New & Noteworthy
Sestero Fund Supports the Wind Hill Farm and Other Glastonbury Projects
Nearly $277,000 Granted to 21 Organizations
Glastonbury’s Wind Hill Community Farm grows a broad selection of healthy vegetables through sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming based upon organic principles. The farm seeks to support diversity and community, promotes better health through diet and experiencing nature, and advances adult and child agricultural education by partnering with local programs including Glastonbury High School, Glastonbury Parks & Recreation, and UCONN. Wind Hill is a leading contributor of fresh produce to the Town of Glastonbury Food Pantry and is deeply engaged with Glastonbury residents through its board, volunteers, raised garden bed growers, community supported agriculture, hikes, and educational programs.
In an effort to support this work, Wind Hill received a $12,350 grant from the Norma and Natale Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The grant will be used for capital improvements and program expansion at Wind Hill Community Farm & Learning Center. The project includes supporting the purchase of equipment to manage invasive plants, seasonal contracting of a professional to assist with managing invasive plants, installation of secure facility shed to protect equipment from theft and environmental damage, and expansion of the Farm Fresh Kids program offered through Glastonbury Parks & Recreation.
“On behalf of the Wind Hill Community Farm board and volunteers, I’d like to express our deep gratitude to the Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation for its generous support this year and in prior years,” said Wind Hill board member Dr. Joel Reich. “The support is essential for us to fulfill our nonprofit mission ‘to promote local farming, environmental stewardship, healthy eating, and to address food insecurity by encouraging people of all ages to participate in farming and gardening.’”
Other grants awarded include:
| Organization Name | Project Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Arts for Learning Connecticut | To support Express Yourself @Gideon-Wells, an arts learning initiate bringing diverse cultural experiences to 5th and 6th grade students at the Gideon Welles School. The program will offer 4 workshop days and 2 performance days during the 2025 – 2026 school year. | $7,000.00 |
| Connecticut River Watershed Council, Inc. | To support the restoration of Keeney Cove by engaging Glastonbury residents in the removal of harmful, invasive plants while providing educational opportunities to empower residents to become stewards of the cove. Keeney Cove is a 72-acre inlet on the Connecticut River in Glastonbury, which provides a unique habitat to wildlife along the river and a valuable recreational resource for residents. | $15,000.00 |
| Generation Power CT | To support Emergency Energy Assistance grants to low to moderate income Glastonbury residents for about a year or until the funding is expended. Grants will range from $250 to $500, paid directly to utility vendors. | $8,000.00 |
| Glastonbury ABC | To support the renovation of the three resident student bathrooms located on the second floor of Baldwin House, the program’s residential facility. These bathrooms serve up to 8 scholars at a time and are in daily use throughout the academic year. The renovations will modernize and improve the functionality, safety, and overall quality of these spaces. | $16,000.00 |
| Glastonbury Arts, Inc. | To provide general operating support for three strategic goals: 1) expansion of the arts education program for adults, teens, and children; 2) support for the Got Arts series of artist lectures and demonstrations; and 3) support of the Executive Director's financial management, development management, and art programming functions. | $20,000.00 |
| Glastonbury Chorus, Inc. | To support the launch of "Art Where You Are: a Neighborhood Pop-Up Performance Series," providing free, informal choral concerts. By performing in parks, libraries, farmers’ markets, and other neighborhood gathering places, Glastonbury Chorus will reach new audiences, create joyful shared experiences, and make the arts more accessible to all residents, regardless of income, age, disability, or background. | $3,000.00 |
| Glastonbury Links Together | To support the purchase of food and non-food items available for the Glastonbury Food Pantry and to purchase food for the weekend food for elementary school children at risk of not receiving sufficient nutrition during the weekend. This year Naubuc Elementary School has been added to the program. | $10,000.00 |
| Glastonbury Little League | To support the inclusion of potential players whose families are experiencing financial challenges. Glastonbury Little League is requesting funding to support player fees and equipment costs, which are required for each player to own. This financial support is also offered to Challenger teams for disabled and handicapped players. A portion of the project costs will also support the installation of two new modern scoreboards at Butler Field and Ross Field. Butler Field does not currently have a scoreboard, and the scoreboard at Ross Field is 33 years old. | $20,000.00 |
| Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative | To support community conversations related to social justice and civil rights and to support a town celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Programming intends to increase residents' exposure to social justice topics that impact fellow citizens and to deepen relationships among community members. | $15,000.00 |
| Historical Society of Glastonbury | To restore and paint exterior of the historic 1776 Welles-Chapman Tavern, in time for the United States Semi quincentennial, next year. | $7,500.00 |
