Jason Rojas

Dear Neighbor,

I hope this email finds you well. Below, you'll find updates on district resources and news. Please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns.

The topics covered in this e-newsletter are as follows:

• Veterans Stan Down Event
• This Week In Connecticut History
• Manchester Community Events and Information
• East Hartford Community Events and Information

Years before he became an internationally famous orator and civil rights leader, young Martin Luther King, Jr. worked a number of jobs to make ends meet for his family. During the summer of 1944, after he gained early admission to Morehouse College at the age of 15, he journeyed north from Georgia to the tobacco fields of Simsbury with a group of fellow Morehouse students as part of a program to help pay the cost of their tuition and board.

Working the tobacco fields in summer was no pleasant task, as laborers endured long, hot, and humid days tending the broad-leaf shade tobacco plants under large, mesh canopies. Still, King and his compatriots were amazed at the lack of legally sanctioned segregation in the communities of Simsbury, Bloomfield, and Hartford. There, they were free to visit movie theaters, ride public transportation, attend church, and even dine in fine restaurants without enduring the southern requirement that they sit in special, “colored only” areas.

On September 12, 1944, King’s time in Simsbury came to an end. He and his fellow students began their return journey to Atlanta. The train ride home provided King with both time and reasons to reflect on his experiences in Connecticut. They had opened his eyes to what life could be like across America without legal segregation. Many years later, King wrote about that fateful train ride in his autobiography, stating:

“After that summer in Connecticut, it was a bitter feeling going back to segregation. It was hard to understand why I could ride wherever I pleased on the train from New York to Washington and then had to change to a Jim Crow car at the nation’s capital in order to continue the trip to Atlanta. The first time that I was seated behind a curtain in a dining car, I felt as if the curtain had been dropped on my selfhood. I could never adjust to the separate waiting rooms, separate eating places, separate rest rooms, partly because the separate was always unequal, and partly because the very idea of separation did something to my sense of dignity and self-respect.”

Before graduating from Morehouse, King would return to Simsbury one additional time to work the tobacco fields in the summer, further highlighting the stark contrast of the legal realities facing black people in the northern and southern United States. Tobacco was harvested, and seeds of change were planted, on this day in Connecticut history.

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Opening Day Events

• All Wheels Park: Open Skate + Ride, Competitions, Live Art
• Turf Field: Soccer Mania, Opening Ceremony, MHS Women's Varsity Soccer Game, BMX Drawing
• Creative Zone: Rock Climbing Wall, Make Your Mark Mural, Rec on the Run
• Fitzgerald Field: Parkour, Parkour Master Demo
• Upper Courts: PAL 3v3 Basketball, Youth Basketball Clinics
• Fun Zone: DJ Dale, Rotary Music Garden, Playground, Inflatables
   

Swag Shop
Open 4-7 PM (Event Day Only)
For every $5 spent at the swag shop, you'll receive 1 ticket entry toward winning a SE RACING BMX bike.

• 3 bikes - 3 winners announced at halftime of women's soccer game.

 
Rain Date: Sunday, September 14th, 2025

In 2019, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving established $100,000 Greater Together Community Funds for each of the 29 towns in the Foundation’s region, which includes the town of Manchester.  In 2021, the Foundation provided an additional $50,000 to each of the 29 community funds to support their grantmaking.  In December 2023, the Foundation provided another $20,000 to each of the 29 community funds to support their grantmaking. 
The purpose of the Greater Together Community Funds is to:

• support the community in taking ownership around the needs in their towns
• encourage broad and inclusive civic engagement and
• anchor the Hartford Foundation in each town.

Manchester has formed a committee to manage a participatory process to identify your town's needs and allocate community funds.

2025 - 2026 Grant Cycle

The Manchester Greater Together Community Fund is looking for more local projects to support with awards of up to $5,000 for the 2025-2026 grant cycle, which begins September 2 and ends on October 10.  The Manchester Community Fund welcomes proposals that will improve or enhance the quality of life of Manchester residents or otherwise contribute to solving a direct need of the Manchester community. Individual grant awards range from $250 to $5,000.
In order to be considered for grant funding, projects must benefit the residents of Manchester in an immediate, concrete way. Any nonprofit registered as a 501(c)(3) organization that serves the residents of Manchester is eligible to apply. Groups of town residents may also prepare an application in partnership with a registered 501(c)(3) or municipality that has agreed to serve as a fiscal sponsor for the proposed project.
Project applications and grant proposals will be accepted until 11:59 P.M. on October 10, 2025.
For more information and to submit proposals please click on the links below.  Questions and Project Budgets can be submitted to manchester@hfpgcommunityfunds.org .
2025-26 RFP
2025-26 Grant Application
2025-26 Project Budget Template

Runners Will Make Strides to Fight Food Insecurity

Registration for the 89th Manchester Road Race opened on September 1^st, and race organizers said that the thousands of runners who are expected to compete in it will all be making strides to alleviate hunger in Connecticut.

