Angel of Edgewood receives $709,000 federal grant after series of burglaries – NBC Connecticut

On Tuesday, Hartford-based nonprofit Angel of Edgewood received $709,000 in federal funding following a series of burglaries in late May and early June.

“The last time you were here, I was moved to tears and now I’m overjoyed,” said Angel of Edgewood founder Jendayi Scott-Miller. “That’s a lot of meals, that’s a lot of meals we can cook once our place is up and running.”

The money, which comes from a dedicated federal grant, will be used for renovations and expansions of the nonprofit’s warehouse on Franklin Avenue. Scott-Miller said her plan is to use the funds to convert the facility into a community center.

“Most of it is primarily for construction, to get the building finished and up and running,” she said. “We want to be accessible to everyone in the community and the state.”

Senator Richard Blumenthal presided over the process and presented the grant to Scott-Miller. Scott-Miller gave him a tour of the facility and showed him the planned improvements.

“I didn’t find out we were approved until his staff called me the other day,” Scott-Miller said. “I almost fainted and I was like, ‘What?'”

Blumenthal said he knew about Angel of Edgewood’s work in the community and funds for the grant had been in the process for some time.

“The break-in and theft really sped up the process,” he said. “We started advocating for the project before the break-in, but I think the break-in just highlighted how vulnerable the facility is.”

Scott-Miller also says that security measures have been installed with community funds and that she will work closely with Hartford police to prevent further break-ins.