We received this press release today from the Milford Chamber of Commerce:
The Milford Chamber of Commerce Trust Mini-Grant Program helps students grow, learn, and develop leadership and business skills by initiating projects that will benefit the Milford community. On Feb. 1, six projects were chosen to receive $1,200 in funding from the Milford Chamber of Commerce Trust Fund.
During the application process, students were asked to take a professional approach and format the application as a business plan, including a budget. Applicants then presented their projects at an informal luncheon earlier this year. Middle school and high school students were eligible to apply.
The following student service projects were chosen as 2013 mini-grant recipients:
1. “Helping Hands” – Jacqueline Fernous of Foran High School, along with 20 other students, have created this project to help Milford citizens in a variety of ways including providing dinners at Beth-El Shelter, Valentine’s Cards for local seniors, and a Veterans Day event.
2. “Pie in the Sky” – Kellie Courville and The Milford Girl’s Volunteer Organization developed “Pie in the Sky”, a project where the girls will bake thirty apple pies for AIDS Project New Haven. The pies will be sold prior to Thanksgiving and the funds collected will be used to provide meals for AIDS patients and their families in New Haven County.
3. “Lap Blankets for Wheelchair Bound Seniors & Veterans” – Jennifer Weissaver of Foran High School applied on behalf of the Girls Volunteer Org. of Milford. This project will make cheerful and comforting lap blankets then distribute them to senior and disabled residents in Milford.
4. “Thanksgiving Luncheon” – Anne Pierre-Louis and Nicole Gesko applied on behalf of their Platt Technical High School class project. The group will host a Thanksgiving luncheon at the school’s orchard for citizens with financial insecurity to attend, eat and enjoy.
5. “Peer Mediation Training” – This student-run program, out of Platt Technical High School, was submitted by Joseph Petrillo. By employing students as conflict facilitators, the project will benefit the Milford community by promoting respect, recognition of diversity, and compromise.
6. “PGTA Garden Project” – The PGTA class at The Academy in Milford created this project to care for a plot at the Milford Community Garden, as well as helping fellow gardeners with their plots. All of the vegetables grown will be donated to the local food bank.
Mini-grants are awarded annually by the Milford Chamber of Commerce Trust. Applications are published every fall and high school and middle school students are invited to apply.
