Connections
The Newsletter of the Women & Girls Fund

Women & Girls Supports the Women of Ukraine

Maria Lisicka took her two children and fled when shelling began in Lutsk, Western Ukraine.

“I will do everything for my children,” she said. “I didn’t want to take them away; I wanted them to be at home, but what can be done? I want their psyche to be normal. The most important thing is children. I don’t care about the rest.”

As the whole world watches with heart wrenching emotion, Russia continues its violent invasion of Ukraine. Every day on the news, journalists detail the devastation, and we are overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness as we see reports of senseless death and destruction. We can only imagine the panic the women of Ukraine are experiencing as they do everything in their power to keep their families safe. History will remember them as they fight to protect their children, their country, and their freedom. 

We were so moved by the bravery and determination of Ukrainian women that we pushed past our initial shock and dread to take action. On behalf of these women, the loyal donors of the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund and the Executive Committee, we will be making a donation to UNICEF as they provide relief to the most vulnerable victims of this war, the children. 

If you would like to join us, please make a donation to the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund. Write "Ukraine" in the notes.
Women & Girls Exceeds Scholarship Goal

When we launched the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Scholarship Fund: Helping Our Heroes, we asked an essential question: Who deserves an opportunity? We asked, and you responded!

We are humbled by the outpouring of love and support you have shown through your generous donations. We wanted to address the very real needs created by the pandemic, so we focused on healing. So many of us have been affected by COVID-19, and so many have been helped by our brave hospital workers.

You were inspired by women who want to work on the front lines of health care, and you have come through once again with more than what we asked for: $25,000 for scholarships!
The Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Scholarship Fund: Helping Our Heroes will allow us to award annual scholarships to women facing significant challenges in securing funding to further their allied health training. Thanks to you, this March two scholarships will be awarded to women entering degree programs at Northwest Connecticut Community College.
​​Providing Access to High-Quality Childcare

Working women were hit hard by the pandemic, as reported in the recent publication Essential Equity: Women, COVID-19 and Rebuilding Connecticut.

Children needed care at home, so many women lost time at work. Many others lost their jobs entirely. Once again, we saw a need, and we found a way to help. The Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund provided support to seven area childcare organizations to provide emergency gap funding for child-care costs. We also provided Northwestern Connecticut Community College funds to support the cost of childcare for women enrolled in certificate or degree programs. 
Please take a of couple minutes to watch this video from Winsted Area Childcare, a 2020 Women & Girls Fund grant recipient.
Women & Girls Fund
Annual Meeting​​

We are so pleased to announce that Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund is restoring our tradition of holding an Annual Meeting.

Please join us this spring on May 12, from 5:30 to 7:30p.m. at the Torrington Country Club with guest speaker Krista Rizzo, CPC who will discuss the importance of empowering women.

We cannot wait to reconnect with you and share our good news. We will announce the 2022 grant recipients and discuss the accomplishments you made possible during the past two years.
Meet the Board: Judi Armstrong

And strong she is! Judi is the longest serving member of the Women & Girls Fund Executive Committee. As a founding member, Judi was with us at our modest beginnings, and with the exception of a bit of a break, she is with us to this day. Strong in her convictions, strong in her opinions, strong in her commitment to The Women & Girls Fund, the only thing stronger than Judi is our admiration and appreciation for her. 

Raised on Long Island, Judi was not always the proud Nutmegger she is today. One of her early accomplishments was to be a Roosevelt Island pioneer, and she raised her son there. She was excited to join this experimental community, and she was a groundbreaker in that regard as well.

Her early working life was as a Special Education teacher, but she also worked in facilities management/space planning and design for CityBank. After that she worked in development for the Girl Scouts and for Forman School. Always interested in design, Judi was a perfect fit for her next job at Tulip Tree.  

Not one to sit still, Judi has traveled the world. She has biked in Africa, Italy, France, and South Africa. Now she prefers to stay close to home at Woodridge Lake, where she loves to entertain her grandchildren. She may not stray far from home, but she certainly remains very active in retirement. In addition to her work with the Women & Girls Fund, she volunteers for Prime Time House and for Hospice, and is a proud member of the League of Women Voters. She is very active with local politics, and she is currently campaigning for the re-election of Maria Horn and Jahanna Hayes.  

Judi exemplifies a life well-lived. We are truly fortunate to have her on our Executive Committee.
The Giving Circle

Wouldn’t it be great if people celebrated your values 100 years from now? You can make that happen by leaving a legacy gift to The Women & Girls Fund. To honor our supporters who join The Legacy Society of Northwest CT Community Foundation, and specify The Women & Girls Fund in their estate planning, we have created the Giving Circle. We plan to offer members the opportunity to get together with each to share your ideas for making us the best we can be. It is quick and easy to make a gift to us; Bradford Hoar, Vice President of Philanthropic Services, can show you how. You can reach him at 860.626.1245 or at BHoar@northwestcf.org.

The progress we have made needs protection. Please remember us in your will.
Visit the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund