Nonprofits that focus on job readiness, housing stability and community safety are set to benefit from $10 million in funding over the next five years from The Hartford, which has pledged to do more to help the Asylum Hill neighborhood.
The insurer has been headquartered in Asylum Hill since 1920 and recently surveyed community members to prioritize its giving.
“The Hartford is proud to continue its long-standing support of the Asylum Hill neighborhood, the place we’ve called home for 100 years,” said Kathy Bromage, chief marketing and communications officer for The Hartford. “The strong partnerships we’ve built with nonprofits in the neighborhood have positioned us well to take action and continue to foster a safe, strong and successful community.”
The insurer surveyed 300 individuals and nonprofits in Asylum Hill between August and September of this year and determined that top concerns included employment and job resources, housing and homelessness resources and crime and safety. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing issues in the neighborhood, respondents said.
Grants will go to nonprofits including The Village for Families and Children, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and Northside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance. The Hartford also plans to partner with the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association on developing a strategic plan to improve quality of life in the neighborhood.
In addition to this funding pledge, The Hartford is a major supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford’s $20-million recreation facility that is currently being built in the city’s southeast corridor at the former Alfred E. Burr Elementary School, 129 Ledyard St.
That project is expected to debut next year.
