The Boston Federal Reserve Bank’s 2018 Working Cities Challenge, $450,000

A collaborative of Danbury agencies and institutions received this multi-year grant award to reduce the number of immigrants and people of color who are in poverty by 30 percent within 10 years. During the first three years, the initiative dubbed DanburyWORKS will address the barriers that prohibit or limit the identified population’s ability to participate in education and/or job training programs that increase wages. In the short-term, DanburyWORKS will focus on reducing those barriers by building trust among the diverse cultures in Danbury, improving proficiency of the English language, and increasing access to affordable childcare.

Participating agencies in DanburyWORKS include: Age Well Community Council, City of Danbury, Community  Action Agency of Western Connecticut, Danbury Promise for Children Partnership, Danbury Public Schools, Danbury Youth Services, Connecticut Institute for Communities, Ecuadorian Civic Center of Greater Danbury, Ed Advance, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Regional YMCA, United Way of Western Connecticut, Western CT State University, Western CT Regional Adult and Continuing Education, and Western Connecticut Health Network, as well as local Danbury residents and business owners. United Way also serves as the fiscal agent for the initiative.