The Valley Community Foundation announced it has awarded a total
of $22,000 in its annual Community Grants Program to 11 community groups serving the Valley. These
grants will support youth programs, athletics, and more in the region.
Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO, said, “As business-as-usual operations begin to resume throughout
the state, there are many volunteer groups and nonprofits with limited staff that continue to do incredible
work in our community.
Although the needs are ever-growing and continuously changing, we are proud to
support these meaningful endeavors with $22,000 in total grant funding to support our Valley’s five towns.”
Steven Wolfe, Director of the All-America Valley Basketball Club, said, “This grant enables us to provide free
basketball uniforms, shirts, reusable masks and other supplies to kids in the communities that we serve while
we continue to work towards a more inclusive, affordable, equitable model for club play. VCF’s support
allows us to comply with health and tournament protocols as well as regulations governing youth basketball
sports competition. Without this funding, we would have been unable to provide our players with these items, which would further burden already distressed households with additional expenses.”
Applications for the Valley Community Grants Program are considered through a request for proposal
process.
These grants are responsive to community groups that are volunteer or nonprofit in nature, serve
Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and/or Shelton, and have less than two full-time or four part-time staff.
Community Grants range from $250 to $2,500, and can be for new or recurring programs to support civic
and community engagement efforts. More details about the application process are available on
www.valleyfoundation.org.
2021 Community Grant Recipients:
All-America Valley Basketball Club – To support the club's participation in a 10-week competitive
basketball tournament. $2,500
Annual Thanksgiving Basket Committee – To support families in need with a basket of food for
Thanksgiving. $2,000
Troop 3 – Derby Boy Scouts of America – To support an Eagle Scout project to build a vegetable garden
at St. Mary-St. Michael School. $1,950
Girl Scout Troop 60030 – To support improving the community gardens in Seymour. $1,750
Girl Scout Troop 60544 – To support a Gold Award Project to refurbish a War Memorial in Seymour. $2,000
Massaro Community Farm – To support a series of garden workshops. $2,000
Seymour Historical Society – To support Seymour Historical Society’s virtual programming. $1,200
Southford Falls Quilters, LLC – To support the 2021-2022 Southford Falls Quilters programs. $2,100