New & Noteworthy
Sestero Fund Supports the Arts and Several Other Glastonbury Projects Nearly $220,000 Granted to 17 Organizations
Since 1962, Glastonbury Arts has worked to foster engagement in and appreciation for art in all its forms through exhibitions and classroom instruction, lectures and demonstrations, special events, art scholarships, and mentoring.
In an effort to build on its decades of bringing the arts to town residents, Glastonbury Arts has received a $25,000 grant from the Norma and Natale Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. This grant will allow the organization to meet its three strategic goals including an expansion of Glastonbury Arts’ education program for adults, teens, and children; support for the Got Arts series of artist lectures and demonstrations; and support of the Executive Director's financial management, development management, and art programming functions.
“Over the years Glastonbury Arts has been honored to be chosen as a grant recipient of the Sestero Fund, and this year is no exception,” said Glastonbury Arts Executive Director Sharon Dalicandro. “This grant comes at a critical time in our story, as we've recently completed the first phase of a renovation project to our art center. Continuing an over 60-year tradition of having an art center in Glastonbury, now updated and current, this grant will greatly support our daily operations while also allowing us to focus on enriching and expanding our educational programming. With the help of this Sestero grant, we are re-energized and can remain committed to our mission of making art accessible to our community.”
Founded in 2008, The Glastonbury River Runners promote running for camaraderie, health, and competition for runners of all ages and abilities. The organization provides a supportive, friendly environment that encourages every participant to reach their personal best.
Thanks to a $3,500 grant from Sestero Fund, the River Runners will be offering two running training programs for residents focused on health and physical wellness, and building relationships. The first program "Get Ready To Run" will meet two times per week over 10 weeks, twice per year, and is open to all pace levels. The second program "Rising Stars" is a non-competitive program developed to encourage youth ages 4 - 13 to keep active, encourage them to explore what they are capable of achieving, and show them that running can be fun.
“We are truly grateful for this support from the Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation,” said Glastonbury River Runners Executive Director Jason Marshall. “This funding will help us establish both our Rising Stars and Get Ready to Run program in significant ways. While we have always done our best to work with the community at large and make a difference, it has been a challenge to identify the best way to achieve that goal. Our programs have evolved to not only help our runners achieve their goals but provide us with a vehicle for greater community impact.”
Glastonbury Arts and The Glastonbury River Runners are two of 17 nonprofits serving Glastonbury residents receiving nearly $220,000 through the Sestero Fund. The Sesteros were longtime residents of Glastonbury who established the fund through their charitable remainder trusts. Their fund supports organizations that benefit people and institutions in Glastonbury in the areas of culture, health, education, social welfare, and the environment, including town beautification and preservation of heritage.
Full list of grants
| Organization Name | Project Name | Project Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts for Learning Connecticut | Express Yourself | Building on previous work with Gideon Welles School, AFLCT will offer a cultural arts learning initiative designed to bring diverse arts experiences to students. The program will take place over four school days during the 2024-25 academic year, the first two-day cycle in fall 2024 and the second in spring 2025, featuring a combination of workshops and performances. This project aims to foster creativity, cultural understanding, and social-emotional learning while providing an inclusive platform for self-expression. | $5,000.00 |
| Community Health Resources, Inc. | Real Health, Real Progress | To continue and expand programming for adults from Glastonbury who are in treatment for mental health or addiction services. The existing programming, which includes smoking cessation, nutrition and exercise counseling, will be enhanced with personalized health education/coaching services from a certified health educator. The health educator will help individuals articulate their goals and set realistic, strength-based steps to achieve those health goals, whether it’s starting an exercise regime, losing weight, or quitting smoking. | $7,000.00 |
| Connecticut Invention Convention | Glastonbury Innovates | To support building back programming in Glastonbury. Previous programming in 2022-2023 school year reached 400 students at Glastonbury East Hartford Magnet School. The program fosters essential 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and innovation through hands-on invention education. To implement this project, the CIC will collaborate with local schools and education community-based organizations to provide a variety of program support, training, and educational enrichment activities across the academic calendar year. | $5,000.00 |
| Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. | Glastonbury Community Engagement & Keeney Cove Invasive Plant Removal | To support the restoration of Keeney Cove by engaging Glastonbury residents in the removal of harmful, invasive plants while providing educational opportunities to empower residents to become stewards of the cove. Keeney Cove is a 72-acre inlet on the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, which provides a unique habitat to wildlife along the river and a valuable recreational resource for residents. | $10,000.00 |
