Women & Girls Fund

In 2024, the Women & Girls Fund awarded CT State Community College Northwestern $1,000 to support an emergency fund for women attending college.

The Fund awarded EdAdvance: $1,250 to support an emergency fund for women and children experiencing homelessness in Northwest CT, and supported social services for women and children by awarded the Town of Winchester Resident Assistance Fund $1,000 and Town of Warren Social Services $500 for an emergency fund for women and children.

“This grant will allow Warren Social Services to respond to women and children in crisis to provide immediate financial aid for housing, medical or transportation needs,” said Missy Brown, Director of Social Services for the Town of Warren, LMSW.

“We are a small department in a very small town, but we do very good work for our community. We truly appreciate the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women and Girls Fund grant recognizing our department and our programs and for supporting women and children in our community.”

In 2024, the Women Girls Fund awarded McCall Behavioral Health Network $4,500 to support a Return-to-Work program for women experiencing unemployment or job insecurity.

"On behalf of the McCall Behavioral Health Network, I extend my deepest gratitude to the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women and Girls Fund for supporting our Return-to-Work Program," said President and CEO Maria Coutant Skinner, LCSW.

"Through this invaluable partnership, we will be able to empower women in need of employment opportunities and foster their journey towards sustainable financial stability. Our goal is to nurture their confidence and self-worth, while providing avenues for long-term career growth, hopefully as a fabulous addition to our team. Together, we will create meaningful opportunities for women to thrive."

In 2024, the Women & Girls Fund awarded Housatonic Youth Service Bureau $4,000 to support the 2024 summer series enrichment programs, and to implement GoLiveGirl.

The fund also awarded the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club $1,750 to support the cost of seasonal fees and competition fees for young women ages 14-19.

In 2023, The Women & Girls Fund supported Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial with a $4,000 grant to support a yearlong program emphasizing career/higher education for Torrington High School students.

“We are hopeful that these young women will find successful pathways to a brighter future after completing the testing and engaging in our follow-up programs.” Kaitlyn Graboski, Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial

In 2023, The Women and Girls Fund supported Housatonic Youth Service Bureau with a $5,000 grant to support three interns to work with clinical staff to create and facilitate summer programs.

Two years earlier, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau created a series of weeklong summer programs for students in need with topics ranging from mindfulness to social skill to positive relationships. A year later, two young women were hired to serve as interns. In 2023, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau wanted to add capacity for additional programs to accommodate more students, make changes, increase programs, and provide even stronger programs this year.

“We learned a tremendous amount about supporting the interns during this program with their orientation and training, as well as empowering them to take a leadership role in the series as the young participants viewed them as teachers/counselors/trusted adults.” Kelly Parker Housatonic, Youth Service Bureau.

In 2023, The Women & Girls Fund supported North Canaan Social Services with a $1,500 grant to support a flexible Emergency Fund for North Canaan resident single women and girls.

This grant assists North Canaan residents who have utilized State and Federal benefit programs and exhausted all other financial resources, in order to support their basic necessities.

“For example, a family may receive food stamps but encounter a month when they need additional financial support to prevent food insecurity due to a newly identified diet-related diagnosis that requires certain food items, such as fresh produce.” Sharon Kelly-Levesque, North Canaan Social Services

In 2022, The Women and Girls Fund supported Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial & New Opportunities, Inc. with a $8,057 grant to support a six-week internship and mentoring program.

Brooker Memorial and New Opportunities created a partnership to provide internship opportunities to four women who are recent college graduates or have completed their junior year of college. The interns complete a six week paid internship, working 20 hours a week at either or both organizations. The interns improve their skill sets through hands-on experience and projects, including leadership, community relations, team activities, resume assistance, mock job interviews, and networking with business and social service professionals in the community. Both organizations provide a presentation in financial literacy or work etiquette and positive work relationships, and also connect them with local employers.

"We are confident that this experience will help them achieve their career goals. - Cathy Coyle, Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial

In 2022, The Women and Girls Fund supported Housatonic Youth Service Bureau with a $5,000 grant to support two interns to work with clinical staff to create and facilitate summer programs.

