One of the signature programs of the New Canaan Community Foundation is the Young Philanthropists Program. Each year, approximately 30 high school students come together to learn about philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and how they can have an impact on local community issues.

Each year, students identify one or more areas of interest and learn about the issue through guest speakers, visits to local nonprofit organizations, and hands-on volunteering opportunities. According to Nicole Kolenberg, community engagement officer at the New Canaan Community Foundation, “The students had their program year cut short due to the closure of schools amid the COVID-19 crisis and had to finish up the rest of program through online meetings to finalize the grants. The students were concerned with how the current crisis was not only affecting the organizations they chose to fund, but more importantly, the people these organizations serve as well.”

Combining investment earnings from the Community Foundation’s Young Philanthropists Fund (one of more than 65 funds housed at the foundation), a generous match from an anonymous donor invested in the student’s work, and donations the students raised through the annual “Most Generous Town” campaign with rival town of Darien, this year’s grant budget swelled to $20,000.

The Young Philanthropists’ 2020 grant investments are:

· ABC of New Canaan: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to provide their students a range of opportunities, including many that may not be available in their own community

· Building One Community: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to advance the successful integration of immigrants and their families

· Filling in the Blanks: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to fight childhood hunger by providing children in need with meals on the weekends

· Inspirica: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to break the cycle of homelessness by helping people achieve and maintain permanent housing and stability in their lives

· Kids in Crisis: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to provide emergency shelter, crisis counseling, and community education programs for children of all ages and families facing crisis

The Community Foundation is proud of the work put in by these students, but even more proud of the lessons learned through the decision-making process that led to these grants. Each of these Young Philanthropists leaves with a greater understanding of the world around them. These are life skills they will carry forward wherever they go.

As the class of 2020 heads into their next phase of life, the New Canaan Community Foundation hopes that every graduating student takes what they have learned and builds upon it. We know that each graduating Young Philanthropist student leaves with an eye capable of observing the world around them and the capacity to take action. Young Philanthropists can and will make a difference. Congratulations to each of them.

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Filling in the Blanks Receives $100,000 Grant from Cigna Foundation

Norwalk, CT (May 21, 2020) – Filling in the Blanks recently received a $100,000 grant from Cigna Foundation through its Healthier Kids For Our FutureSM initiative to support its Weekend Meal Program.

Filling in the Blanks works to fight childhood hunger in our local communities by providing children in need with meals on the weekends. This $100,000 award from the Cigna Foundation will fund ongoing program implementation and provide meals and regular access to food for children in Fairfield and Westchester Counties.

“We are extremely grateful to the Cigna Foundation for their commitment to creating healthy lifestyles. With this very generous grant, Filling in the Blanks will be able to expand our reach to food insecure children, “said Tina Kramer, Co-Founder and Co-President. The organization’s other Co-Founder and Co-President, Shawnee Knight shared, “Food is something no child should go without. We are committed to our mission of fighting

childhood hunger because the children we serve are the next generation of teachers, leaders, healthcare workers, scientists, and parents. The Cigna Foundation grant will allow us to expand our reach and continue serving the children in our program.”

In Fairfield County, 29,400 children do not know where their next meal will come from. Most eat breakfast and lunch at school on weekdays, but many will go from Friday lunch until Monday morning without a decent meal. The purpose of Filling in the Blanks is to remove the obstacle of food insecurity for local children by providing each student with a bag of food to take home every Friday, through the Weekend Meal Program.

“Cigna Foundation is committed to decreasing food insecurity in children throughout the country,” said Ken Seda, assistant director, Cigna Foundation. “Our Healthier Kids For The Future program allows us to work directly with nonprofits, like Filling in the Blanks, that are making meaningful impacts in their communities. Their Weekend Meal Program provides children with nutrition, but also gives them the sense of stability and security they need to thrive.”

Two of the largest barriers to food security for families and children in our local community are financial restrictions and difficulty accessing food sources. To get over those hurdles, Filling in the Blanks purchases balanced food for 3,500 children and delivers it directly to the children through their schools, after school programs or camps. Each weekend meal bag contains: two milks, two breakfast items, two entrees, a vegetable, and four snacks, and a piece of fresh fruit. Filling in the Blanks believes that all children deserve the chance to

be healthy and strong and that no child should be limited by hunger.

Since 2013, Filling in the Blanks has delivered 224,924 weekend meal bags. Data collected by Filling in the Blanks shows the weekend meal bags have decreased stress in the children’s homes, behavior has improved, hunger symptom complaints have decreased, and children are no longer coming to school starving on Monday.

About Filling in the Blanks: Filling in the Blanks works tirelessly to remove the obstacle of food insecurity for children in our local community and ease the burden on their parents or caregivers. As a result, the students receiving the weekend meal bags have improved peace of mind, ability to focus on tasks, and the ability to learn.

