Kids & Family

First County Bank Foundation Grants $91,000 to Norwalk Non-Profits

The First County Bank Foundation recently distributed $91,000 in grants to Norwalk-based nonprofit organizations that focus on family services, housing, community support and education programs. 

Of the $91,000, $5,000 were CommunityFirst Grants awarded to Breakthrough Options for Families and Stepping Stones Museum for Children.

This year marks the first time the foundation awarded a grant to Keystone House, Inc.  Founded in 1972, Keystone House provides residential and psychosocial services to Norwalk area adults with psychiatric disabilities.

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“We are thrilled to add Keystone House to our list of grant recipients. Our grant helps to provide residents with the financial support needed to maintain household items and furnishings necessary to live independently in their own apartment home,” said Rey Giallongo, president of the First County Bank Foundation and chairman and CEO of First County Bank in a release. “Having a place like Keystone House is vital to our community as it gives participants a place to go and learn how to lead quality lives.”

Since its inception in 2001, the First County Bank Foundation has awarded over 760 individual grants, worth $5.8 million.

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The following Norwalk-based organizations received First County Bank Foundation grants this year:

  • Breakthrough Options for Families. Grant amount: $2,500.  Cause: Provides basic supplies: diapers, personal care items, bus passes, food.
  • ElderHouse. Grant amount: $5,000. Cause: Adult Day Program; daytime supervision, caregiver support, scholarships, memory care services and outreach initiatives.
  • Fairfield County Community Foundation. Grant amount: $2,500. Cause: Support the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, created to enhance the effectiveness of Fairfield County nonprofit organizations.
  • Family & Children’s Agency Inc. Grant amount: $10,000Cause: Family Support Prevention Programs which provide a continuum of services for pregnant and parenting families to help meet the critical health and developmental needs of children and reduce incidents of child abuse and neglect. 
  • The Carver Foundation of Norwalk. Grant amount: $7,500. Cause: The Norwalk Mentor Program that coordinates a structured one-on-one mentoring relationship between a student and adult volunteer.
  • Junior Achievement Grant amount: $3,500 Cause: Sponsor seven classes that will develop economics and business understanding for all students.
  • Keystone House, Inc. Grant amount: $5,000 Cause: Supportive Apartment Services program - "Moving in Assistance" which provides participants with financial support needed to maintain essential furnishings and household items necessary to live in their own apartment.
  • Liberation Programs Inc. Grant amount: $5,000 Cause: Families in Recovery Program to overcome substance abuse.
  • Norwalk Community College Foundation Grant amount: $5,000 Cause: English as a Second Language Bridge to Credit Program.
  • Norwalk Hospital Foundation Grant amount: $10,000Cause: Project LEAN. The goal is to positively influence and impact the health of elementary school participants by teaching them lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits.
  • Norwalk Summer Youth Employment Program Grant amount: $10,000 Cause: Provide jobs, teaches job seeking and retention skills to economically disadvantaged youth and exposes them to a range of professions.
  • STAR Inc. Lighting the Way Grant Amount: $5,000 Cause: Early Intervention Services for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities and their families through the Rubino Center.
  • Stepping Stones Museum for Children Grant amount: $2,500 Cause: Open Arms Program will help more than 60,000 children and families enjoy the museum’s award-winning interactive exhibits and educational programs.
  • United Way Grant amount: $5,000 Cause: Grant money is being used for Norwalk-based programs.
  • Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County Grant amount: $2,500 Cause: The Respite Care Program -- an ongoing program with the primary goal of providing caregivers with vital support services so they can care for their loved ones in the comfort and privacy of their homes.

Established in honor of the bank’s 150th anniversary, the First County Bank Foundation was created to distribute funds annually to nonprofit organizations that support community and economic development for children and families.  As a mutual bank with no shareholders, First County Bank considers contributions made by the foundation a means of paying dividends back to the local communities it serves. 

To be eligible for First County Bank Foundation grants, organizations must have nonprofit tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; be located in Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk or Westport; have community support; address community needs; have measurable outcomes; and demonstrate fiscal and administrative responsibility.  Special consideration is given to those agencies or programs benefiting low to moderate income populations.


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