SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — The students at Joseph A. DePaolo Middle School in Southington now have an extra incentive to contribute to the school garden.
Earlier this week, the Main Street Community Foundation awarded a $900 grant to the school to support the installation of a chicken coop on the farmland next to the school where the school garden is grown, the foundation said in a release.
The Main Street Community Foundation made the donation from the Lynda M. Mazur and Michael F. Colomonico Jr. Hands-On Fund, which supports non-sport, noncompetitive programs and activities for children attending elementary and middle schools in Southington, the release said.
The donation will directly benefit the school’s “Kids Koop” Animal Care program, an endeavor that brings together students in the Animal Helpers Club and the Garden Club to maintain and care for four to five chickens, learn the daily responsibilities associated with caring for livestock and manage egg sales, according to the release.
“The ‘Kids Koop’ Animal Care program at DePaolo Middle School was the perfect fit for this fund,” the foundation said, in the release. “The chickens are growing fast and will soon be moved into the chicken coop!”
The nonprofit foundation is dedicated to improving quality of life for present and future generations in the communities it serves by encouraging and promoting gift planning, prudent stewardship of assets, effective grantmaking and community leadership, according to the release. It works with donors in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott who are looking to support the community.
Since being established in 1995, the foundation has provided more than $28.6 million in grants and scholarships, the release said.
According to the release, the Southington-based Lynda M. Mazur and Michael F. Colomonico Jr. Hands-On Fund supports programs and activities that involve direct and active participation by the children and promote self-expression and personal accomplishment.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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