For more information, visit: www.fillingintheblanks.org.

The New Canaan Community Foundation recently announced $531,000 in grant investments supporting local nonprofit organizations.

https://patch.com/connecticut/newcanaan/new-canaan-community-foundation-announces-spring-grants

Press release from the New Canaan Community Foundation:

June 12 2020

The New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) recently announced $531,000 in grant investments supporting local nonprofit organizations. On June 10th, the Foundation hosted a webcast announcing the 76 local nonprofit organizations receiving new grant awards. This year’s virtual event was attended by over 100 nonprofit staff and Board members, the Foundation’s staff and Board, and many of the 80 volunteers from New Canaan who gave their time to vet these investments.

The Foundation’s annual grant process distributes funds raised from donors across the community, who give at all different levels to pool their collective resources and make their community a better place. Together, with the Foundation’s other grantmaking programs, NCCF will invest more than $1.5 million in the community this year.

Local families and businesses work with the Foundation to plan how to reach their charitable goals. Some set up donor-advised funds within the Foundation, as an efficient vehicle to manage their charitable giving. This year, the Foundation’s donor-advised fundholders co-invested over $35,000 of additional funding to the spring grants. While fundholders can give anywhere across the country, Sharon Stevenson, the Foundation’s Board Chair, called this “a testament to the shared passion for making our community a better place.”

Every year, NCCF’s grantmaking goal is to provide impactful funding for a range of programs serving our community. This spring’s 76 grants support five categories, in pursuit of the following results:

Human Services – Community members are able to meet their basic needs Arts, Culture & Community Resources – Community members benefit from New Canaan’s cultural, recreational, and other community resources

Youth & Education – Youth have the academic, social, and financial support they need to succeed

Health – Community members have the information and access to services they need to stay healthy

Seniors & Special Needs – Older adults and persons with special needs achieve and maintain a high quality of life

This year, the Foundation chose to place additional focus on several key areas – the biggest being behavioral health, for the second year in a row. Behavioral health is a broad category that includes mental health as well as substance misuse issues. For the past two years, the Foundation’s Behavioral Health Committee has overseen this strategy.

Together with this spring’s awards of $80,500 to 8 organizations, the Foundation is investing over $100,000 in this area of work – effectively doubling the investment in this area over the last two years.

Notably, the Foundation last year doubled its investments in Domestic Violence prevention and intervention, and again sustained those investments, totaling $40,000.

By dollar amount, the largest portion of resources are invested in human services, closely followed by health. The largest percentage increases in funding this year, however, supported the categories of seniors and health. Lauren Patterson, the Foundation’s President & CEO, commented on how this increased funding reflects what nonprofit organizations and community members are telling the Foundation about growing community need.

Also notable, new grantees for the Foundation’s investments this year include: Positive Directions – The Center for Prevention and Counseling, and RE/COACH, both organizations expanding behavioral health services available to our community.

Total grants this spring were made as follows. An asterisk (*) indicates co-investment by a donor-advised fund:

Human services

$173,150 to 22 organizations, ensuring community members feel safe and are supported to get their basic needs met.

All Our Kin: To support individualized coaching and other supports for family child care providers in the organization’s Norwalk/Stamford site. By building their capacity as early childhood educators, they are able to give the youngest, most vulnerable children high-quality early learning experiences.

Building One Community: To support its Workforce Preparation and Placement programs providing immigrants with research-based services that are proven to help them gain the English language and job skills that increase their employability leading to self-sufficiency.

CASA of SW Connecticut: To expand volunteer advocacy services, including the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) program. Connecticut’s CASA law became effective January 2017 and Child Advocates has successfully begun the first and only CASA program in Connecticut with plans to expand the program in Fairfield County. The CASA Legislation makes it possible for 100% of abused and neglected children to be appointed a CASA volunteer as an advocate.

Circle of Care: To support the organization’s efforts to provide practical, emotional and financial support to Connecticut families directly affected by childhood cancer, and help make the journey a little bit easier. The goal is to meet the unique, challenging, and changing needs that arise for patients and families during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants: To support affordable, high-quality immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, naturalized citizens, and foreign-born victims of serious crimes in lower Fairfield County. Many cases include domestic violence victims and are referred by partner organizations including the Domestic Violence Crisis Center.

Domestic Violence Crisis Center: To support DVCC’s Center for Legal Services and Center for Economic Empowerment, or SustainAbilityCT. Court and Legal Services attorneys and advocates ensure that victims of intimate partner violence are informed about their rights and remedies within the courts and supported in their interactions with law enforcement. The SustainAbilityCT program assists survivors to find safe, affordable housing and achieve economic security.

