The Ion Bank Foundation announced the winners of its 9th Annual Community Awards Program at a special ceremony awarding grants totaling $68,700 to 167 local non-profit organizations.
The program, which took place from Feb 1 through March 31, encouraged Ion Bank customers to vote for a local charity of their choice to receive a grant from the Foundation. Over 2,680 customers voted this year which was a 10% increase over votes received in last year’s program. The Ion Bank Foundation designated $60,000 for the program but because it has grown in popularity and so many votes were received, the grants payout totaled $68,700.
“This program is a wonderful collaboration between our customers, Foundation and the organizations that our customers feel have the most impact to local communities,” said Charles J. Boulier III, Ion Bank CEO. “Our customers are very passionate about their local charities and this program is a wonderful way for them to recognize those organizations and help us decide how our Foundation’s funds are distributed.”
2018 Community Awards Recipients
| St. Francis of Assisi Church | $3,550 |
| St. Francis St. Hedwig School | $2,025 |
| Middlebury Elderly & Social Services | $1,750 |
| St. Anthony Church | $1,400 |
| Better Days Rescue Fund | $1,300 |
| St. John of the Cross Mission Trip | $1,275 |
| St. Bridget School | $1,200 |
| Seven Angels Theatre | $1,150 |
| Naugatuck YMCA | $1,050 |
| House of Heroes Connecticut | $1,025 |
| Seymour Pink Inc. | $1,000 |
| Brass City Rescue Alliance | $975 |
| Peter J. Foley Little League Inc. | $975 |
| Howard Whittemore Memorial Library | $925 |
| Thank Dog Rescue | $925 |
| Sacred Heart Church – Mission Trip | $900 |
| Volunteer Fire Department of Prospect | $900 |
| Beacon Falls Congregational Church | $875 |
| Prospect Congregational Church | $875 |
| The Panther Project – FRC Robotics Team 2064 | $850 |
| Theresa’s Battleship Foundation, Inc. | $850 |
| Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust | $825 |
| Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center | $825 |
| Naugatuck United Methodist Church | $825 |
| Where the Love Is, Inc. | $825 |
| Naugatuck Special Olympics | $800 |
| Team Beta – Nonnewaug High School | $800 |
| Three Saints Orthodox Church | $800 |
| Jane Doe No More, Inc. | $775 |
| Palace Theater | $775 |
| Prospect Senior Center | $775 |
| St. Vincent De Paul Mission of Waterbury, Inc. | $775 |
| Cheshire Strawberry Festival – First Congregational Church | $750 |
| Ecumenical Food Bank | $750 |
| Friends of the Oxford Library | $750 |
| Middlebury Congregational Church | $700 |
| MVFD Ladies Auxiliary | $675 |
| Franciscan Life Center Network Inc. | $650 |
| Naugatuck Baseball League | $650 |
| Oxford Special Olympics | $650 |
| Connecticut Food Bank | $625 |
| Naugatuck High School Swimming Alumni | $600 |
| Oxford United Church of Christ Congregational | $600 |
| Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury | $600 |
| TEAM, Inc. | $550 |
| Ansonia Rotary Club | $525 |
| Woodbury-Bethlehem Community Music Foundation, Inc. | $500 |
| Arts for Learning Connecticut | $475 |
| Naugatuck Senior Center | $475 |
| Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. | $450 |
| Griffin Hospital | $450 |
| Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury | $450 |
| Naugatuck High School Soccer Booster Club | $450 |
| Seymour Tradition | $450 |
| The Congregational Church of Naugatuck | $450 |
| Children’s Community School | $425 |
| GIL Foundation, Inc. | $425 |
| Hillside Covenant Church | $425 |
| Naugatuck Garden Club | $425 |
| Kellys Kids Inc. | $400 |
| Naugatuck Education Foundation | $400 |
| Naugatuck High School Greyhound Band Association | $400 |
| Woodbury Lions Club Foundation, Inc. | $400 |
| Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department | $400 |
| Immanuel Lutheran Church | $375 |
| Oxford Land Trust | $375 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Waterbury | $350 |
| Family Intervention Center, Inc. | $350 |
| Friends of the Ansonia Library | $350 |
| Naugatuck Teen Theater | $350 |
