Grantee Spotlight: How NCCF Supports the Town’s Official Emergency Shelter at the YMCA

September is National Preparedness Month, and in New Canaan, preparedness is taking shape in a lasting and meaningful way at the New Canaan YMCA.

Thanks to a $100,000 grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation, the YMCA is completing the installation of a Combined Heat & Power system with battery storage — expected to be fully operational by late September. This innovative system will not only reduce the Y’s carbon footprint but also ensure that, during power outages, the facility can continue to provide essential services such as heating, cooling, showers, and device charging.

With this advancement, the YMCA can now serve as the Town’s official emergency shelter without relying on temporary diesel generators, which were costly, weather-dependent, and time-consuming to set up. Instead, New Canaan now has a permanent, cleaner, and instantly available source of backup power.

“This initiative strengthens an important community facility, establishes a critical emergency shelter, and advances a greater environmental cause."
– Lauren Patterson, President & CEO, NCCF

This investment goes beyond infrastructure, it’s about building resilience, sustainability, and security for all New Canaan residents.

Want to hear more? Listen to Margaret Riley, Executive Director of the New Canaan YMCA, share insights on this project at this year’s Grant Awards.