
Two Connecticut groups that will receive national funding this year: the Naugatuck Valley Project and United Connecticut Action for Neighborhoods.
The Naugatuck Valley Project (NVP) is an organization composed of religious congregations and labor and small business organizations which help save and create jobs, affordable housing, and critical public and private services in the Naugatuck Valley. NVP focuses on the development of leadership qualities and organizing skills of low income people as they engage in citizen action and democratic economic development campaigns. These activities have ranged from successful fights for community policing, immigrant services, retiree benefits, job training, the creation of affordable housing, as well as successful campaigns to save and create jobs through employee buyouts.
United Connecticut Action for Neighborhoods (UCAN) assists low income residents of Connecticut to solve problems and change structures that adversely affect their lives. UCAN achieves this by empowering people, training leaders, building communities, and changing public policies. Today most of UCAN's organizing work is centered in the Caring Families Coalition so that every CT resident has access to quality and affordable health care.
Local grant money, disbursed by OCSJM on behalf of CCHD, has also been allocated to the following groups: Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT), Publicly-assisted Housing Resident Network (PHRN), and Capital Good Fund.
For additional information on CCHD and how it works with local groups, visit the CCHD page on the OCSJM website. If you are interested in learning more about the grant process or would like to become part of our Grant Review Committee, please contact Lynn Campbell at (203) 777-7279 or info.ocsjm@aohct.org.
Direct references within this article have been taken with permission from the NVP and UCAN homepages, to which you may refer for more information.