FirstLight Announces Recipients for 2025 FirstLight Sustains Grant Program

The program will provide grants to 19 organizations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania to support projects focused on public safety and services, outdoor recreation, and community improvements.

Burlington, MA – June 17, 2025 – FirstLight, a leading clean power producer, developer, and energy storage company, today announced that 19 organizations will receive funding through the company’s FirstLight Sustains competitive grant program. This successful program has awarded a total of over $240,000 to 50 organizations over the last three years to support schools, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations that promote community building and sustainability in areas where FirstLight operates across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

“We are proud to see the FirstLight Sustains program continue to grow in its third year. There was tremendous interest in the program this year,” said Andy Brydges, Director of Community Relations at FirstLight. “It is an honor to support organizations making a meaningful impact in the communities where we live and work. This year’s grants reflect our continued commitment to sustainability and community enrichment, supporting efforts in areas like food security, environmental education, public safety, accessibility, and vital social services.”

2025 FirstLight Sustains Grant Recipients – Overview & Projects

Connecticut:

• Appalachian Trail Conservancy – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, whose mission is to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, will use this funding to treat native white ash trees against the emerald ash borer at the Limestone Springs shelter and camping area along the Trail.
• Bridgewater Land Trust – Founded in 1987, the Bridgewater Land Trust is a nonprofit organization led by local residents and dedicated to conserving Bridgewater’s natural resources through land acquisition, conservation easements, farm support, and educational programs. With this funding, the Land Trust will create a 2.5-mile trail network, parking area, and signage at the new Tappen Brook Preserve.
• Horizon Wings Raptor Rehab – Horizon Wings is dedicated to rehabilitating birds of prey for release back into the wild, helping to sustain their populations, while also educating the public to foster greater environmental awareness. With this funding, Horizon Wings will remove dead trees around the raptor aviaries to ensure a safer habitat for the birds in their care.
• New Milford Police Department – The New Milford Police Department aims to enhance community quality of life by working in partnership with the public to fairly enforce laws, preserve peace, reduce fear, and ensure a safe environment for all. This funding will support on-site community policing efforts to promote safe recreation at local recreational areas.
• RiseUP – RiseUP for Arts supports artists, cities, nonprofits, companies, and community members in bringing mural projects to life. This funding will support the installation of a universally accessible Able Table and a new mural in Norwich, continuing RiseUP’s mission to create a shared vision and manage the full process of beautifying communities through public art.
• Riverside on Lake Zoar – Riverside on Lake Zoar Association, Inc. (ROLZA), one of Connecticut’s longest-running associations founded in 1927, is committed to preserving and revitalizing shared community spaces along Lake Zoar. This funding will support improvements for boat access for residents and visitors.
• Southbury Land Trust – The Southbury Land Trust is dedicated to preserving farmland, open spaces, and natural resources for the benefit of current and future Southbury residents. With this funding, the Trust will install a 300-foot boardwalk and a Wildlife Observation Deck at Spring Hill Farm Preserve.
• Water Witch Hose Company 2 – Water Witch Hose Company 2 is a volunteer fire and rescue department serving the community of New Milford, Connecticut. The organization will use this funding to purchase new Swiftwater rescue gear for over a dozen of their volunteer personnel.

Massachusetts:

• Foundation for Community Justice – Established in 2001, the Foundation for Community Justice is a volunteer-run organization that partners closely with local police, the justice system, and social service agencies to support those impacted by crime. The organization will use this funding to provide food, toiletries, and other essential items for families visiting incarcerated parents in Franklin County.
• Franklin County Fairgrounds – The Franklin County Fairgrounds, owned and managed by the Franklin County Agricultural Society, promotes agriculture, the arts, and family entertainment while preserving the historic fairgrounds. The Friends of the Franklin County Fairgrounds, the Society’s fundraising arm, will use this funding to install a mobile heating system for the historic Roundhouse, a multi-disciplinary community space, so that they can host events year-round.
• Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre – The Hilltown Youth Recovery Theatre uses a strength-based, holistic approach to support local youth through theater and the arts, inspiring personal growth and environmental stewardship. This funding will provide stipends for youth leaders who deliver intensive arts and healing experiences to struggling young people.
• Northfield EMS – Northfield EMS is an ambulance service located in Northfield, Massachusetts. The funding will support first responders by allowing the organization to purchase AEDs and training for staff to support EMS coverage during community events.
• Sheffield Elementary School – Sheffield Elementary School in Turners Falls, MA, serves about 240 students in grades 2–5 and is a Title I school offering free breakfast and lunch to all students. This funding will be used to train and integrate a comfort dog to support the well-being of students in grades 2–5.
• Stone Soup Cafe – Since its founding in 2011, Stone Soup Café has worked to break down social barriers through its Pay-What-You-Can model, bringing people together around food to promote equity, build solidarity, and foster community. This funding will support their Pay-What-You-Can Community Meal and Everybody’s Community Store programs, enhancing equitable access to healthy food.
• Town of Montague – The town of Montague will use this FirstLight funding to fabricate and install three historical interpretive signs associated with local Indigenous history and the 1676 Battle of Great Falls.
• Turners Falls Fire Department – The Turners Falls Fire Department is a combination full-time and call department serving the villages of Turners Falls, Millers Falls, and Montague City within the Town of Montague, Massachusetts. With twelve full-time and ten call members, they will use this funding to purchase water rescue dry suits, rope, rigging equipment, and flotation devices.
• Youth Climate Action Franklin County – Brick House – The Youth Climate Action Franklin County (YCAFC) aims to build climate resilience in Franklin County by implementing nature-based solutions to local climate challenges. The Brick House supports youth and family well-being through creativity, learning, and community connection. This funding will support building a pollinator garden at Unity Park to engage youth and strengthen the community.

Pennsylvania:

• Armstrong Trails – The Armstrong Trail is a 52.5-mile rails-to-trails corridor spanning Armstrong, Westmoreland, and Clarion Counties in Western Pennsylvania, dedicated to non-motorized use. Armstrong Trails focuses on protecting and converting former railroad corridors into public trails that support commuting and outdoor recreation, while preserving the corridors for future transportation and boosting local economies. The grant will be used to repair a bridge on the trail system.
• Arts of the Allegheny – Arts of the Allegheny’s mission is to enrich the cultural life of Western Pennsylvania by presenting free, high-quality, and diverse entertainment at the John P. Murtha Amphitheater and other venues. With over a decade of bringing the best live music to the city, their dedicated team strives to create unforgettable experiences. This funding will support free summer concerts at a riverside amphitheater in Kittanning.

The FirstLight Sustains review and selection committee prioritizes two key areas: 1) Climate Action & Education grants that raise awareness, foster appreciation, and improve access to conservation and sustainability initiatives, while supporting the protection, restoration, and enhancement of natural resources in our communities; and 2) Community Building grants that fund projects aimed at strengthening the places where we live and work through public safety enhancements, public art, placemaking, and community-driven services.

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