| NEON Naugatuck Ecumenical Outreach Network | $350 |
| PHS GradNite | $325 |
| Waterbury Arc | $325 |
| Calvary Chapel Southbury | $300 |
| CT Titans Softball | $300 |
| Easter Seals Greater Waterbury | $300 |
| Friends of the Ansonia Nature Center, Inc. | $300 |
| Gaylord Hospital | $300 |
| Connecticut Partnership for Children, Inc. | $275 |
| NAMI Waterbury | $275 |
| Naugatuck Partnership for Children | $275 |
| The Lutheran Home of Southbury | $275 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Meriden | $250 |
| Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries | $250 |
| Naugatuck Historical Society | $250 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley | $225 |
| Hilltop Hose Company #5 | $225 |
| Naugatuck Youth Services | $225 |
| Oxford Historical Society, Inc. | $225 |
| St. George’s Episcopal Church | $225 |
| The Susie Foundation | $225 |
| Ball & Socket Arts | $200 |
| Cheshire Community Food Pantry, Inc. | $200 |
| Friends of the Meriden Public Library | $200 |
| Gallery 53/Arts & Crafts Association of Meriden, Inc. | $200 |
| Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians | $200 |
| St. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church | $200 |
| Watertown First Robot, Inc. | $200 |
| American Legion Post 17 | $175 |
| Audubon Center Bent of the River | $175 |
| Children’s Center of Hamden | $175 |
| Girls Inc. of Meriden | $175 |
| Lois Rho Memorial Scholarship | $175 |
| Madre Latina Organization Inc. | $175 |
| Master’s Manna, Inc. | $175 |
| Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut | $175 |
| Girls Inc. of Western Connecticut | $150 |
| Naugatuck Campership Fund | $150 |
| Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition | $150 |
| The Naugatuck Rotary | $150 |
| Valley YMCA | $150 |
| Friends of the Watertown Library Association | $125 |
| Meriden Youth Travel Baseball | $125 |
| Naugatuck Beautification | $125 |
| Our Lady of Fatima Church | $125 |
| Seymour Lions Club, Inc. | $125 |
| Spanish Community of Wallingford aka Comunidad Hispana de Wallingford | $125 |
| United Way of Greater Waterbury | $125 |
| United Way of Naugatuck & Beacon Falls | $125 |
| Beat the Street Community Center Inc. | $100 |
| Brass City Ballet | $100 |
| Brass City Harvest Inc. | $100 |
| Camp Rising Sun | $100 |
| Castle Craig Players | $100 |
| Hamden-North Haven YMCA | $100 |
| Meriden Project Graduation | $100 |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel School | $100 |
| Prospect Lions Club | $100 |
| Seeds of Hope for Haiti Inc. | $100 |
| South Meriden Festivals Inc. | $100 |
| The Ronald Perille Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund | $100 |
| Treasured Time | $100 |
| Waterbury Exchange Club Charitable Foundation | $100 |
| Watertown Historical Society | $100 |
| Woodland Church of Christ | $100 |
| Are You Dense, Inc. | $100 |
| CancerCare’s Connecticut Office | $100 |
| Kuhn Employment Opportunities | $100 |
| Literacy Volunteers of Greater New Haven | $100 |
| LMES Cub Scout Pack 115 | $100 |
| Mattatuck Museum | $100 |
| Meriden Children First | $100 |
| Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury | $100 |
| Norton School PTA | $100 |
| Restoration Springs | $100 |
| Saint Mary’s Hospital Foundation | $100 |
| StayWell Health Care, Inc. | $100 |
| Ed Walsh Little League | $100 |
| Granville Academy of Waterbury | $100 |
| Greater Waterbury YMCA | $100 |
| Master’s Table Community Meals | $100 |
| Midstate Arc, Inc. | $100 |
| Naugatuck Cub Scout Pack #109 | $100 |
| The Voice of Art Inc. | $100 |
| Ulbrich Boys & Girls Club | $100 |
| Cheshire Youth Baseball | $100 |
| Child Guidance Clinic for Central Connecticut | $100 |
| Hoops4Life, Inc. | $100 |
| Kiwanis Foundation of Meriden | $100 |
| Meriden YMCA | $100 |
| Naugatuck Valley Community College Foundation | $100 |
| New Foundations Inc. | $100 |
| P.L.A.C.E. Children’s Museum and Creative Arts Center | $100 |
| Wallingford Emergency Shelter – Columbus House | $100 |
| Wallingford Family YMCA | $100 |
| Wallingford Lions Club | $100 |
| Waterbury Symphony Orchestra | $100 |