The interns coordinate with the clinical staff at HYSB and identify specific needs within the community as well as within certain populations. For example, the clinical staff may have data that shows females in grades 5-6 are seeking the most support. It would be the job of the intern to then translate that data into a meaningful weeklong summer series program.

All of the summer series programs are supervised by an HYSB clinician, but with the addition of 2 interns, it will allow us to create more robust programs and increase the variety of what we are offering to safely engage with as many young people as possible. - Kelly Parker, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau

In 2021, The Women and Girls Fund supported Northwestern Connecticut Community College with a $6,000 grant to support the cost of childcare for women enrolled in certificate or degree programs.

On average, courses are 60 hours in length. The minimum hourly rate for Individual childcare (sitter in home) is $10/hr. Unless a child is already enrolled in a childcare facility, individual childcare is likely to be the mode used by students because of the short-term nature of their courses. The school plans to serve eight women using the grant.

Offering childcare assistance to mothers taking classes at NCCC will be a giant step in an effort to promote women’s education and career readiness. - Erin Kennedy, Northwestern Connecticut Community College

In 2020, The Women and Girls Fund supported Northwestern Connecticut Community College with a $2,240 grant to support the cost of an online review class for 32 students taking the registered nurse licensing exam.

Once students complete an 18-month program of study they are eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) This is a high-stakes exam which earns students their license to practice as a registered nurse. Preparation for this exam is crucial and students typically complete a review course to help them pass the exam successfully.

Never has there been a time in our society when it has been more crucial to support the entry of safe, competent nurses into the healthcare workforce. - Connie Hotchkiss, Northwestern Connecticut Community College

In 2020, The Women and Girls Fund supported Canaan Child Care Center with a $2,500 grant to support emergency gap funding for child care costs.

The grant provides scholarship to mothers in danger of losing childcare. Families can apply to determine if a $500 scholarship would suffice in solving a temporary situation so childcare would not be in jeopardy.

This grant can keep women in the workplace, feeling confident about providing for their family and know that their child is in a Child Care Center where their child is safe, healthy and happy. - Frances Chapell, Canaan Child Care Center

In 2019, The Women and Girls Fund supported CT Women's Education and Legal Fund with a $1,000 grant to support the work of the Connecticut Collective for Women & Girls.

The purpose of this network is to deepen support within the participating organizations to raise the visibility of issues that affect women and girls and the aid in the advancement of women and girls throughout the state.

Over the past year the Collective evolved into an official network with the potential to organize statewide support around issues that affect women and girls while providing opportunities for...organizations and individuals that are committed to gender equity. - Kate Farrar, CWEALF

In 2019, The Women and Girls Fund supported Northwestern Connecticut Community College with a $4,275 grant to support the Girls and Women in Manufacturing, a program that includes manufacturing, and financial literacy courses.

The Girls and Women in Manufacturing Program provides graduating high school girls and unemployed/under-employed women with the skills they need to enter the manufacturing workforce. They earn industry recognized credentials, in addition to college credit which can be applied to the manufacturing degree. Students will interact with industry representatives (some of whom will be involved in teaching the courses), do industry visits, and have the opprotunity to job shadow. Students also co-enroll in a non-credit career readiness and financial literacy course to improve their knowledge of career preparation and financial control of their resources.

Supporting girls and women in technical careers increases their economic status, supports the local economy, and helps grow vibrant communities that attract and keeps young workers. - Sharon Gusky, Northwestern Connecticut Community College

In 2018, The Women and Girls Fund supported Family Strides with a $3,000 grant to support a series of financial education workshops for at-risk, low-income mothers.

Utilizing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Money Smart Curriculum, the program helps individuals build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, become more money-savvy, and use banking services effectively. The Money Smart modules provide participants with the knowledge and resources they need to use the services and products of financial institutions effectively, create and implement a spending plan, use credit and borrow money responsibly, protect their financial rights, safeguard their money and determine their readiness to buy a home.

Women will increase their knowledge of credit and banking services and will be more likely to make informed decisions on money matters, save money, and improve their financial health and well being for themselves and their families. - Nicole Kilduff, Family Strides

In 2018, The Women and Girls Fund supported the McCall Center for Behavioral Health with a $2,400 grant to support the Hanson House Resiliency Group.

