Safer Society Receives Grant from the Walter Cerf Community Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation

Safer Society Foundation recently received a $2,500 grant from the Walter Cerf Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation. The grant will help further Safer Society Foundation’s mission of mitigating the impact of mass incarceration on American children and their families by enlarging the scope of the New Circle Mentoring program, which is specifically designed to meet the needs of children who have at least one parent in jail or prison.

 “The goal of the New Circle Mentoring program is to increase the resilience and create the community connections our mentees need to overcome the obstacles they face to becoming emotionally and mentally healthy adults, and to support them continuously as they do so.” Erika Linskey – Program Director

The Walter Cerf Community Fund was established in 2001 as a permanent endowment to continue Mr. Cerf’s legacy of generosity in Addison County and beyond. The Fund makes grants to address charitable needs in Vermont, especially for the arts, education, historic preservation, and social services with a focus on grantmaking in Addison County and Brandon.

The mission of the Safer Society Foundation’s Fay Honey Knopp Institute is to continue our founder’s work of prison reform advocacy, with special emphasis on mitigating the impact of mass incarceration on the millions of American children and families effected by parental incarceration.

The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.

The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future.

Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *