Our Stories

	Expanding Family Literacy Initiative Helps Parents and Their Children Succeed Plainville resident Carol Hermanowski knew it was finally time to confront her reading problem when her daughter began to catch on that Carol was making up the stories she was “reading” from the children’s books.  Read more about how the First Years First grant helped this mother finally learn to read.
	Family Resource Center Gaining Visibility It's morning in the Dragon's Den at Derynoski School and the room is filled with the sights and sounds of children playing.
	Driving the Downtown Renaissance Yes, there is life in the Hardware City, driven not by the pounding machine presses of years ago, but by a new generation of arts and culture led by Trinity On Main.
	Building Bridges to Productive Lives At Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut, learning to read, write or speak English just scratches the surface.
	Preserving the Past, Enriching the Future The good people of Southington know the value of their heritage, as evidenced by the glorious preservation and restoration of the Southington Historical Society and Museum.
	Beautiful Music Cori and Brian Humes, born and raised in families for whom helping others is a way of life, knew they had the desire, and knew they had the wherewithal. What they didn't have was a plan.
	In the Family Tradition As a third-generation business owner in New Britain, Gerry Amodio knows what a successful business brings to a community - and how a thriving community feeds that success.
	For the Common Good Bill and Gail Millerick both feel that the work of the Plainville Community Food Pantry is a perfect example of how resources can be put to work to benefit those in need, regardless of address.
	A Healthy Commitment Andy and Fran Meade have been enriching people's lives in Southington for decades - and have long understood the impact that genuine commitment can have upon a community.
	Why We Give: Joan & Charles Leach For Joan and Charles Leach, giving back to their community is personal, rewarding – and lots of fun.
	Revitalizing Neighborhoods Artists are known for their ability to create beauty in their surroundings. With help from the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, an affordable housing project in New Britain is banking on it.
	Making Dreams A Reality Jerri Massi loves horses and working with children. After volunteering at a therapeutic riding center in Old Lyme, she had a hunch she could start a similar program.
	Why We Give: CW Resources CW Resources, Inc., is a private, nonprofit vocational rehabilitation agency serving the needs of persons with disabilities and the socioeconomically challenged.
	Shining The Light Of Hope Only 50 percent of Connecticut's Latino students graduate from high school. Helping to change this sobering statistic is a statewide organization called ASPIRA.
	Why We Give: Schaller Auto World The Schaller group has nearly 200 employees and sells some 3,000 vehicles each year, all while maintaining its family-oriented roots that are so important to the New Britain community.
	Providing Room To Grow When Susie Woerz became Executive Director of the Plainville Community Food Pantry in 1989, it was located in the basement of the Linden Street School. A grant from the Community Foundation provided much needed funds.
	Turning A Loss Into A Legacy Before Alma Exley died of breast cancer in March 1995, she left her husband Woody a “honey-do” list of sorts. She wanted to encourage more people of color to become teachers.
	Offering Alternatives As Executive Director of the largest service provider in Southington, John Myers sees a lot of need in the community.