ABOUT | Kent Community Fund
The Kent Community Fund is a non-profit organization established in 2006 “to help individuals living in Kent meet emergency needs and to support community charitable programs serving Kent residents throughout the year.” The Fund provides grants for the emergency needs of individuals and families in Kent, which are paid directly to service providers or vendors - pharmacies, landlords, fuel companies, dentists, etc. The Fund is available after other sources, such as fuel banks, government entitlements and special programs are utilized.
The Grant Committee has approved over 185 grants totaling $94,742 since 2006. Assistance was provided for rent, medical and dental care, a wheelchair purchase, car registration, child care and summer camp tuition, gas cards, payment of fuel and other utility bills and other emergency needs. All grants are strictly confidential.
KCF also provides financial support for the weekly Kent food pantry. As a non-profit organization, the Fund has also been able to join the Connecticut Food Bank and thus accesses free and low cost food and related items for the food pantry.
Referrals are accepted from various sources. Most referrals come from the Town of Kent’s Director of Social Services/Municipal Agent for the Elderly but they also come from local clergy, staff of the New Milford Visiting Nurse Association, school and hospital social workers, doctors and other medical and social service providers. KCF has developed a contact list of more than forty area-wide professionals and volunteers and hosted information sharing sessions for those resources in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
All Board members are longtime residents of Kent with backgrounds in finance, law, government and social services; they have all served as volunteers on public and non-profit Boards of Directors. Board members are Catherine Bachrach*, Jim Blackketter, Ruth Epstein, Stacey Kabasakalian, Lorry Schiesel*, Judy Sheridan* and Joe Speranzo*. (* indicates founding board members) Tony DiPentima, George Jacobsen and Jim Palmer were also founding members. Kent’s First Selectman is an ex-officio member.
Support for the Kent Community Fund, a non-profit organization under Section 50l (c)(3) of the I.R.S. code, comes from local churches and organizations and from hundreds of generous Kent residents who desire to assist neighbors in need.
Contributions are welcomed throughout the year and can be mailed to Kent Community Fund at P.O.Box 262, Kent CT 06757. The email address is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Kent Community Fund | Joe Speranzo, President
PO Box 262
Kent, CT 06757
Phone: 860.927.3321