| Layavinyasa | To support the expansion of art education programming to broaden art education programming beyond Indian arts to highlight the other 20+ Asian ethnicities represented in Connecticut. This expanded programming aims to make both Indian art forms and other Asian cultural traditions accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds in the Glastonbury community. | $15,000.00 |
| Malta House of Care, Inc. | To support the expansion of free, evidence-based, culturally competent healthcare for uninsured women in Greater Hartford, including Glastonbury. Between November 1, 2024, and September 15, 2025, Malta clinicians provided 4,849 visits to 1,343 unique patients, including 14 Glastonbury residents (49 visits)—numbers expected to grow as outreach and programming expand. Across Greater Hartford, Malta serves over 1,400 unique patients annually, 70% of whom are women. | $10,000.00 |
| MARC Inc. of Manchester | To help offset the costs of MARC, Inc.’s Day Service Option program and Employment program. These programs directly serve 17 Glastonbury residents and many other individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across the community. | $20,000.00 |
| MRC Track & Field Series, Inc. | To support summer youth programming including free clinics and a four-week program. The organization hosts friendly track & field competitions and youth clinics that promote physical activity, sportsmanship, teamwork and productive use of free time. In 2024, 56 residents from Glastonbury participated in summer programming. With funding support, the organization will look to increase its capacity by hiring a part-time/seasonal administrator. The administrator will devote their time to the daily operations during peak program time, and will support the organization through fundraising and data collection during non-peak times. | $5,000.00 |
| Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford, Inc. | To support revitalizing the community room at Carter Court Cooperative, a 20-unit affordable housing development in Glastonbury that serves 47 residents, including seniors, youth, and households with extremely low to moderate incomes. The project goals are to enhance resident engagement, improve digital access, and create a safe, modern community space that supports both social activities and resident education. | $15,000.00 |
| Naubuc Elementary School | To support the development of a dynamic outdoor playground for elementary-aged children, designed to enhance learning through play. The new playground structures will encourage collaboration, imaginative play, and physical challenge, fostering social connections and supporting children's well-being. With a focus on creativity, teamwork, and healthy development, the playground will provide a safe, stimulating environment where children can explore, engage with peers, and build essential life skills. | $15,000.00 |
| Nick Cutroneo Guitar Studio | To support a public concert series at the Buckingham Congregational Church in Glastonbury. The concert series will be two concerts per year, to make classical music truly accessible to everyone, and strengthen the local arts community. Each concert will be a curated experience featuring a diverse range of repertoire, from foundational classical works to contemporary compositions, ensuring a broad appeal. | $8,000.00 |
| Open Doors Outdoors | To support ODO’s capacity to serve the Glastonbury community through current UTV Program, ODO Farm Run, Family Autism Awareness Day, and an Autism Christmas Extravaganza, all scheduled for 2026. ODO’s goal is to continue expanding the program's reach, serving families with children who have autism residing in Glastonbury, CT, through multiple UTV Adventures held in South Glastonbury, CT. Each adventure will take Glastonbury Residents, some with physical and/or mental limitations, into the outdoors for reconnection, healthy activity, and healing. | $25,000.00 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England | To support the Glastonbury Fund for Access, which ensures that residents can obtain high-quality, affordable reproductive health care, including birth control, STI testing and treatment, and preventive services such as cervical cancer screenings and breast exams, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. In fiscal year 2025, PPSNE served 226 Glastonbury residents. Most of these patients were women and girls (86%), and nearly one-third (28%) identified as Black, Latiné, Asian American, or another community of color. Most (75%) had low incomes, living at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level). | $25,000.00 |
| Traveling Toys Inc. | To support the establishment of a toy lending library in the children's and teen section of the Welles-Turner Memorial Library in Glastonbury. The goal of this project is to provide children and teens access to high-quality, age-appropriate toys and games that foster creativity, learning, and social development through free play. This request is being submitted through a collaboration of Traveling Toys, Inc. and the Glastonbury Library. | $5,000.00 |
| Wind Hill Community Farm & Learning, Inc. | To support capital improvements and program expansion at Wind Hill Community Farm & Learning Center. The project includes supporting the purchase of equipment to manage invasive plants, seasonal contracting of a professional to assist with managing invaise plants, installation of secure facility shed to protect equipment from theft and environmental damage, and expand the Farm Fresh Kids program to include sessions offered through Glastonbury Parks & Rec. | $12,350.00 |
| $276,850.00 |
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $1 billion since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.