On Tuesday, Hartford nonprofit Angel of Edgewood received $709,000 in federal funding. This comes after a series of break-ins at the end of May and in early June.
“Last time you were here, I was overwhelmed in tears and now I’m overwhelmed in happiness,” said Angel of Edgewood Founder Jendayi Scott-Miller. “That’s a lot of meals, that’s a lot of meals we’re going to be able to cook once our place gets up and running.”
The money, which came from a federal earmark, will be used for renovations and expansions at the nonprofit's warehouse on Franklin Avenue. Scott-Miller said her plan is to turn the facility into a community hub with the funds.
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“Most of it is primarily for construction to get the building up and going,” she said. “We want to be accessible to everybody in the community and in the state.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal led the process and presented Scott-Miller with the grant. Scott-Miller led him around the facility and pointed out the improvements she plans to make.
“I just found out that we were approved when his staff called me the other day,” said Scott-Miller. “I almost passed out, I was like what?”
Blumenthal said he’s known about Angel of Edgewood’s work in the community and that the grant money has been in the process for a while.
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“The break-in and burglary simply accelerated the process,” he said. “We began advocating for the project before the burglary occurred, but I think the burglary just made clear how vulnerable the facility is.”
Scott-Miller also says they’ve installed security due to funds from the community and that she will be working closely with the Hartford Police to prevent further break-ins.
