By Kimberly Drelich
k.drelich@theday.com

New London ― The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut announced grants Wednesday that will benefit more than 50 nonprofit organizations that support women and girls in areas that include nutrition and meal delivery, job training, leadership skills and counseling.

The community foundation announced in a news release Wednesday nearly $300,000 from its Northeast Area, Norwich Area, Southeast Area, and Windham Area Women & Girls Funds to support programs “that focus on economic security, education and workforce development, health and wellbeing, leadership and advocacy.”

The grants will support Safe Futures’ counseling for domestic violence victims and shelter and alternative shelter programs, a parenting program at Madonna Place, a family safety net program at St. Vincent de Paul Place, the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut’s youth program for Latina teenagers, Always Home’s homelessness and shelter diversion program, S.T.E.P.S.’ youth leadership initiatives, and The Women's Business Development Council to support women in small business development, according to the grant lists.

Funding also will benefit the United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut’s Inclusion and Advocacy Program, Ledge Light Health District’s Mujeres Entre Culturas (Women Between Cultures), a “support group for immigrant women to advance health and economic well-being,“ the Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s expansion of ”scouting in the city of New London for disadvantaged girls,“ New London Senior Center’s emergency fund, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England’s New London Teen Engagement program, which provides ”peer to peer learning on sexual health,“ the Health Education Center’s Community Medical Interpreter Program Training, and Mitchell College’s BLOSSOM Project, a ”pilot project to reduce Title IX and sexual harassment complaints among neurodiverse female students,“ among other programs, according to the lists of grants.

“This year’s Women & Girls Fund grants represent programs throughout our region that are working to empower women and girls and to counter inequity in our economic systems,” Program Director Jennifer O’Brien said in a statement. “From programs that help prevent the homelessness of families to the support of public policy initiatives, these grants seek to meet immediate basic needs as well as support longer-term policy and education efforts.”