Press Release

The Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund (BFSRF) is currently accepting preliminary applications for their 2022-2023 grant cycle. All preliminary applications are due no later than September 10, 2022.

The BFSRF, overseen by the Westport Weston Family YMCA, was created in 2015 due to a generous endowment from YMCA trustee emeritus Ruth T. Bedford, and awards one-year grants to one or more local programs that are selected through an annual grant process. Ruth Bedford believed in education for all and supporting those less fortunate. We are proud to carry on her legacy. In 2021, the BFSRF awarded $290,000 in grants to 28 organizations in the Greater Fairfield County area whose programs focus on supporting equitable education programs for students in our community. “The individuals who lead and run these organizations and their impact on the children in need of educational support in Fairfield County is remarkable; their efforts truly change the lives of the children and young adults in in our communities that they support,” says Juliane Sunderland, who co-chairs the BFSRF Committee along with Libby McKinney Tritschler.

“Adam J. Lewis Academy (AJLA ) is very grateful for the Bedford Family Social Responsibility Fund's continued meaningful and impactful support and their most recent Grant, which helps us continue to expand and provide more students and families in the Bridgeport community with opportunities for high-quality education," says Neal Edelson, the Director of Philanthropy and Strategic Advancement at Adam J. Lewis Academy, a 2022 recipient of the BFSRF Grant.

We invite all eligible non-profits to complete the preliminary application available on our website no later than September 10. All organizations who are invited to submit a final application will be notified by October 4. If you have any questions about the BFSRF, the application, or the requirements, please contact Julia Marshella at jmarshella@westporty.org.

ABOUT WWFY

The Westport Weston Family YMCA is a non-profit organizations that enriches the community by developing and nurturing youth, promoting healthy living for all and fostering social responsibility. Our core values drive everything we do. By holding ourselves accountable to build character around our core values of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility, we build wholeness and wellness in spirit, mind and body for all.