Our work centers around working with remarkable organizations across Greater Hartford County
2025 Grant Recipients
East Hartford Senior Center
The East Hartford Senior Center serves as a vibrant hub for residents aged 55 and older, offering a wide array of programs and services designed to promote well-being, social engagement, and lifelong learning. Members can also enjoy cultural activities such as movie matinees, painting classes, and book discussions, in addition to accessing vital assistance with housing, transportation, and social services. There is no membership fee for East Hartford residents, making it an accessible and valuable resource for the community's seniors.
This grant facilitates free weekly Core Yoga and Exercise and Energize classes for 30+ seniors. These classes promote strength, flexibility, and connection.
New Horizons Village
New Horizons Village provides housing and support services for people with physical disabilities who want to live in a community that maximizes opportunities for independent, self-directed living.
This grant extends the 2024 grant issued to support an inclusive Boccia Ball program for residents with physical disabilities, in partnership with Gaylord Sports Association. This adaptive sport builds community, movement, and fun.
The Newington Senior and Disabled Center
The Newington Senior and Disabled Center is a nationally accredited facility dedicated to enhancing the well-being of adults aged 55 and older, and individuals aged 18 and older with disabilities. It acts as a comprehensive resource, providing a diverse range of programs and services focused on health, recreation, education, and social support. The center also offers essential support services, including an Information and Referral Center, Medicare Savings Program assistance, and a Senior Community Cafe providing nutritious meals. With affordable membership fees (often waived for Newington residents who cannot afford it), the Newington Senior and Disabled Center strives to be a vital community hub, fostering independence and an improved quality of life.
This grant will purchase a new recumbent bike to meet high demand in their fitness room, helping hundreds of seniors stay active and heart-healthy.
Windsor Senior Center
The Windsor Senior Center, a welcoming resource for individuals aged 55 and older, is dedicated to fostering an active and engaged senior community. It provides a rich calendar of recreational activities, social services, and preventative health programs. Offerings include a wide variety of fitness classes, enrichment programs, and health and wellness clinics. The center also organizes numerous special events and trips, encouraging exploration and connection. For Windsor residents, there is no cost to join, while non-residents can become members for an annual fee, ensuring a broad reach for its valuable services.
This grant expands their Health & Wellness Scholarship Fund to help seniors with limited income access vital programs like yoga, fitness classes, and gym memberships.
Plainville Senior Center
The Plainville Senior Center is a key resource for residents aged 60 and older, as well as individuals with disabilities, focusing on enhancing their quality of life through a broad spectrum of programs and services. Beyond recreation, the Plainville Senior Center provides crucial support including meals-on-wheels distribution, transportation services, benefits counseling, and veteran advocacy. Membership is free for Plainville residents aged 60 and over, with a yearly fee for non-residents, ensuring that this vital community hub remains accessible and enriching for a wide population.
This grant will enhance their PEAK Fitness Center with new resistance equipment and add a tai chi class to promote strength, balance, and fall prevention.
Farmington Valley YMCA
The Farmington Valley YMCA offers a wide range of programs and facilities designed to promote healthy living and community engagement for all ages, including a strong focus on seniors. For older adults, they provide various fitness classes such as strength training, chair yoga, and aqua fitness, many of which are included with membership and cater to diverse abilities. The Y also offers social programs like workshops, game days, and book clubs, fostering connection and community among its senior members.
This grant will purchase additional chairs and free weights to accommodate the growing demand in their senior fitness programs, ensuring safe and inclusive classes.
2024 Grant Recipients
Summit Adaptive
Summit Adaptive Sports is a nonprofit organization that provides access and instruction in outdoor sports including alpine skiing and snowboarding to individuals with acquired or developmental disabilities.
For the 2024 grant cycle, OAH Stride supported Summit Adaptive Sports' Get Out On The Trails program. This innovative program introduces individuals with disabilities and their families to outdoor experiences through adaptive equipment and support services
New Horizons Village
New Horizons Village provides housing and support services for people with physical disabilities who want to live in a community that maximizes opportunities for independent, self-directed living. New Horizons partnered with Gaylord Sports Association to bring a Bocci ball program to New Horizons Village. Individuals of all abilities can participate and New Horizons plans to utilize ramps and head pointers that will assist athletes with physical disabilities.
Riverfront Recapture
Riverfront Recapture is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. They manage, maintain, and operate four riverfront parks and their connected riverwalks and trails. Their mission is to connect people with the Connecticut River, and they do just that, year-round, in clean and safe parks.
The 2024 grant focused on Riverfront Recapture's CT Adaptive Rowing Program (CARP). The grant will enable CARP to purchase additional safety equipment, enhancing accessibility and ensuring the continued success of this program for individuals with physical limitations.
Achilles International
Achilles International helps people with disabilities by offering athletic programs and social connections. They've empowered over 150,000 people with disabilities to participate in athletic events since 1983. This grant funded Achilles International’s participation in the Hartford Marathon to cover race registration fees for 17 athletes, adaptive equipment tune-ups for handcycles, and a dedicated team tent with accessible restrooms on race day.
