Six Fairfield County nonprofits are receiving a major boost after a women-led giving group awarded $273,000 in grants to support programs focused on food access, youth development and community services.
Impact Fairfield County announced the awards at its 2026 Grant Awards Celebration at Serafresca at the Italian Center in Stamford. The organization, which has more than 270 members, selected the recipients through a member-driven review process that included application evaluations, financial reviews and site visits.
Two nonprofits received the group’s largest awards: Food Rescue US–Fairfield County and Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders each received $100,000 transformational grants.
Four additional finalists — Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, ElderHouse, The Carver and The Center for Family Justice — each received $18,250 in unrestricted operating support.
“This year's applicant pool was strong — and the largest we've seen to date,” said Jennifer Servedio, co-president of Impact Fairfield County. “Our members were inspired by the innovation and impact of these organizations and proud to invest in programs creating lasting change across Fairfield County.”
Expanding food rescue efforts
Food Rescue US–Fairfield County redistributes about 3.8 million pounds of surplus food each year through a network serving nearly 200 social service agencies across the region.
Karen Saggese, the organization’s lead site director, said the grant will help expand staffing as demand grows and allow the group to rescue more food that would otherwise go unused.
Creating pathways to healthcare careers
Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders, founded by brothers John and Edwin Torres, began as a neighborhood baseball league and has grown into a youth development organization serving nearly 10% of Bridgeport’s K-12 students.
The group will use its $100,000 grant to launch Health Explorers, a program designed to introduce students to healthcare careers and connect them with certification pathways in high-demand medical fields.
Executive Director John Torres said the funding will help students see new possibilities for their futures.
Since its founding in 2015, Impact Fairfield County has awarded more than $2.8 million to local nonprofits.
Previous grant recipients have used the funding to expand services, including Filling in the Blanks, which grew its mobile food pantry program from seven locations to 13 after receiving an Impact grant, and the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, which reported expanded mental health services for nearly 600 children daily.
More information is available at impactfairfieldcounty.org.
