Grantees

Our school would like to have an open door pantry. Students can grab non-perishable food items to help with their families insecurities. This program is aimed at keeping the minds of students and families on education and on helping to maintain a positive experience from school to home. While feeding and offering food to our community/students will help improve our school climate. In our high school we currently have 34 homeless students. We have 1939 students Enrolled in the high school and out of those students we have over 1100 Economically Disadvantaged. Estimate 56%

The parenting education program we are launching is an expansion of our Parents as Teachers (PAT) initiative, which is an evidence-based home visiting model that seeks to build strong communities, thriving families and children who are healthy, safe and ready to learn. The new program will offer six-week sessions to families with new or expectant mothers who have recently had a child removed from the home by DCF or are at risk of this, and have become pregnant soon after. While we are targeting this group initially, it will be open to other families as well, as we think all these families can benefit from an inclusive setting.

Address the education and support needs of parents to help them be the first and best teachers of their children. A part-time parent educator coordinates a wide variety of education and support opportunities including ongoing playgroups, single session education programs and long term multi-session education program.

The Family Place seeks to meet the growing request from families and other community partners for more parent education opportunities and playgroups, through additional and more diverse program offerings. We fulfill a need to provide strength-based parenting education services, so that all parents – including those considered the most vulnerable or high-risk – acquire skills to strengthen their families. Research shows providing supports at the earliest opportunity can make a difference in the strength and health of families and a child’s foundation for future learning.

The Parent Engagement Project aims to involve families in activities that help increase protective factors, reduce the chances of abuse, and allow parents to recognize their own growth.

This grant will allow all expectant parents and parents with infants access to free birthing and parenting education, community resources and a network of social support.

A cooperative preschool program seeking assistance to fund a partial teacher at their program.

Partners In Adventure is a year-round, one-of-a-kind non-profit program which offers a wide variety of adapted & inclusive recreational and social programs for young people with disabilities &friends. Our mission is to honor diversity while providing unique experiences that foster independence, self-esteem, & build social & community connections. We have implemented a highly successful music therapy program through grant monies received from VCF last year. We have been able to offer this at no cost to participants & with the amazing work of a trained music therapist we have approximately 20 people every session. Music is highly motivating tool for increased communication skills, social skills, creativity, and self expression.