TEEG (Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group)

One of Centreville Bank’s main priorities focuses on funding programs that help students achieve educational success. We know there are important and positive benefits for those that obtain a college education, including career opportunities, better paying and higher skilled employment, and increased financial stability.  Our “Education Success” grants are reserved for community programs that ensure that at every age, schoolchildren are ready to learn, are engaged learners, and supported in their academic progress while building self-confidence, leadership skills and social-emotional competencies.

Education Success Profile: TEEG

TEEG’s mission is to empower people to live independently

TEEG has been working to meet the needs of low-income individuals and families in Northeast Connecticut since its inception in 1988.   The organization has established itself as a vital resource to the community offering basic needs programs which include food assistance, heating assistance, homelessness support, summer camp scholarships and client coordination to name a few. 

TEEG has long recognized that moving a family towards independence requires empowering the family members with the skills and resources to get there. No problem is as simple as “I am hungry” or “I am homeless.”  They created and delivered programming with the goal of supporting families in their child’s school success.  All students in their service area, regardless of income, have access to education and enrichment programs including youth mentoring, attendance mentoring, parent education, restorative youth justice, early childhood programs, back to school programs.   

One of TEEG's newest programs is their Attendance Mentoring Program, which was developed in 2020, to assist the Thompson Public Schools reduce absenteeism. The program supports children from pre-school through grade 12. As students exceed the allowable amount of time out of school, TEEG staff works with the youth and their families to identify the level of support that would address the need.  This newly created program soon proved to be critical as the pandemic forced schools to shut down in-person learning.  The organization pivoted quickly to modify plans for remote and hybrid support to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on school attendance. 

Funding from the Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation is helping to expand the program to serve students in the towns of Putnam, Pomfret, Woodstock and Thompson.  “With education as one of our pillars for community investment, we agree with TEEG in that absenteeism is one of the greatest obstacles to education success.  We are proud to support the organization as they work to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools and re-engage students in learning.“– Hal Horvat, President and CEO of Centreville Bank

As a grassroots community service agency serving the northeast corner of Connecticut, TEEG works quietly behind the scenes to give individuals and families the support they need to live independently and thrive.  It takes an informed and creative approach to address the core cause of an issue.  Centreville Bank and the Centreville Bank Charitable Foundation are proud to partner with TEEG as they lead the way in connecting and supporting children in school reach their potential, and by providing the tools they need to become tomorrow’s community leaders.