Foundation awards community grants

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Sharon Mansfield of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury, left, talks with Kirk Morrison and Jocelyn Miller of the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck Wednesday night during the Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation’s Community Awards Program grants reception.
Sharon Mansfield of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury, left, talks with Kirk Morrison and Jocelyn Miller of the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck Wednesday night during the Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation’s Community Awards Program grants reception.

NAUGATUCK — Almost a year after flash flooding severely damaged the parish hall at St. Francis of Assisi Church, the downtown parish won the most money out of 40 organizations that received grants Wednesday from the Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation.

The foundation’s Community Awards Program grants are awarded every year based on votes from the bank’s customers. More than 1,700 people voted beginning in January, according to a release from the bank.

“Our customers are very passionate about their local charities and this program is a wonderful way for them to recognize those organizations and have a say in how our Foundation’s funds are distributed,” wrote Charles Boulier III, the bank’s president and CEO.

Bank officials announced awards totaling almost $54,000 at Wednesday’s ceremony, held at the 87 Church St. branch.
St. Francis Church received nearly $4,000. St. Mary’s Church and St. Hedwig Church, both in the borough, received nearly $2,800, as did the Middlebury Senior Center.

Other winners included the Middlebury Congregational Church, $2,203; Prospect Senior Center, $2,011; Naugatuck YMCA, $1,916; Gil Foundation in Prospect, $1,868; Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, $1,772; St. Anthony’s Church in Prospect and Oxford United Church of Christ, $1,533 each; St. Francis St. Hedwig School in Naugatuck, $1,485; Oxford Special Olympics, $1,437; St. Augustine Church in Seymour and First Congregational Church in Cheshire, $1,389 each; Ansonia Nature Center and Stone Chiropractic Baseball Camp in Watertown, $1,293 each; Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, $1,245; Palace Theater in Waterbury, $1,149; Ecumenical Food Bank in Naugatuck, Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center in Naugatuck and Prospect Congregational Church, $1,102 each; Naugatuck Valley Community Church in Naugatuck, $1,054; Hillside Covenant Church in Naugatuck, Acts 4 Ministry in Waterbury and Beacon Falls Congregational Church, $1,006; Middlebury Lions Club and Jane Doe No More in Naugatuck, $910 each; Naugatuck Community Choir and Woodbury Lions Club, $862. each; Literacy Volunteers Of Greater Waterbury, Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck, Salvation Army in Ansonia and Naugatuck Ecumenical Outreach Network (NEON), $814 each.

The foundation also gives $500 each to six randomly selected organizations that did not receive enough votes to qualify for a grant. This year the awards went to Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries, Oxford High School-Backpack Basic, Rochambeau Middle School in Southbury, St. John of the Cross Mission Trip in Middlebury, Thresholds in Cheshire and the United Methodist Church in Naugatuck.