Current News & Events
RVFF Quarterly Business Meeting – September 12, 2023
The River Valley Fund for Families has awarded a total of $15,900 in grant funding to eight local nonprofits. RVFF participated in the CFMC Spring Competitive Grant Award Cycle and selected five local nonprofits for grant funding. Most recently on August 30th, RVFF hosted a major fundraiser at the Ivoryton Playhouse for the purpose of raising funds to support the work of local youth and family services agencies.
An awards ceremony occurred at the RVFF Quarterly Business Meeting held at the Essex Public Library. Representatives of the following nonprofits were in attendance to receive the grants: Tri-Town Youth Services, Westbrook Youth & Family Services ,Inc., Old Saybrook Youth & Family Services Commission, A Little Compassion, American Red Cross, Traveling Toys, SARAH, Inc., and the Ivoryton Alliance.
The audience attending the meeting included RVFF volunteers who had served on the RVFF Grants Review Subcommittee last spring as well as the RVFF Fundraiser Subcommittee responsible for organizing and executing the successful fundraiser at the Ivoryton Playhouse. The meeting agenda provided attendees the opportunity to “meet and greet” the grantors and the grantees and to celebrate the fulfillment of the RVFF mission to support local nonprofits through grant making. Also in attendance at the meeting were Cynthia Clegg (CFMC President & CEO) and Mary Boone (Co-President of the Tri-Town Youth Services Board of Directors).
The RVFF volunteers, pictured in the photos along with the grant awardees, wish to extend a sincere “thank you” to all Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Area citizens who have donated funds to RVFF over the past few months or have supported the RVFF fundraiser in August. Funds received through donations and the RVFF fundraiser have made it possible for RVFF to continue to support local nonprofits.
Spring grant awardees with RVFF leadership committee and Cynthia Clegg
Positive Paths awardees with RVFF leadership committee members
Spring grant awardees with RVFF grant committee members
Positive Paths awardees with RVFF fundraiser committee members and Cynthia Clegg
Positive Paths Initiative Fundraiser
The August 30th, 2023 River Valley Fund for Families'
“Jersey Boys” Fundraiser was a rousing success!
River Valley Fund for Families would like to THANK our Sponsors and hard-working Volunteers, without whom this event would not have been possible.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors
Event Sponsors
Middlesex Health
Anonymous
Corporate Sponsors
CPTV
Essex Savings Bank
Services & Trust
MAI Capital Management
Benefactors
Frontline Productions
Ivory Wealth Management
Jacaruso Family Fund
at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County
Norm Needleman & Jacqui Hubbard
Past News & Events
RVFF Quarterly Business Meeting – May 16, 2023
The RVFF Committee Leadership hosted the spring quarterly business meeting on Tuesday, May 16th at the Essex Library Program Room. The meeting was well attended by RVFF volunteers and special guests who were invited to present a brief program prior to the business portion of the meeting.
The first half of the meeting focused on topics related to the upcoming RVFF Positive Paths Initiative Fundraiser on August 30th. The fundraiser will target fundraising to support grants for the youth and family services bureaus serving the towns of Essex, Chester, Deep River, Old Saybrook and Westbrook. Therefore, representatives from these bureaus were invited to address our RVFF volunteers to speak about the dedicated work they do each day through existing programs and services, as well as to comment on areas in need of growth and expansion.
We were honored to hear comments from Sara Zaientz, Executive Director of the Westbrook Youth & Family Services bureau, from Heather McNeil, Director of the Old Saybrook Youth and Family Services, and from Melanie Meyer, Interim Executive Director from Tri-Town Youth & Services Bureau. Each person spoke with passion and commitment as they shared insight into the challenges they face providing services and programs for our youth, some of whom struggle to achieve and maintain mental wellness. Also in attendance were Cynthia Clegg, President & CEO of CFMC and Mary Boone, Co-President of the Tri-Town Youth and & Services Bureau located in Deep River.
A highlight of the meeting was a series of brief reports / updates from the following RVFF Subcommittees: Grants Review Subcommittee, Fundraiser Subcommittee, Communications Subcommittee, Special Events Subcommittee, and the RVFF Committee Leadership Team. These volunteers deserve a round of applause for the tasks they have completed and the projects they are working on now.
