Many thanks to our community partners! The Connection has received a total of $62,000 in grant funding in recent months. We are truly grateful for this support—we can’t do it without you!

The Fairfield County Community Foundation has awarded a $35,000 grant to support Home Works, a new initiative that seeks to address deep housing insecurity in young families. During the initial phase of the project, funding will be used to help support the efforts of a part-time Family Navigator who will work with Bridgeport ABCD Early Learning (Head Start) and the Opening Doors Fairfield County Coordinated Access Network to identify vulnerable families.

The Family Navigator will develop, identify, and access community resources, including safe and stable housing and rental assistance; and to coordinate all housing activities for the parents. The goal is to help ensure that families who are at risk for homelessness will receive the resources and support they need to find and maintain stable housing.

 Home Works is a partnership between The Connection, Bridgeport ABCD Early Learning, and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago that seeks to address deep housing insecurity in young families. Safe and stable housing has been shown to be inextricably linked to an individual and family’s ability to achieve economic stability. Family mobility and literal homelessness increase school absence, limit classroom engagement, and reduce school achievement. Children who experience crowding, doubling up, utility shutoffs, and related problems have poorer outcomes than peers and are at increased risk for child welfare involvement.

The Watkinson Prisoners Aid Society has awarded The Connection a $5,000 grant to offer Financial Literacy training to clients of The Connection’s Community Justice programs. Clients will learn about budgeting and the importance of good credit, repairing credit scores, building or rebuilding their credit, and establishing financial goals. Financial Literacy is vitally important for everyone who seeks to live independently. Financial Literacy can help foster self-esteem, build familial relationships, establish independence, and reduce the chances of reoffending.

The Connection’s community justice services assist men and women who have been incarcerated acquire the education, skills and resources needed to return to the community after prison as a productive and valued citizen. Our positive support, state-of-the-art rehabilitation and supervisory services and innovative housing options have proven to be what many people need to rewrite their stories.

The Chelsea Groton Foundation has awarded a $2,000 grant to the Connection’s Mother’s Retreat program to provide life skills and quality of life enhancements that will supplement the client experience at the program. These enhancements include Wellness programming and equipment; community building events for clients, their families, and program alumni; and professional development for program staff.

Mother’s Retreat, located in Groton, is a residential treatment facility for pregnant and parenting women who desire to live a clean and sober life. The program provides quality clinical services and individualized treatment in a warm, supportive, homelike setting. All clients participate in a personal recovery plan as well as individual and group therapy. Program staff, community, and natural supports provide the resources and guidance clients need to create, develop, and strengthen healthy relationships and build a recovery community.

The Connection has received a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to help support three New Haven-based programs: Norton Court, Pendleton, and Outreach & Engagement. Funds will be used to supply food and toiletries along with other basic client needs at all three programs. In addition, the funding will address critical physical plant needs for the Whalley Avenue building that provides staff offices, meeting and group spaces, a food pantry, and shower and laundry facilities that our homeless Outreach & Engagement clients are able to utilize.

The Norton Court, Pendleton and Outreach & Engagement programs provide transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, homeless outreach, case management, and outpatient clinical services to many of the most vulnerable members of the New Haven community. Many of the clients have complex behavioral health needs, including multiple or prolonged hospitalizations and homelessness. Program staff work diligently to provide wrap-around and skill-building services that are unique to each individual. The skill building component is essential to supporting client goals of increasing autonomy and graduating to independent living.