New Haven, CT
2008 Director’s Community Leadership Awards
New Haven | The Petit Family Foundation |
It was felt that one fund could help streamline the donations that were pouring in and allow the family to direct those funds to causes that they felt would best represent the interests of the Petit women. Appropriate papers were filed and by March 14, 2008, the Petit Family Foundation reached full 501c(3) status. The mission of this Foundation is to foster the education of young people, especially those in the sciences, to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses, and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence. The Foundation honors the memories of the Petit women by continuing the kindness, idealism, and activism that defined their lives. Recent grants and foundation funds have been used to support the Prudence Crandall Center in New Britain, Connecticut, which offers comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence; the 1st Annual Petit Women “Be the Change” Community Service Awards, which recognize students at Plainville High School in grades 9-12 who are in good academic standing and show a dedication to community service; academic scholarships to National Honor Society students through the Plainville Rotary Club; and the Jennifer Hawke-Petit Scholarship Award, which is given in loving memory of Jen, an educator at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. The Jennifer Hawke-Petit Scholarship Award is given to a senior who embodies the admirable personal characteristics that Jen exemplified: kindness, integrity, compassion, and idealism. |