Dr. Tris Carta, President of the Manchester Road Race Committee, announced that food insecurity will be the primary charitable focus of this year’s road race, which will be held at 10 a.m. in Manchester on Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025).

According to Carta, the race committee voted to suspend in 2025 its practice of annually awarding grants from the event’s net proceeds to a number of diverse charities and nonprofits. Instead, those funds will be earmarked this year for two organizations that provide food to those in need, Connecticut Foodshare and Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities.

Connecticut Foodshare is a food bank serving the people of Connecticut, and is a member of Feeding America’s nationwide network. It distributes healthy food through a network of more than 650 food pantries, community kitchens and meal programs and operates mobile food distribution centers across the state.

MACC Charities operates a “Community Kitchen’ serving lunches during the week and an emergency food pantry that distributes groceries.

“There is a pressing need at Connecticut’s food banks right now, and we’re hoping that our road race can make a substantial contribution to address it,” Carta said.

Carta also indicated that the committee has designated MACC Charities as the beneficiary of the road race’s annual Honors Club Program.  Each year, the race sets aside bibs for up to 120 runners who each pay $100, instead of the traditional entry fee. All of those funds are donated to a single designated charity, which this year will be MACC Charities.

Registration for the 4.737-mile Thanksgiving Day Run is available on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

This year’s entry fee will remain $32 for runners who sign up on-line at www.manchesterroadrace.com prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sept 30.  The entry fee subsequently increases to $37 on October 1^st and to $42 on November 22.  

Registration for the race will close completely on November 25, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. EST. No entries will be accepted on the day of the race.

Runners will once again have the option to either pick up their bibs in person, or have them delivered.  The race committee has scheduled a number of times and dates prior to the race when bibs can be picked up in person at no additional cost.  Details about the schedule and locations of the in-person pickup dates, and the fee that will be charged for delivery, will be available at www.manchesterroadrace.com when registration opens on September 1^st.

Race officials are reminding runners that there will not be bib pickup on the morning of the race.

“We’ve been working on plans for this year’s race since last winter, and we believe it is going to be another world-class event,” Carta said. “We anticipate another exciting race with a large field, and we are urging everyone to register as soon as they possibly can.

Carta also said that race officials are once again offering a Virtual Manchester Road Race option for those who can’t attend the event in person.  Participants can download a GPS-enabled app to their smartphones and have their times recorded as they run the MRR course distance at any location in the world.

On-line registration for the virtual run also begins on Sept. 1^st and closes on Nov.25^th.  The registration fee is $30 and more information is available at www.manchesterroadrace.com.

Approximately 400 volunteers from the Manchester Road Race Committee organize the annual Thanksgiving Day Run, with support from the Town of Manchester. More details are available on the road race website.

We're excited to announce that It Takes a Village is officially accepting applications for the first session for starting today, September 15th. Please use the attached link to access the program application. Benefits include weekly financial assistance up to 6 weeks totaling $600, education and resources to address postpartum challenges, mentorship for fathers, and a postpartum Care Bundle. To qualify, applicants must be 18 and older, onset of 32 weeks pregnant and up, or up to 8 weeks postpartum. Applicants must live, work, or receive pregnancy-related services in Manchester.

Apply Today

In response to the alarming maternal mortality rates in the United States, particularly among Black women, a new maternal health pilot program called It Takes a Village is launching this summer. The name, derived from the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child”, is used to refer to the community support needed to support a child’s well-being and development. This initiative, aimed at addressing significant gaps in maternal health care, particularly during the postpartum period or “4th trimester,” is part of a broader commitment to combat the public health crisis of racism, which was officially declared by Manchester in 2019.

“The launch of the 'It Takes a Village' Maternal Health Pilot Program marks a transformative step forward in the fight against maternal health disparities. By uniting communities, leveraging resources, and prioritizing equitable care, this program exemplifies the power of collaboration to create a healthier future for mothers and families. It truly underscores the principle that no one should face the journey of motherhood alone.”

