Senator Hochadel Secures More Than $1 Million in Additional Funding for Meriden and Cheshire

The Senate voted Tuesday to approve more than $372 million in soon-to-expire American Rescue Plan Act funding including $1 million in additional funding to support projects championed by Senator Jan Hochadel, including resources for the Meriden Boys & Girls Club and the Cheshire Health District.

The funding, approved on a 26-10 vote Tuesday, included significant funding for programs and nonprofits benefiting residents and children in Meriden, Cheshire and Middlesex County.

“By securing funding for quality programs like the Meriden Boys & Girls Club and the Middlesex YMCA, I worked to put these federal dollars to work improving the lives of children throughout my district,” Senator Hochadel, D-Meriden, said. “These initiatives will complement a boost in municipal funding for Meriden, ensuring the town can continue to provide quality education to its youngest residents.”

Among the projects funded by the ARPA legislation were $500,000 for the town of Meriden, $50,000 for the Meriden Boys & Girls Club, and $50,000 for the Middlesex YMCA. The bill also included $350,000 to renovate the local health district in Cheshire and $150,000 to support the Community Empowerment Foundation, a nonprofit book store in Cheshire that employs residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March of 2021 as a means of boosting the American economy amid a downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Every single congressional Republican voted against this funding, which has since supported initiatives including workforce development, public health and safety, and local governments across the nation.