One of McCall’s newest programs, the Hanson House is long-term residential program for women recovering from substance use that focuses on clinical support and holistic treatment in a home-like setting. The Resiliency Group for the Hanson House women holds weekly sessions dedicated to life skills, financial literacy, and employment support as well as empowering the women involved and providing additional clinical support.

The program consists of two sessions. The first focuses on important life skills such as resume writing, job searching, financial planning and continuing education. The second session uses the research based curriculum, Women’s Circle, which takes a strengths-based approach to empowering women. Programs include “Identity – Who Am I,” which focuses on women’s self-discovery and the importance of one’s place in family, community, and culture, “Relationships,” which explores working and professional relationships, family and friendships, as well as competition and community, and “Being a Well Woman,” which focuses on holistic health and wellness using a variety of creative processes such as collage, games, surveys, case studies, and analysis along with guided visualization, stress relief and inspirational role models to explore self-care and how to support one another.

Because of the unique challenges women in recovery face, the Hanson House program focuses on the central role that relationships with children, intimate partners and others play in women's recovery. - Sara Osborne, McCall Center for Behavioral Health

In 2017, The Women and Girls Fund supported the Bakerville Library with a $1,650 grant to support the day-long conference Be All You Can Be.

Co-hosted by the Pleasant Meadow Girl Scouts, the conference is designed to encourage girls to think about their plans for the future and to have a better understanding of the opportunities available to them after middle school and high school through speakers who have contributed to the advancement of women in a variety of careers including in the science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). Break out groups and the closing session focus on identifying strengths and interests as well as goal setting so the girls will feel empowered and confident enough to follow any career path they are interested in.

Girls will leave with ideas and plans for their future education and career. - Kathy Kinane, Bakerville Library

In 2017, The Women and Girls Fund supported the Bakerville Library with a $1,650 grant to support the day-long conference Be All You Can Be.

Co-hosted by the Pleasant Meadow Girl Scouts, the conference is designed to encourage girls to think about their plans for the future and to have a better understanding of the opportunities available to them after middle school and high school through speakers who have contributed to the advancement of women in a variety of careers including in the science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). Break out groups and the closing session focus on identifying strengths and interests as well as goal setting so the girls will feel empowered and confident enough to follow any career path they are interested in.

Girls will leave with ideas and plans for their future education and career. - Kathy Kinane, Bakerville Library

In 2016, The Women & Girls Fund supported New Opportunities Inc. with a $2,500 grant to support a full-day workshop for the Latina Women’s Association. Women and girls from the Association attended the workshop, which focused on identifying personal interests and goals, and exploring the education, financial planning, and employment needed to accomplish them.

In 2014, The Women & Girls Fund supported Moxie for Teens! at Explorations Charter School in Winsted with two grants, a $1500 grant to support the program and a $361 grant for program supplies.

Through the program, life coaches work with teenage girls for several weeks to help them develop improved self-esteem and develop leadership skills as well as examine how girls make choices, communicate, define their value and develop their presence.

"Moxie for Teens" will work with girls to help them build the life skills and responsibility qualities that lead to success – Ginnie Block, Explorations Charter School

In 2014, The Women & Girls Fund supported the Art Therapy for Mothers and Daughters program at the McCall Foundation with a $1,500 grant.

The ten week program focuses on restoring healthy relationships among mothers and daughters, defining roles within the family, strengthening bonds, promoting leadership qualities, and modeling positive and healthy female roles and relationships for women and girls who have experienced neglect and abuse.

"Mother-daughter dyads build communications skills, strengthen bonds, and decrease incidents of abuse and neglect, " Jessica Wright, The McCall Foundation Inc.

In 2023, The Women & Girls Fund supported Prime Time House with a $5,000 grant to support a post-high school graduation program for at-risk teen women.

Funding will enable experienced Career Counselors to work with a targeted group of at-risk teens after graduation to prepare them for adulthood and connect them to employment or further educational experiences.

“Early work not only provides an income for these young adults but also provides a foundation and experience to help them have successful careers for years to come.” Christina Emery, Prime Time House