The U.S. maternal mortality rate is higher than that of many high-income nations, with Black women facing a staggering three times higher risk of death during childbirth compared to their white counterparts – most deaths, over 80%, are likely preventable. Research indicates that social and economic factors, including systemic racism and chronic stress, are key drivers of poor maternal and infant health outcomes. Data reports that two of three maternal deaths occur after childbirth during the postpartum period, and according to The Commonwealth Fund, strengthening postpartum health services should be a priority.

In 2023, The Board of Directors allocated $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to target these maternal health disparities. The funding was intended to support the Human Services Department’s development of a program inspired by similar initiatives such as the Born in Brooklyn Baby Box model and Finnish universal baby box support benefit, with the Health Equity team leading the design, planning, and implementation. The Born in Brooklyn Baby Box pilot initiative aimed to ease the financial burden on new parents and reduce mortality rate within the first year after birth by providing a little bit of financial and mental-health support by distributing 500 “Born in Brooklyn” boxes to new families at five hospitals and health centers Born in Brooklyn

Following the allocation, the Maternal Health Working Group was formed, comprising of doulas, healthcare professionals, town employees, fatherhood specialists, educators, parents, and Manchester residents. This collaborative effort aimed to create a comprehensive financial and social assistance pilot program that supports families during the postpartum phase. Initially, the program intended to provide a one-time box of baby supplies for new families, however, identification of barriers during monthly meetings highlighted a critical lack of structural support and informal social networks for new parents. This prompted the group to design a program that fosters a nurturing environment akin to having an extended family present during post-birth recovery. Formal partnerships were formed with town businesses and organizations, such as Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN)'s Family Development Center and Women's Wellness Center, October Kitchen, Swiss Cleaners, Real Dads Forever, and Multiple Perspectives, to create a robust support network for families in need. Each provides unique supportive and evidence-based integrative health services free of charge to participants, such as wash and fold laundry delivery service, frozen meals, fatherhood support, postpartum massages, and acupuncture.

“The 'It Takes a Village' Maternal Health Pilot Program is a testament to the transformative power of community collaboration, said Director of Human Services Joel Cox. “The Town of Manchester is grateful for the support from our community partners.”

The It Takes a Village Program tracks 100 families throughout the duration of six weeks post-childbirth to provide wraparound support in the form of vouchers for services, financial support, mentorship, and education to address challenges such as isolation and loneliness, financial stress, and lack of support during the postpartum period. For six weeks, participants will be connected to these services while having empowering conversations with a member of our care team. Each week has a dedicated topic tailored to the postpartum experience such as community support, coordination of integrative health services, support systems, and more. Benefits include weekly financial assistance up to 6 weeks totaling $600, education and resources to address postpartum challenges, mentorship for fathers, and a postpartum care bundle. To qualify, participants must be 18 and older, onset of 32 weeks pregnant and up, or up to 8 weeks postpartum. Applicants must live, work, or receive pregnancy-related services in Manchester.

According to the WHO, where you live, work, and play accounts for more than half of your health and wellbeing. It Takes a Village imagines a world where Manchester, CT is a town that yields happy and thriving families. Rather than providing a one-time material benefit, It Takes a Village hopes to increase social connectivity of Manchester’s birthing community by acting as a bridge to community. It Takes a Village recognizes childbirth as more than a medical event, but a transformational experience that touches every aspect of life. So, clean laundry and someone to listen to your birthing story can go a long way.

For more information, please contact the lead program facilitators, Health Equity Coordinator Precious Edwards (pedwards@manchesterct.gov) and Health Equity Worker Jenna Gaudette (jgaudette@manchesterct.gov). For more information on the Human Services Department, please contact Director of Human Services Joel Cox (jcox@manchesterct.gov).

Why Attend?

•   Learn about police operations, from investigations to community outreach
• Experience hands-on activities like crime scene processing and K-9 demonstrations
• Build trust and strengthen relationships with your local police
• Gain insight into the challenges and responsibilities of law enforcement
• Meet like-minded community members passionate about public safety

When: Every Thursday, September 18 - November 20, 2025
Where: East Hartford Police Department
How to Register: Scan the QR code on the flyer below or visit https://www.easthartfordct.gov/citizen-police-academy

Don’t miss this chance to see behind the scenes of your police department! Space is limited, so register today. We can’t wait to meet you!