MCI Brings Internet to City Youths
Hundreds of Hartford youngsters hitched a ride on the information
superhighway last Friday, October 16, as part of MCI WorldCom's
"Great American Net Test" program. The program, which
was held at Quirk Middle School on Edward's Street, introduces
youngsters to the Internet by combining it with basketball. Hartford
is one of only 13 communities across the nation who were chosen
to participate in the program.
MCI is also awarding a $15,000 community grant to the Boys and
Girls Clubs of Hartford for the purchase of computers and programs.
"Technology and access to technology are the nation's most
critical educational needs today. MCI WorldCom has the ability
and the desire to invest in America's future by providing these
students with the opportunity to develop critical technology
skills to enable them to compete at school and in the workplace,"said
MCI WorldCom Regional Director John Boolukos.
House of Bread and Foodshare Open Job Training Program
A $25,000 grant from the Phillip Morris Company to the House
of Bread and Foodshare will provide initial funding for a new
training program known as FEAST (Food Education and Service Training).
The program will train ten students in basic kitchen, work and
life skills in order to prepare them to enter the job market.
The program will be held four times a year.
The students will work at the House of Bread's soup kitchen on
Chestnut Street under the direction of a chef-supervisor. The
food the students prepare will be donated by Foodshare and served
to the clients of the soup kitchen.
"This is not just a win-win program," said Gloria Mc-
Adam, President of Foodshare, "It's a win-win-win! We will
be training people for jobs, helping make them self-sufficient.
We will be providing top quality, nutritious meals to clients
of the House of Bread soup kitchen. And we will be using some
of the highly perishable or hard-to-use food items that are donated
to Foodshare every day, thus making sure that food is not wasted."
Free Mental Health Education Program
A free mental health educational program, entitled "Families
Helping Other Family" will be given at the Capital Health
Center next Thursday, October 22. Betsy Smith, President of the
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) of Connecticut,
will be the featured speaker at the event. The program, which
is free and open to the public, will be held at 2:30 pm at the
Capital Region Mental Health Center, 500 Vine Street.
Smith will speak about the importance of learning about what
a relative of someone with a mental illness is actually experiencing
and will also discuss the possibility of setting up a family
support group in the Hartford area. For more information about
the conference, call 297-0925.
Celebration in Sigourney Park
The Asylum Hill Organizing Project (AHOP) will host a party this
Saturday, October 24, from 12-5 pm in Sigourney Park to celebrate
renovations to the park. Food, entertainment, raffles and more
will be featured.
The renovation project has been underway for the past six months
and includes new basketball courts, water sprinkler, horseshoe
pit, benches, tables and a playscape which is still under construction.
Funding for the project was provided by $350,000 in state bonding
money, which was appropriated largely through the efforts of
State Representative Tom Ritter (D-2nd) and Marie Kirkley-Bey
(D-5th), and $50, 000 from the Hartford Parks Trust Fund.
For more information on Saturday's celebration, call 249-7691.
Bus Tours of South Meadows Offered next Thursday
The Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce will be conducting bus
tours of the South Meadows next Thursday, October 29, from 4:30-7:30
pm. The tours will highlight businesses and services in the South
Meadows, including the Mid-Connecticut Waste-to-Energy facility
on Murphy Road, which is operated by Resources Recovery Systems
of Connecticut (RRSC). RRSC representatives will serve as guides
for the tours. For more information or to pre-register, contact
Kathy Lilley at 525-4451, ext. 234.
Salvation Army Opens New Women's Wing
On Sunday, October 18, the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation
Center at 333 Homestead Avenue dedicated its new Helen and Harry
Gray Women's Wing. The new facility will provide 30 beds for
women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction and is expected
to begin servicing clients next month. The center currently has
100 beds for men recovering from addictions.
The women's facility was named after the Grays in recognition
of their lead contribution to the new facility. United Technologies
Corporation, Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Company and Fleet
Bank also made major contributions to the effort. For more information
on the center and the services it provides, call 527-8106.
