New Haven Independent

The management team met Thursday night to hear pitches from neighborhood groups for how they would spend federal money if they can convince the Board of Aldermen to give it to them. The board every year considers competing ideas from groups all over town for Community Development Block Grants (CBDG). Thursday’s meeting was a first run for groups hoping to pitch to the aldermen.

Katrina Clark, executive director of the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic (pictured at left speaking to neighborhood resident Norma Franceschi) is hoping for $25,000 to provide ongoing care for adolescents at the clinic “” including creating a new space for them in an adjacent building scheduled for rehab “” “because teenagers don’t like to go into a pediatric setting with little kids and babies,” she said. The first step in getting the funding is winning approval from the neighborhood management team, which is where she was Thursday night. So were lots of other non-profits seeking funding for their pet projects.

Ed Bonilla (pictured), executive director of Centro San Jose, came to request $37,000 in funding for music and arts education to support academics. It would also provide career planning and visits to colleges, to get Fair Haven’s youth to consider higher education as a realistic option for them.

Several of the teens who come to Centro spoke about why they come to the youth center “” reasons like art classes and “keeping me off the streets” in the words of one girl.

The Mary Wade Home is seeking $42,000 to replace its aging sprinklers and fire alarm system. She hastened to add that the home passed a recent inspection, but administrators were told to replace the safety equipment within 18 months to ensure the continued safety of the 45 elders who live there.

In all, five non-profits made their pitches. One regular management team attendee wished out loud that more residents would come to meetings regularly, not just when they’re looking for funding.

Management Team co-chair Mary Connolly (pictured) said her group has no control over disbursing CBDG funds “” that’s the Board of Aldermen’s job “” but the management team does play an important role by giving thumbs up or down to all the neighborhood groups applying for funds. She said they usually approve all of them, “except when an organization has no dealings with the neighborhood.” In other words, it might be in Fair Haven, but not of it.

Connolly expects more groups to present their funding pitches at the January meeting, at which time members will vote on which requests to support.

Then the meeting adjourned for a special holiday party “” including cannolis and conversation.