Print
Share page with AddThis

Town of East Hartford Receives $3,000 Grant from Hartford Foundation for Public Giving in Support of Back-to-School Shoe Program

Posted on: August 31, 2018 - 11:48am
Back to School Shoes

A grant of $3,000 has been awarded by Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to the Town of East Hartford’s Department of Health & Social Services, located at 740 Main Street, in East Hartford, to support the 2018 Back-To-School Shoe Program.

 “The Health & Social Services greatly appreciates Hartford Foundation for Public Giving for its support in assisting us to provide such a valuable resource for our students,” said Jo-Ann Dorn, Social Services Supervisor.

The Health & Social Services department has been working in collaboration with the Board of Education’s Office of Family and Community Partnerships to begin the Back-To-School Shoe program with the goal of ensuring that East Hartford students have the necessary shoes and other supplies for a successful start to the new school year. Transitioning from a Back-to-School supply to a Back-to-School shoes program in 2017, this change has been well received by the community.

As part of the program, the town now focuses on providing East Hartford students with a one-time use Payless ShoeSource Gift Card, valued at $25 to purchase a new pair of Back-to-School shoes. This year, 108 prescreened East Hartford students entering grades K-12 were provided with a gift card towards this purchase, which is redeemable either in store or online.

The grant will allow for the purchase of more Payless ShowSource Gift Cards to benefit more children in our community.

The Social Services division of the Health Department strives to promote the well-being, self-sufficiency and quality of life among East Hartford residents by administering and developing programs and initiatives that provide individuals and families with the necessary support.

This past year, the Hartford Foundation also awarded a $596,000 in new funding to East Hartford Public Schools to continue its Family, School, Community Partnership efforts.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $720 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.