Greenwich United Way Announces More Than $645,000 in Initial 2021 Community Grants

The Greenwich United Way will award more than $645,000 in grants to local health, education and self-sufficiency programs across 22 partner agencies during its Grant Impact Presentation on April 20 via ZOOM.

Grant recipients include: Abilis, Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Building One Community, Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut, Children’s Day School, Family Centers, Filling in the Blanks, Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Food Rescue, Horizons at Brunswick School, Inspirica, Jewish Family Services of Greenwich, Kids In Crisis, Laurel House, Liberation Programs, Neighbor to Neighbor, Pacific House, Pathways, Inc, River House Adult Day Center, The Rowan Center, Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG), and YWCA of Greenwich. Grants are made to programs in priority areas – mental health, self-sufficiency and early childhood education – as identified by the results of comprehensive research conducted by the Greenwich United Way.

Beginning April 20 the Greenwich United Way will be accepting applications for a second round of grants to be issued later this year. To apply please contact Senior Director of Community Impact Robert Moore at [email protected].

Greenwich United Way Community Investment grants are awarded to local organizations based on submission of grant applications and a rigorous review process by dozens of community volunteers. Greenwich United Way volunteers on the Community Investment Process committee review grant applications from human services agencies that serve Greenwich residents and visit program sites. Following intensive evaluation of the financials, applications and other data, trained volunteers recommend funding to the Greenwich United Way Board of Directors. The Community Investment Process is guided by the research of local needs as published in Greenwich United Way Needs Assessment Report and Executive Summary.

“Our Community Investment Process is one of the reasons people donate to the GUW. Our team of volunteers does extensive research to prioritize the many unmet needs in our town and then fund the solutions to address those needs,” said David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way. “In this most challenging time, our mission to ‘find it, fund it, fix it’ is more important than ever. It is only possible due to the generosity of the people of Greenwich donating time, talent and capital, that we are able to help nearly one-third of all Greenwich residents.”
“Our Grant Impact Presentation is a great way for the community to learn how the Greenwich United Way’s Community Investment Process works and the impact their dollars have on the programs we fund at each agency in town,” said David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way. “Each grantee will share stories of how the grants made by the Greenwich United Way impact their respective organizations. This is all made possible by the generosity of the people of Greenwich who believe in our mission and help us aid the nearly one-third of Greenwich residents who need support.”

The Grant Impact Presentation will take place virtually on April 20 at 8:30 a.m. Community members interested in attending are welcome to email [email protected] to register.

The Greenwich United Way will fund a second round of Community Investment Grants in June 2021. Information to apply will be released within the next month and will focus on funding programs that address the focus areas that were uncovered in the most recent Needs Assessment.

The following information details the specific programs receiving 2021 Community Investment Grants.
AbilisThe Abilis Early Intervention Birth to Three Program offers collaborative, community-based supports for toddlers and children with developmental disabilities. The State of Connecticut refers parents to Abilis for initial evaluations to determine program eligibility. If a child qualifies for the Abilis Birth to Three program, Abilis works with the family and other caregivers to create an individualized service plan. The individualized plans determine service funds, which range on average from 5-6 hours per month for a child with minimal delays to 35-40 hours per month for a child diagnosed with autism.

Boys & Girls Club of GreenwichThe organization’s targeted STEM program provides exceptional educational and career exploration opportunities. It is part of after-school programming available on weekdays from 2:45 to 9 pm during the academic year and from 8:30 am to 5 pm on school vacation days. Everything is included for an annual fee of $50 per child. On a typical afternoon, children will eat healthy snacks and rotate with their grade levels for homework help, art and crafts, reading or computer time. Children may also enroll in swim lessons, yoga, cooking, flag football, Lego Robotics or character development. In summer, the Club offers camps to families.
Building One CommunityBuilding One Community: The Center for Immigrant Opportunity is a welcoming point of entry for newcomers from all parts of the world, bringing together services to meet their various needs. The grant will fund the Workforce Development Program, which propels immigrants towards living wage work, improving their quality of life and positioning their families for success.

Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut Inc.Through Access to Specialized Children’s Mental Health Services (Access Initiative), Child Guidance Center provides crucial support to Greenwich children, teens, and their families whose mental health needs are on the more acute end of the spectrum. CGC’s clinical expertise in providing trauma informed care brings high quality specialized outpatient treatment to at-risk Greenwich youth.
Children’s Day School The Children’s Day School’s program provides high-quality early childhood care and education for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Family Centers The Early Education Center of Excellence consists of The Grauer Preschool, The Gateway Preschool, Joan M. Warburg Infant Toddler Center and The Armstrong Court Preschool. As part of the Center of Excellence, the Early Care and Education program is an accredited, full-day, year-round program for children aged 6 weeks through 5 years. It combines a high-quality educational experience with full day care for working parents.

Filling in the Blanks Filling in the Blanks fights childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekends.

Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County The Food Bank addresses food insecurity by providing emergency food to agencies and programs to distribute to those in need. The Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization located in lower Fairfield County.

Food Rescue USFood Rescue US is committed to reducing food waste and food insecurity in America. Using technology, the organization engages volunteers to transfer excess fresh food from grocers, restaurants, and other sources, to social service agencies that feed people who are food insecure. The grant will support the organization’s Greenwich Restaurant Meal program.

Horizons at Brunswick The Horizons at Brunswick Student Enrichment Program addresses the achievement gap in town by helping students from Greenwich Title I schools to improve their educational outcomes by providing academic and swimming instruction, enrichment opportunities, mentoring and guidance in a nurturing community of dedicated professionals and volunteers.

Inspirica Inspirica is one of the largest providers of services to the homeless in Connecticut and the largest in lower Fairfield County. The organization serves individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Each night Inspirica houses approximately 350 people and each year it serves more than 1,050 people (including 250 children). It operates 12 facilities in lower Fairfield County and provides an extensive array of support services, including vocational training, workforce education, job placement, housing placement, job & housing retention support, early childhood & parenting services, children’s services, counseling, case management, and much more. Inspirica is one of only a handful of organizations in the nation that addresses the physical component of homelessness and its underlying root causes on a single, powerful end-to-end platform.

Jewish Family Services of Greenwich Supermarketing for Seniors is a free, non-discriminatory, grocery shopping and case monitoring program for homebound Greenwich seniors. New clients may meet with a registered dietician and are matched with a trained, screened shopper.

Kids In Crisis Located in Cos Cob, Kids In Crisis provides emergency shelter, crisis counseling, and community education programs for children of all ages and families facing crisis. Crisis can include domestic violence, mental health concerns, homelessness, substance abuse, economic difficulties, and other critical challenges. The Kids In Crisis Helpline is staffed 24 hours a day with trained Crisis Counselors, and provides free, confidential phone and face-to-face intervention, counseling, and referrals. Since its founding in 1978, Kids In Crisis has provided vital 24-hour services to more than 158,000 children and teens, and their families. Providers, educators, community members, and family members are encouraged to call the 24-hour helpline: 203-661-1911 for support. The grant will help fund the SafeHaven for Kids program.

Laurel House Thinking Well was created to address the long-term cognitive impairment that interferes with the daily lives of people with serious mental illness. The program blends two basic techniques to address cognitive impairment: cognitive remediation and compensatory cognitive training.

Liberation Programs The Recovery Coach program aids recoverees through the tumultuous first steps of recovery, which includes assessing and striving to improve the recoveree’s overall health. The agency provides services for youth, adults and families, including inpatient treatment programs, outpatient services, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), specialized treatment programs for older adults and people living with HIV/AIDS. Also provided is treatment and resources for adolescents and their families, education, prevention, and wellness efforts in the community and permanent supportive housing.

Neighbor to Neighbor The Food Pantry provides Greenwich residents with income below 200% of federal poverty guidelines with three days’ worth of food for each member of the family each week. Eligible clients are able to choose from a healthy array of food in their “client choice” pantry. A nutritionist-designed point system assures that clients receive food that will allow them to prepare healthy meals.

Pacific House The Young Adults program aims to meet the immediate critical needs of homeless young adults ages 18-24 with enhanced facilities (separate dormitory space within the shelter outfitted with desks and study area) and dedicated case managers with experience dealing with the unique needs of this age group. The goal is to connect clients with services they may not know are available to them and to keep them off the streets where they are most vulnerable.  

Pathways, Inc. Pathways provides housing and rehabilitation services for adults with chronic and debilitating mental illness such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and major depression. The Community Connections program aims at helping clients foster a connection into the community, be that a faith community, social club, volunteer opportunity, or employment. Each client drives the connection based on their individualized needs, capabilities and interests.

River House River House Adult Day Center is an accredited medical model adult day care center, open six days a week, providing medical support, personal care, emotional support and therapeutic recreation improving the quality of life for aging adults and those who care for them.

The Rowan CenterServing the eight towns of lower Fairfield County since 1979, The Rowan Center provides free, 24-hour confidential help to men, women and children who have experienced sexual assault. The organization can assist a victim from the time he/she enters the emergency room, throughout making a police statement, to preliminary court proceedings for trial. They can also be with the victims as the healing takes place, delivering goal-oriented counseling. Additionally, The Rowan Center provides age- and developmentally-appropriate awareness and prevention education for children ages 4-18 and for the community at large.

Transportation Association of GreenwichThe Greenwich Health Rides (GHR) Dial-a-Ride Program provides approximately 16,000 trips to the seniors and disabled of Greenwich. The program operates Monday through Saturday from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. They sometimes provide rides for dialysis patients.

YWCA of GreenwichThe Domestic Abuse Services Mental Health Counseling provides 24-hour counseling. Callers are screened for safety and level of present danger. Through a strengths-based, empowerment model of client-defined advocacy, counselors guide victims to set their own goals while moving toward independence.