Thirteen local nonprofits are benefiting from $186,000 in grants from the Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls.

The grants are helping fund the nonprofits programs that serve economically vulnerable women and children.

“The Fund for Women and Girls is comprised of individual members who engage in collective philanthropy and grantmaking,” said Cathy Batterman, fund co-chair. “Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our fund members, we have awarded more than $400,000 in grants to more than 36 nonprofits in the last three years.”

According to officials, fund members voted to determine how to distribute the grants.

“Because we combine our financial contributions, we are able to award large, single and multi-year grants to organizations that improve the lives of the most vulnerable women and children in our community,” said Karen Collias, fund co-chair.

Arm in Arm in Trenton received a three-year grant totaling $75,000. The grant will fund the organization’s Mobility Mentoring program, which will help move the families out of poverty permanently. The grant is going to help support 10 single women and their families improve their housing stability, individual and family well-being, education and job advancement and financial literacy.

Three nonprofits were awarded one-year grants of $25,000. Those nonprofits are Better Beginnings Child Development Center in Hightstown, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Mercer and Burlington Counties based in Ewing, and The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey (CHS) in Trenton.

The grant for Better Beginnings will fund year-round affordable preschool and childcare, as well as support services for parents by helping them find resources so they can remain employed; or attend full-time training and educational programs.

CASA’s grant provides training for CASA volunteers, who are appointed by the Family Court, to advocate for young children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

According to CASA officials, some 47% of new referrals to the agency are for children ages 0-5. Special training of volunteers is necessary to properly assess the needs of the children.

The grant for CHS will fund CHS’ Community Doula Program, which trains bilingual doulas who will support dozens of pregnant and post-partum low-income Latina women and their babies.

Officials said the fund has also awarded the second $25,000 installment of a three-year grant to the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund, for its Futuro mentoring program for high achieving, low-income high school students in Trenton and Princeton.

Dress for Success Central New Jersey and Trinity Counseling Services in Princeton each received a $2,500 grant.

According to officials, six nonprofits also received grants of $1,000 each for their programs in support of low income women and children. They are the Catholic Youth Organization in Trenton, Princeton Nursery School in Princeton, Embrella in Princeton, HomeFront in Lawrenceville, RISE in Hightstown and YWCA of Princeton.

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