Hot Topics at Upcoming Catalyst Fund Meeting Include Literacy, Seniors and Oral Health
Public Invited to May 29 Event to Give “Interactive Philanthropy” a Test Drive
(May 15, 2008) The objective of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain’s Catalyst Fund is to give local citizens from all walks of life an opportunity to make a difference in their communities by interactively tackling pressing issues of the day. That process begins on May 
29, when three noted local authorities will make presentations to fund members about literacy, issues impacting seniors and oral health.
By the end of the year, Catalyst Fund members will have learned more about the challenges facing their communities, chosen an issue of focus, and selected a nonprofit community organization to receive a $10,000 grant award from the Foundation.
Members of the public are invited to the first Catalyst Fund meeting of 2008, to take place 
May 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mooreland Hill School, 166 Lincoln Road, Kensington. A light supper and refreshments will be served. (RSVP (860) 229-6018, ext. 300.) There is no obligation to join – but plenty of opportunity to learn.
Featured speakers and their topics will include:
• Lynne Prairie, Associate Director, Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut. Since 1997, Ms. Prairie has trained hundreds of volunteers for this outstanding community program that serves multiple towns throughout the central Connecticut region. A graduate of Boston College, Ms. Prairie will discuss the critical importance of literacy for adults and the positive impact it can have on individual lives and the community at large.
• Patricia Walden, Vice President, Central Connecticut Senior Health Services. Ms. Walden is a licensed nursing home administrator/educator who opened Southington Care Center in 1990 as its first executive director. She was instrumental in the development of The Orchards at Southington and the Connecticut Center for Healthy Aging in Southington and New Britain. Ms. Walden will discuss the myriad of complex issues facing seniors today.
• Kathy Myers, Connecticut Health Foundation.Ms. Myers has a wealth of experience in the management of oral health grant programs and currently manages the Health Foundation’s oral health program grants portfolio. She is committed to the advanced integration of oral health initiatives throughout our communities. Ms. Myers will discuss the wide-ranging impact oral health can have on all aspects of a healthy lifestyle.
Here’s how the Catalyst Fund works: For a modest annual investment of $250, Catalyst Fund members annually select a charitable focus, convene three educational sessions to learn about their issue and, at the end of each year, choose a nonprofit recipient specializing in the issue of choice to receive a grant award.
Catalyst Fund members will more narrowly define their charitable focus for 2008 from among the topics presented May 29. At a second meeting in September, more in-depth education about the chosen focus will take place. The membership will vote on applicants for a $10,000 grant award at the third and final meeting in November.
The Catalyst Fund, created in 2003 with the support of the Robert C. Vance Foundation, is a grass roots community service initiative that provides a means by which citizens from all walks of life can participate in the philanthropic process.
To learn more about the Catalyst Fund, please contact Cheryl Farmer or Ann Bova, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, at (860) 229-6018, or visit the Foundation’s website at www.cfgnb.org.
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