcare career. The grants CFGNB has provided to the program not only help the students, but position Greater New Britain as a growing leader in healthcare services,” says CFGNB President, Jim Williamson.

This final round of 2011 grant-making brings CFGNB’s total grant and scholarship awards for 2011 to almost $900,000 in funding to improve the lives for citizens of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington.

About The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain connects donors who care with causes that matter in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. It does this by raising resources and developing partnerships that make a measurable improvement in the quality of life in each of these communities.

For more information on CFGNB grants contact:
Joeline Wruck, Director of Program, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, 860.229.6018 x 307, jwruck@cfgnb.org

The complete list of CFGNB’s final round of 2011 grants (14 grants totaling $248,177 in funding) along with the funds from which the grants were made is listed below by topic category:

EDUCATION
1. $25,000 from the Georgia Knapp Thomson, Spencer P. Torell and Elizabeth J. Berry Funds to the New Britain Academy of Health Professions to support the June 2012-12 (year 4) operations of the Academy by funding the consultant position associated with the project.

FIRST YEARS FIRST
2. $20,000 from the First Years First Fund to the Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington to support year 4 of the Family Resource Center in Southington.

3. $1,384 from the First Years First Fund to the CT Council for Philanthropy to support year 3 of the Joint Advocacy and Funding project among Connecticut community foundations.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
4. $18,443 from the Andrew-Hicks, Joseph A. Mlynarski, M.D. Memorial, Robert A. and Phyllis T. Mugford, Spencer P. Torell and A.W. Stanley Discretionary Funds to Bread for Life, Southington for technology upgrades that will enable the organization to operate more efficiently and productively.

5. $13,350 from the Con-Fed Charitable, Ronald and Alice Gilrain, Ted and Nancy Johnson and A.W. Stanley Discretionary Funds to Central CT Association for Retarded Citizens (CCARC) capacity building support for CCARC to continue its strategic planning process aimed at improving its business model and increasing organizational stability.

6. $25,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund to Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA) to help launch a new school-based behavioral health treatment model for New Britain children and families.

7. $15,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund to the CT Association for Human Services (CAHS) to bring financial education classes to 320 residents of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington through CAHS’ CT Money School.

8. $15,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund CT Legal Services to provide services to those at risk of becoming homeless through CLS’ new Housing Support and Legal Education Project.

9. $35,000 from the Anna T. Deutsch and A.W. Stanley Discretionary Funds to Foodshare to support the 2012 Partnership Fund.

10. $15,000 from the Walter H. Dickman and Johnstone Vance Memorial Funds to the Friendship Service Center to support an increased demand for food and emergency shelter from the community’s poor and homeless.

11. $5,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund Futures to purchase an inventory control system for Good Causes Gifts, a program of Futures located in Berlin that provides employment for individuals with disabilities from Berlin and New Britain.

12. $20,000 from the Johnstone Vance Memorial Fund to Human Resources Agency (HRA) to support the replication of a successful Budget Coaching model in New Britain aimed at strengthening financial literacy services for low-to-moderate income level people so they can move closer to self-sufficiency.

13. $20,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary Fund Southington-Cheshire Community YMCA to implement a new exercise program for cancer survivors aimed at helping them regain strength and endurance following their treatment .

14. $20,000 from the A.W. Stanley Discretionary and Johnstone Vance Memorial Funds to support New Britain’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness: $10,000will support the salary of the Liaison; the remaining $10,000 will be offered as a 1:1 match to support the HPRP program.

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