The Hartford Marathon Foundation
Hartford Marathon Foundation’s mission is to promote healthy living through fitness and physical activity for people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, gender identities, orientations and experience levels. Their main focus is the flagship Eversource Hartford Marathon annual event, engaging more than 53,000 people in 2023. This grant funded the Adaptive Athlete Zone at The 2024 Eversource Hartford Marathon to provide wheelchair athletes with an inclusive, private space.
Hospital for Special Care
Hospital for Special Care provides an acclaimed spectrum of medical treatment for complex rehabilitation and chronic disease for both children and adults augmented by a range of outpatient rehabilitative services. This grant funded tennis equipment for the 2024 Adaptive Sports Camp.
2023 Grant Recipients
Summit Adaptive
Participating in sports provides lifelong opportunities for physical and mental development as well as opportunities for individual accomplishment and inclusive family activities. Summit Adaptive Sports is a non profit organization that provides access and instruction in outdoor sports including alpine skiing and snowboarding to individuals with acquired or developmental disabilities.
Summit Adaptive’s skiing and snowboarding adaptive programs have continued to grow since beginning with Ski Sundown 18 years ago. Over the last two seasons they have provided over 400 adaptive lessons each winter to over 150 athletes.
During the 2024 Ski Season, OAH Strides Operations Chair Cathy Memmo visited the Summit Adaptive team, below is her experience -
It was an honor to meet the Summit Adaptive Ski Team, one of OAH Stride’s 2023 grant recipients. This alliance was such a natural fit because Summit Adaptive Sports and OAH Strides both share a commitment to fostering physical, emotional, and social well-being through the transformative power of movement and mobility.
Karen Cook and the volunteers serve as catalysts for positive change, fostering an environment that removes barriers to physical limitations while encouraging the athletes to embrace their full potential. Through adaptive sports programs and innovative approaches, they create avenues for people to challenge their limits, build confidence, and cultivate a true sense of teamwork.
In addition to the race equipment, part of the grant funds were used to buy team jackets for the ski team. These jackets that were purchased as part of the grant give the athletes a feeling of unity and camaraderie and a shared identity and purpose. Whether on the field or off, donning the team jacket creates an instant connection, reinforcing bonds and igniting the spirit that propels teams to success.
It was really special to see the lasting friendships that were being formed, the sense of respect for one another's abilities and the sense of community united by the transformative power of sport and "Making Moves Together".
Capitol Squash
The mission of Capitol Squash is to empower youth of Hartford to reach their potential as athletes, students, and engaged citizens. Capitol Squash strives to provide youth with life-changing opportunities through the sport of squash, intensive educational support, mentoring, and community service activities.
Capitol Squash was one of OAH Strides 2023 Grant recipients, receiving funding to send 20 students to compete at the Squash + Education Alliance Team Nationals in Philadelphia.
It was a weekend brimming with intense squash matches and unforgettable moments. Capitol Squash’s efforts yielded impressive results with victories across multiple divisions. Notably, the Co-ed Middle School Team clinched the top spot, emerging as champions in the Middle School Boys B Division. The Middle School Girls, High School Boys, and High School Girls teams showcased their skills and determination, securing commendable third-place finishes in their respective divisions.
Riverfront Recapture
Riverfront Recapture is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. They manage, maintain, and operate four riverfront parks and their connected riverwalks and trails. Their mission is to connect people with the Connecticut River, and they do just that, year-round, in clean and safe parks.
In May of 2024, our Operations Chair, Cathy Memmo, and Treasurer, Kay Miranda spent an afternoon on the water with Riverfront Recapture. Below is their experience -
One of our grants from the 2023 campaign was to Riverfront Recapture as they were looking to purchase a coxed quad rowing shell. This shell is used by middle school and high school students.
We were so lucky to have an absolutely beautiful Friday afternoon on the water with the team. We met Coach Evan and he welcomed us on board the launch as the shells were launched from the dock. Rowing is truly the ultimate team sport as everyone in the shell has to move with the same intention to move down the river.
Coach Evan has such a calm way as he helps these young rowers improve while also allowing them to have fun on the river. He began his rowing career with Riverfront Recapture as a high school student and became very passionate about the sport and he passes this on to the young rowers he coaches.
Connecticut Children’s
Connecticut Children's Medical Psychiatric Integrated Care Unit offers comprehensive support and treatment to children and adolescents aged 6-17 facing complex medical and psychiatric needs. They utilize an inclusive approach that combines trauma-informed care with state-of-the-art medical capabilities and a multidisciplinary team to ensure the best possible outcomes for their patients.
Thoughtfully Designed Environment:
The hospital's inpatient unit was meticulously designed to accommodate up to 12 patients with complex medical and psychiatric needs. All rooms are private and feature individual bathrooms, with dedicated larger rooms available for those requiring assistive devices.
Promoting Wellness and Healing:
The Connecticut Children's team fosters a sense of well-being and healing throughout a patient's stay by providing a variety of touchpoints. Residents have access to a comfortable shared community space, a rehabilitative gym for physical therapy, private consultation and treatment rooms for individual needs, dedicated sensory-friendly rooms to promote calmness, and much more.
The Grant from OAH Strides sponsored exercise equipment for the Integrated Care unit.
The programming at the Med/Psych Unit has been designed to integrate the choice of either the treadmill or yoga/mindfulness into the day of each patient to help teach those children to build life tools that can be used beyond their inpatient stay. The new Med/Psych unit officially opened in Spring 2024.