Local Groups and Schools Receive $43K in Grants from the Watertown Community Foundation

The following information was provided by the Watertown Community Foundation:

The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) board of directors recently voted to award non-profit organizations in Watertown $43,300 in “Grants to Core Institutions” and “Education Grants.”

“We wish we could have funded all worthy applicants, but this year WCF received grant proposals requesting nearly $56,000, and we were not able to fund them all. Nevertheless, we are pleased to be able to support so many great Watertown organizations with important community projects,” said Michael Schade, WCF Executive Director.

The WCF Board of Directors awarded grants from its Arsenal Education Income Fund as follows:

Arsenal Center for the Arts: $5,000 grant to help provide art education for Watertown children and adults, and to inspire them to create and grow through the arts. The Center offers courses in pottery, design, drawing, collage, printmaking, glass, clay, painting, sculpture and crafts.

Asthma & Allergy Foundation – New England Chapter: $2,500 grant to educate Watertown child care providers, Head Start and pre-school teachers and parents in how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an asthma or allergy (including food allergy) episode and what steps to take.

Beaverbrook STEP: $5,000 grant to assist with Beaverbrook’s funding of its Everyone Counts Project. This program helps improve the lives of nearly 100 Watertown citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities – 22 to 86 years of age.

Friends of Project Literacy: $5,000 grant for English language classes, free of charge for adult learners, delivered at Watertown High School. Over 300 adults -- 65% of them Watertown residents – participated last year. In addition, 80 volunteers (48 from Watertown) tutor many of these adult learners.

Improbable Players: $2,500 grant to collaborate with teachers and counselors at the Watertown Middle School to facilitate theater workshops about substance abuse prevention and healthy choices. The Improbable Players has a 6+-year track record of bringing prevention performances to Watertown Middle School.

Metro West Collaborative Development (MWCD) – Formerly Watertown CommunityHousing: $5,000 grant to help fund tenant training programs, counseling and housing search assistance in Watertown. In addition, this grant will help MWCD develop affordable housing and monitor fair housing marketing campaigns.

New Repertory Theatre: $2,500 grant for New Rep’s Lifelong Enrichment Arts Programs(LEAP). LEAP makes theatre affordable and accessible to underserved Watertown audiencesthrough community and educational outreach programs; including free performances, tickets, workshops and classes.

Parent Child Home Program – Watertown: $5,000 grant for home visits to low-income Watertown families with preschool aged children. These home visits have proven to be an effective way to empower parents in their role as a child’s first teacher. There are several families on PCHP’s waiting list.

Watertown Council on Aging/Senior Center: $800 grant for a series of writing workshops at the Watertown Senior Center in which older adults will be taught and guided in writing and sharing their life stories while focusing on key themes.
Watertown Family Network: $5,000 grant for “Welcome Home Baby Baskets,” inter-generational programs at nursing homes, preschool playgroups, Early Childhood Information Fair, early literacy, clothing exchanges and young family parenting programs.

Wayside Multi Service Center: $5,000 grant for an after-school enrichment program (cooking and arts-based activities) provided at Watertown’s East End low-income housing complex Willow Park Learning Center for community youth ages 6 to 14.

WCF is hosting a reception for all grantees at 5 p.m. on June 29, 2012 at Donohue’s Bar and Grill. The reception is open to the public, and WCF thanks Donohue’s for its financial support in helping to make the reception possible.

The Watertown Community Foundation has awarded over $325,000 in grants in its short existence. It works to build and sustain a vibrant, close-knit community in Watertown – now, and for future generations. To accomplish this, WCF raises funds from people and partner institutions, awards grants to non-profits and community projects, and builds networks of donors, grantees, program participants and stakeholders.

WCF and its grantees are consistent leaders in efforts to: Advance education and health, Support the most vulnerable,Protect the environment, Foster community engagement and leadership.

WCF’s Board of Directors: Andrew Bundy, President; William B. Ford, Treasurer; Roberta Miller and Robert P. Shay, Vice-Presidents; Brett Dean; Marian Grogan; Teresa Leonard, Doreen Munger-Dawson;Susan Musinsky; Pia Owens, Lora Sabin, Thea Sahr, Ken Sheytanian; Stephen M. Winnick; Raymond H. Young.
Persons interested in supporting WCF, or for more information on this announcement, please contact: Michael Schade, Executive Director, at 617-926-1500, or mschade@watertownfoundation.org.

Please visit http://www.watertownfoundation.org.