Good News of RVFF Shared in the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC) Annual Report
Each year CFMC releases an annual report that features updates and “good news” about the Funds supported and managed by CFMC. This year, our own RVFF has been included in the report on page #21. We encouraged all to take time to read all about it and spend some time reading all the other good news included in the report. Thanks to CFMC for recognizing RVFF!
March Friendraiser Event
The River Valley Fund for Families is pleased to announce two “surprise” grants to local nonprofits, Essex Garden Club (EGC) and Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries (SSKP). The grants were awarded on March 28th and received by Coral Rawn a member of the Essex Garden Club and Alison Marcinek a long-time supporter of SSKP.
Coral Rawn stated, “I am honored to accept this grant on behalf of the Essex Garden Club and want to thank the River Valley Fund for Families for this generous gift that will support the EGC’s Campership Program for children.” Alison Marcinek stated, “My family and I have been longtime supporters of the Shoreline Soup Kitchen, an organization that serves our community well. I want to thank the River Valley Fund for Families for this wonderful gift that will support feeding those in need in our communities.”
The “Pop-Up Grant” awards were included in the program at RVFF’s Friendraiser event held at the Essex Yacht Club on March 28th. The gathering brought together current and prospective volunteers for RVFF and provided attendees the opportunity to learn more about the mission of RVFF which is to support children and families in need through grants to local nonprofits.
The RVFF Leadership Committee, pictured in the photo along with the grantee representatives, wish to extend a sincere “thank you” to all in the Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline areas who have donated funds to RVFF or supported its “Festival of Trees” holiday fundraiser. These funds have made it possible for RVFF kick off its first grant making initiatives in 2023.
Coral Rawn receives a Pop-Up grant for the Essex Garden Club from Dawn Boulanger, Beebe Miller, Kaye Griffin, and Pat Thompson
Coral Rawn receives a Pop-Up grant for the Essex Garden Club from Dawn Boulanger, Beebe Miller, Kaye Griffin, and Pat Thompson
First Grant Awarded
The River Valley Fund for Families (RVFF), a Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, is pleased to announce a $500 grant to Warm the Children Shoreline (WTC). The grant will be used to purchase new winter clothing and footwear for local children in need. Working with Youth and Family Services organizations, and in conjunction with Walmart in Old Saybrook, Warm the Children volunteer shoppers assist assigned families with the selection of warm and winter seasonal necessities. RVFF recently conducted the successful “Festival of Trees” fundraiser which helped fund the grant award.
The grant was awarded on December 14th and received by Beebe Miller, WTC Coordinator, who stated, “I am honored to accept this generous grant on behalf of Warm the Children Shoreline and want to thank everyone who contributed to the RVFF fundraiser, as well as the hundreds of people in our local communities who continue to support Warm the Children annually.” The award ceremony was included in the program at the RVFF Celebration of Volunteers held at the Essex Yacht Club. RVFF Coordinator Kaye Griffin stated that “Our volunteers worked diligently to make the RVFF first fundraiser a fun and financially successful community event. We are indebted to our many local retailers, vendors, creative community members, and RVFF volunteers who decorated, displayed, and sold or auctioned off twenty-eight holiday-themed trees. We are so pleased to provide a grant from the proceeds of the fundraiser to benefit Warm the Children Shoreline. This grant was a proud moment for all involved.” The RVFF Leadership Committee and the CFMC President & CEO, pictured in the photo accompanying this article, wish to extend a sincere “thank you” to all Connecticut River Valley and Shoreline Area citizens who purchased and/or bid on the holiday trees during the fundraiser event. RVFF volunteers are well known locally for their caring and generous ways, as are the citizens who live in our local communities and the visitors who support our charitable causes.
Pictured left to right: Dawn Boulanger, Cynthia Clegg, Beebe Miller, Kaye Griffin, and Pat Thompson
Festival of Trees – 2022
River Valley Fund for Family's first fundraiser featured holiday trees, decorated by local vendors, retailers, creative community members, and RVFF volunteers. These were displayed from Thanksgiving weekend through Saturday, December 10. Trees were available for purchase through a silent auction option and an onsite direct purchase option. The success of this event made the Fund's first grant to Warm the Children Shoreline possible.
