The Fairfield County Community Foundation has awarded a $15,000 grant to Operation Fuel to help support the non-profit’s emergency energy assistance program for lower-income families and elderly residents in Fairfield County.

From July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, Operation Fuel gave out more than $1.7 million in energy assistance statewide of which $227,000 went to households in Fairfield County.

Operation Fuel -- a private, non-profit statewide
program -- provides emergency energy assistance to households in Fairfield County through its network of fuel banks including: Bethel Fuel Fund, First Baptist Church-Bridgeport Fuel Bank, Salvation Army-Bridgeport, Brookfield Emergency Fuel Fund, The Community Action Committee of Danbury, Greenwich Fuel Bank, Town of Monroe Senior Center, New Fairfield Fuel Bank, Newtown Fuel Bank, Norwalk Energy Assistance Program, Ridgefield Social Services, Town of Sherman Fuel Bank, Faith Tabernacle Fuel Bank in Stamford, CTE Inc. in Stamford, Stratford Senior Services Fuel Bank, Trumbull Fuel Bank, Weston Fuel Bank, Westport Fuel Bank, and Wilton
Social Services.   

Individuals who need energy assistance should call 211. Donations for Operation Fuel can be made online at www.operationfuel.org or sent to Operation Fuel, One Regency Drive, Suite 200, Bloomfield, Conn., 06002. 

The Fairfield County Community Foundation, which is headquartered in Norwalk, promotes the growth of community and regional philanthropy to improve the quality of life throughout Fairfield County. Individuals, families, corporations and organizations can establish charitable funds or contribute to existing funds.
The Foundation also provides philanthropic advisory services, and develops and leads initiatives to tackle critical community issues. It is in compliance with the Council on Foundations’ national standards for community foundations. Since its establishment in 1992, the Foundation has awarded $135 million in grants to
nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond. For more information, visit www.fccfoundation.org.

[Editor's Note: This announcement originally was published July 21.]