Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls awards grants to 11 local nonprofits

(L-R): Adriana Abizadeh, Executive Director of the Latin American Legal Defense Fund; Carolyn Sanderson, Fund for Women and Girls Chair; Sarah Steward, Chief Operating Officer of HomeFront; Rose Wong, Executive Director of Princeton Nursery School.

The Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls has awarded $101,500 in grants to 11 local nonprofits.

HomeFront’s “Assisting Two Generations: Childcare for Families in Need” received $25,000. Each year, the Ewing-based program provides childcare to about 120 children whose families are homeless. The childcare program gives parents the opportunity to work and participate in HomeFront’s education and job training programs.

The Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s “FUTURO Class of 2019” program received $15,000. The program provides mentoring and college preparation for first- and second-generation immigrant students from Trenton. Girls usually make up about 75 percent of each class, and participants receive academic and social support.

Princeton Nursery School’s “Solid Foundation for Women & Girls” received $25,000. The school, housed in a 100-year-old building, serves almost 50 children, most from low-income families. Tuition is assessed on a sliding scale based on family income, allowing parents access to high-quality childcare they could not afford at market rates. The school must replace its flooring to meet licensing standards.

PEI Kids, Helping Girls Achieve, based in Lawrence, received $2,5000 for its  therapeutic and educational support group project that offers support groups for victims of sexual abuse, who face unique risks in the teen years.

Mercer Street Friends received $2,500 for its parenting services program, which provides support and education during home visits to pregnant women and mothers in Trenton.

RISE’s Women and Girls on the Rise program, based in Hightstown, received $2,500. The program delivers domestic violence counseling and preventative education to at-risk, low-income girls in Southeast Mercer County.

The Millhill Child and Family Development Corporation received the second installment of the three-year $75,000 grant it was awarded in 2016 for its female Trenton PEERS empowerment and education program. In the last year, the agency has recruited more high school students to participate in the program, which provides intensive mentoring, leadership development, and peer education to girls in Trenton.

Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children of Mercer and Burlington Counties in Ewing, the Children’s Home Society in Trenton, the YWCA Princeton, and Womanspace each received $1,000.

The Princeton Area Community Foundation’s Fund for Women and Girls supports the economic security of women and girls in central New Jersey. Funding priorities are based on the needs of women and girls in the region.

“Our Fund is comprised of dedicated community members who are committed to improving the lives of economically vulnerable woman and girls in Central New Jersey,’’ said Carolyn Sanderson, Fund for Women and Girls Chair. “Next year we will celebrate our 20th anniversary, and we’ve grown tremendously in those two decades. We are now a fund with 65 voting members who are dedicated to ensuring that our women and girls are supported through community investment, education and collaboration.”