| FISH of Glastonbury | CATCH a Ride with FISH (Friends In Service Here: Non-emergency Transportation to Out of Town Medical and Social Service Appointments for Glastonbury Residents ) | Will support an all-volunteer transportation service for Glastonbury residents. Transportation is provided to out of town medical and behavioral health appointments 4 times per week , which supports individuals who may need the service due to age, physical and or financial restraints, and also removes the burden from family members who might otherwise need to take time off from work and or juggle other family obligations. | $8,000.00 |
| Glastonbury Arts, Inc. | General Operating Support | Will provide general operating support for three strategic goals: 1) expansion of the arts education program for adults, teens, and children; 2) support for the Got Arts series of artist lectures and demonstrations; and 3) support of the Executive Director's financial management, development management, and art programming functions. | $25,000.00 |
| Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative | GMLKCI Community Conversations and MLK Birthday Celebration | To support community conversations related to social justice and civil rights and to support a town celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Programming intends to increase residents' exposure to social justice topics that impact fellow citizens and to deepen relationships among community members. | $20,800.00 |
| Glastonbury River Runners | Get Ready to Run (GRR!) and Rising Stars training programs. | To offer two running training program for residents to focus on health and physical wellness as well as build relationships. The first program "Get Ready To Run" will meet 2 times per week over 10 weeks, twice per year, and is open to all pace levels. The second program "Rising Stars" is a non-competitive program developed to encourage youth ages 4 - 13 to keep active, show them what they are capable of achieving, and that running can be fun. | $3,500.00 |
| Glastonbury Rocketry Club | Glastonbury Rocketry 24-25 | To support the Glastonbury High School Rocketry Club in launching rocket to gather data necessary to fine tune the Club’s rocket with the intention of trying to qualify to be one of the 100 teams taking part in The American Rocketry Challenge. The Challenge is a national competition taking place in Washington, D.C. | $6,000.00 |
| Historical Society of Glastonbury | Welles-Shipman-Ward Education Center & Visitor Center | To support remodeling the red barn into an educational center/visitor center. The renovations of the barn will improve the classroom workshop space, add to the available exhibit space, and contribute to the visitor experience at the historic Welles-Shipman-Ward property. | $25,000.00 |
| Layavinyasa | Intercultural Alliance and Enrichment in Asian Arts | To expand the existing cultural arts program to be more inclusive and incorporate Asian cultures and not only Indian arts this year. The program intends to engage participants and inform them on the scope of Asian art forms as a tool for creative self-expression, art therapy, connecting with their heritage (if applicable), and make Indian art forms and Asian cultural aspects accessible to multicultural audiences of different ages in the Glastonbury community. | $15,000.00 |
| Malta House of Care, Inc. | Access to Healthcare for Uninsured Glastonbury Residents | To support free, comprehensive, culturally competent primary medical services for uninsured Glastonbury residents. | $10,000.00 |
| Oak Hill | Storage Shed for OH Glastonbury | To purchase a storage shed for one of two group homes in Glastonbury. The storage shed will permit the group home to move supplies out of the house where the supplies currently are creating obstacles for the 6 individuals living in the home, all of whom have both physical, including visual impairments, and intellectual disabilities. | $7,000.00 |
| Open Doors Outdoors | ODO's Dusty Roads to Bright Smiles | To expand the existing UTV (utility task vehicle) Program for Glastonbury families with children with autism by adding a Family Autism Awareness Day, increase the number UTV adventures program, and support the Open Doors Outdoors: Multi-Distance Farm Run Series in South Glastonbury. Each UTV adventure takes veterans and other Glastonbury residents, some with physical and/or mental limitations, into the outdoors for re-connection, outdoor experiences and healing. Free registrations are available for families with children with autism and veterans with financial need. | $25,000.00 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England | Glastonbury Fund for Access (FFA) | To provide low-cost or free health and reproductive health services to Glastonbury residents, increasing their access to healthcare and reducing adverse or unwanted health outcomes. | $25,000.00 |
| South Glastonbury Public Library Association | Hardware and subscription fees to support cataloging and managing the library's collection | To update the book collection record to an online system accessible by volunteer librarians and patrons. The update will include an online cataloging subscription, bar code scanners, 2 computers, and software. | $2,256.00 |
| Rushford Centers | Rushford Glastonbury Environment of Care Assistance | Will replace carpets, paint walls and doors, and acquire nature scenes to hang on the walls, with the overarching goal of improving the looks of the environment of care and improving client experience and professional workspace. Additionally, continue support for the trauma informed yoga program. | $20,000.00 |
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $998 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.