WINDSOR EST – The East Windsor Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee awarded more than $ 27,000 in grants this month to six organizations that work to improve the community, including providing music therapy to students, providing opportunities for carpooling to residents and helping with repairs to a farm that gives riding lessons to children with autism.

East Windsor is one of the cities to which the nonprofit Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has donated money through its Greater Together Community Fund, which helps residents meet the needs of their communities.

In East Windsor, the advisory committee awarded a grant of $ 7,000 to Abby’s Helping Hand to provide music therapy to special education students at Broad Brook Elementary School.

The non-profit organization, founded by Joe and Carol Sauerhoefer, whose 10-year-old daughter Abby was born with a mitochondrial disorder, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mitochondrial diseases and other chronic diseases through support, education and research.

The city’s social services department received $ 5,600 to work with carpooling programs for residents who need transportation assistance to doctor’s and other necessary appointments.

The East Windsor Historical Society Museums on the Green received $ 7,000 to renovate a red metal barn to display large farm equipment and to showcase different aspects of agriculture and industry in the early years from the city.

The museums site on Scantic Road – which serves East Windsor and all surrounding towns – is one of the largest in the region with 35 acres and seven different buildings on its overflowing campus, wrote Membership Chair Nancy Masters in the grant application.

The museum site has been described as a mini village of Sturbridge, she said.

“We would like to group our agriculture related articles together so that we can tell the story of East Windsor’s rich agricultural history,” Masters said. “We are the only history museum in the city and we are fortunate to have so many objects to display.”

The modernization of one of the red metal barns will create a permanent educational exhibit on all types of farming, Masters said in his application.

“We have been growing for over 50 years and intend to continue to grow,” she wrote. “Our tobacco rack is so full of items that it is almost impossible to walk around and see our items / displays.”

The city’s Housing Authority received a grant of $ 700 for a licensed nutritionist to provide residents with informal presentations on the benefits of eating healthy foods.

The East Windsor Diversity Council received $ 1,500 to launch a community forum to explore the implications of diversity and inclusion. The council said in its request that the pilot program aims to encourage civic engagement and participation to ensure all residents of East Windsor are represented.

Shag Bark Hickory Farm on Harrington Road received $ 5,250 to repair a fence used for the arena and pasture.

Rosemary Malin founded the farm 40 years ago as a haven for older and retired horses and to offer the love of riding to those who can’t afford lessons, her daughter said. Katie Malin-Hunt.

She said there were seven horses on the farm, although she often jokes that there are only 6 ½ because of their little pony.

“We are reaching out to children with autism and those who need more joy in their lives,” said Malin-Hunt of the lessons on the farm.

She said she and her mother were extremely grateful for the grant, as the fence used for horse riding areas and pastures had been in need of repair for many years, but they always chose to spend the money helping students. .

“It will definitely help a lot,” she said. “We organize a lot of community events, which will allow more activities for the young people of the region. “

The Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee was established by the Hartford Foundation for Giving to help East Windsor residents take charge of the city’s needs and encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement, said Robert Maynard, l ‘former city chief selectman who is president of communications. and marketing for the committee.

“We, the Advisory Board, would like to thank the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for giving us the opportunity to meet some of the needs of the East Windsor community and to contribute to the quality of life for our residents,” said he declared.

Thirteen local organizations applied for a grant, and the eight-member advisory committee ranked them according to criteria such as how well the organizations would be able to implement the proposed projects, if the projects met a real need in the community, how many people the projects would benefit from, and whether the projects are new and would not duplicate anything else going on in the city.

A big part of the mission of the East Windsor Greater Together Community Fund Advisory Committee is to ensure that grants have the greatest possible impact for residents, said Maynard.

“We hope that these grants and future grants inspire others to engage in civic activities and come together to identify and meet the needs of the residents of East Windsor,” he said.

The advisory committee is always looking for new members, he said. If anyone has any ideas on the city’s needs or would like to join the committee, send an email to [email protected]