Open Doors Outdoors started as a nonprofit focused on providing military veterans and their families with opportunities to enjoy activities in nature including hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing and utility terrain vehicle adventures. These activities help veterans cope with mental health issues they often experience when they return home, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After working with veteran families, Open Doors Outdoors Executive Director Davey Edwards realized that these activities offered similar benefits to children on the autism spectrum.
In an effort to offer these programs to more children with autism in Glastonbury, Open Doors Outdoors applied for a $25,000 grant from the Norma and Natale Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The grant will allow the organization to purchase a new utility terrain vehicle (UTV) with a full enclosure to reduce the noise and exposure to the elements. Funds will support expanding the existing Glastonbury Family UTV program into the colder months, as well as support the current Snowshoe Program and Farm Run Race Series.
Open Doors Outdoors is one of 22 nonprofits serving Glastonbury residents receiving more than $400,000 through the Norma and Natale Sestero Fund at the Hartford Foundation. The Sesteros were longtime residents of Glastonbury who established the fund through their charitable remainder trusts. Their fund supports organizations that benefit people and institutions in Glastonbury in the areas of culture, health, education, social welfare, and the environment, including town beautification and preservation of heritage.
Other grants awarded are: