Community Foundation Concludes Another Successful Season of “Celebration”
$10,000 in Grants Honor Four Recipients of Celebrate Our Communities! Awards
(June 3, 2008) With the presentation on Thursday, May 29, of the Celebrate New Britain! community service award to Ada Seaman of New Britain, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain concluded another successful Celebrate Our Communities! awards season, 
with four award recipients in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington designating a total of $10,000 in Foundation grants to charities of their choosing.
Ada, a longtime volunteer with the New Britain Area League of Women Voters as well as the Friendship Service Center, Literacy Volunteers and other organizations, was presented with her award before a gathering of some 120 community leaders at the New Britain Chamber of Commerce’s 10th Annual Volunteerism Luncheon at Zabbarra’s Restaurant.
As award recipient, Ada earned the right to designate a $2,500 grant award to the New Britain nonprofit agency or program of her choosing. She chose the Friendship Service Center, which provides meals and emergency shelter to the homeless in New Britain.
Additional 2008 Celebrate award recipients and their charities of choice were:
• John Tedesco, Celebrate Berlin! award recipient. John, a volunteer with Berlin UpBeat and other youth-oriented programs in town, designated his $2,500 grant to Berlin UpBeat.
• Ruth Hummel, Celebrate Plainville! award recipient. Ruth, long-time town historian and president of the Plainville Historical Society, designated her $2,500 grant to the Plainville Historical Society.
• Merinda DePaolo, Celebrate Southington! award recipient. Merinda, a retired social worker for the Southington school system who has been involved in numerous volunteer initiatives benefitting Southington families, designated her $2,500 grant to the Margaret C. Griffin Child Development Center.
The Celebrate awards have four objectives: To raise awareness of the importance of volunteerism and community service; to offer recognition to deserving volunteers who have made a difference in their communities; to provide financial support to local charities; and to raise awareness of the important work that the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain does in its four service communities.
Residents in each town nominate candidates, and recipients are selected by separate committees of community leaders in each community.
The Herald of New Britain and The Citizen Newspapers of Berlin, Plainville and Southington are co-sponsors of the Celebrate Our Communities! awards. Also supporting the program are the Chambers of Commerce in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington, and the United Way of Southington.
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. For more information on the Foundation, please call (860) 229-6018 or visit www.cfgnb.org.
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