Cheshire

The Connecticut Community Foundation is very proud of our partnerships with the Cheshire community and our role in helping nonprofits and students flourish with a variety of grants and scholarships.

People

• Cheshire resident, Richard Lau, DVM, was elected president of the CCF Board of Trustees in March 2011.
   
• Kathy Berman, a former CCF Trustee, and her husband Chris Berman established a donor-advised fund in 2010. The Bermans are also supporters of the Women’s Fund and LitLinks.
   
• Patricia McKinley serves on the Women’s Fund Grants Committee and formerly served on the CCF Grants Committee. She continues to be a donor, supporter and ambassador for CCF, with a great interest in women’s issues.
   
• Frank Scinto serves on our Board of Trustees.  Frank is also the former Chairman of the NAI committee.

Funds

• The Alexion Pharmaceutical Scholarship was established with the help of Alexion Vice President Dan Caron in 2010 to support and follow 8 Waterbury public high school students who excel in life science and chemistry.
   

Community Leadership

• As a part of the LitLinks early childhood education initiative, the Darcy School received a $6,800 grant in 2010.  LitLinks aims to improve preschoolers' readiness for kindergarten by better aligning preschool and kindergarten education through joint teacher training, seminars, parent outreach, and other efforts.
   

Grants

• A grant to the Cheshire YMCA helped launch the Dodd Middle School after school program, offering leadership programs and social activities for Cheshire children. 
   
• The Youth in Action Program at the Little Yellow House started with a CCF grant in 1998. The program offers opportunities for high school students to develop leadership skills and awards small grants to worthy projects such as the long-standing youth literacy project, where high school students read with first and second graders.
   
• Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts Committee received a $9,000 grant through the Town of Cheshire. The John Frederick Kensett Program will familiarize residents and members of surrounding communities with John Frederick Kensett, the acclaimed Hudson River Valley artist who was born in Cheshire in 1816. Instructional materials will be developed to enhance the curriculum of third grade students. 
   
• Grants to Cheshire Parks and Recreation helped launch the successful Cheshire Youth Theatre which has provided many years of entertainment for Cheshire families.
   

Sponsorships

• CCF sponsored nine presentations of the John Kensett Program, being held between October 2011 and December 2014 and presented by Cheshire Performing and Fine Arts.
   

Scholarships

• In 2011, CCF awarded Cheshire students $22,200 in scholarships. Including: Rachel Adams, Lucian Boyd, Stephanie Coppola, William Guo, Sean J. Kinyon, Loan Le, Elaina Milici, Brittany Shpak, Jessica Sudock, Kaitlyn M. Thomas, & Megan B. Walton. Awards come from a variety of scholarships available to students in CCF’s 21 town service area. Seated from left are Sean Kinyon, Jessica Sudock and William Guo. Standing from left are Cheshire residents and CCF Scholarship Committee members Jeanne Schneider and Judy Kollias, CCF Associate CEO Carol O’Donnell, and Vanessa Montorsi, Cheshire High School Guidance Department chairperson.  
   
• The Pulisciano Scholarship is an award reserved for graduating Cheshire High School students with a preference to those attending a two year non-profit accredited college, vocational school, or a for-profit trade school.

For more information about Cheshire, visit www.cheshirect.org.