Exchange Club Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse of Southern CT: To support the HELP for Kids program, serving families with children ages 0-18 who are victims of child abuse or neglect and living at or below the poverty line. Interventions ensures that a family’s basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, and medical care have been met, then help parents learn positive parenting skills and access community support to assist them on an upward path.

Fairfield County House: To support the Resident Assistance Fund, so that financial barriers will not prevent people from getting the best end of life care.

Family Centers: To support for the Den for Grieving Kids, which provides an array of programs that enable children ages 3-18 to process and cope with their grief.

Family ReEntry: To support the organization’s Re-entry, Domestic Violence, and Youth & Family Programs which support the safety and self-sufficiency of families impacted by crime, violence/abuse, and incarceration.

Filling in the Blanks: To support the Weekend Meal Program, which provides food for students facing food insecurity, and to specifically expand the organization’s partnership with fellow grantee Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County, from serving 40 students to 65 early childhood students each week.

Food Rescue US: To support the organization’s volunteer-driven, community-based food rescue platform in Fairfield County. This year’s request includes updating the technology’s app platform based on learnings from the first 2 generations of mobile app-based food recovery.

Human Services Council: To support Children’s Connection, a Nationally Accredited Child Advocacy Center, which provides wrap-around case coordination, support, education and treatment services to children who have been sexually and/or physically abused and their family members. Services are available completely free of charge to individuals who live, work or were victimized in the communities of New Canaan, Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Westport.

Inspirica*: To support the Family Housing Program, Jumpstart Career Program, Early Childhood & Parenting Program, and Children’s Services Program. Inspirica’s mission is to shelter the homeless and to fundamentally break the cycle of homelessness by addressing not just the physical component, but also its underlying root causes. To this end, they have developed a unique two-generation approach to ending family homelessness that addresses all components of the family: adults and children alike.

Kids in Crisis: To support the Safe Haven for Kids, the only program available to children and families in New Canaan or the rest of CT that provides free 24/7 crisis prevention, counseling, and comprehensive emergency shelter to children under 18. Referrals come through families, friends, neighbors, schools, agencies, police, hospitals and others concerned about a child’s safety and well-being.

New Covenant Center: To support the operations of NCC’s four food programs (Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Insprica Dinner Program, and Saint Joseph’s Parenting Center’s Food Pantry) enabling New Covenant to continue providing as much food as possible as well as healthier and more nutritious food to those in need in Stamford and neighboring towns.

Open Door Shelter*: To support case management, housing and behavioral health services for individuals in the shelter seeking stabilization and housing and support the organization’s overall mission to effectively address the causes and complexities of the homeless and working poor. Open Door provides shelter, food, clothing, case management services, treatment services, transitional planning for short and long-term goals, subsidized housing, education, employment, health services, and a path towards independence and success.

Pacific House*: To support the emergency shelter’s meals program, which leverages volunteers and community donations to operate 365 days a year and serve nearly 20,000 meals each year.

Person-to-Person: To support the organization’s new Mobile Food Pantry, that launched to increase food access in Stamford, and to support the campership program, providing summer camp scholarships for children in need.

Saint Joseph Parenting Center: To support the organization’s mission to strengthen families at-risk of abuse and neglect by providing parent education and support.

Tiny Miracles Foundation: To support services for families with premature babies, including financial assistance for families, bereavement counseling, and support groups.

Women’s Mentoring Network*: To support the E to the 4th POWER Program (Employment, Education, Economic Security, Empowerment), which engages low-income women in building their job skills, financial literacy, and life skills.

Health

$130,250 to 14 organizations helping community members have the information and access to services they need to stay healthy. As part of this total, $80,500 specifically addresses behavioral health:

Health Americares Free Clinics: To support the Bob Macauley Americares Free Clinic of Norwalk, ensuring that low-income uninsured patients are able to receive medical care.

Norwalk Community Health Center: To support the organization’s mission of providing quality, innovative care that enriches the lives of our patients, from newborns to seniors, and of the community, regardless of ability to pay, primarily serving the geographic service area of Norwalk, New Canaan, Westport, Weston and Wilton.

The Rowan Center: To support the Center’s mission to provide counseling and support services to victims of sexual assault and eliminating sexual violence through community-wide education programs.

Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County: To support hospice and palliative care for New Canaan and Fairfield County families facing financial hardship.

Voices of September 11th*: To support general operating, including internships for students who learn about September 11th, other incidents of mass violence, and resiliency.

Waveny LifeCare Network: The third and final installment of a multi-year grant to support a new Outpatient Rehabilitation Center.

Behavioral Health

Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut: To support high-quality mental health services for children and teens in New Canaan and surrounding communities, regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

Laurel House*: To support the Supported Education program and provide family support. Supported Education is a free evidence-based program that helps economically disadvantaged high school and college aged children living with a mental health disability enroll and succeed in post-secondary education or vocational certification or complete a GED. It provides the coping skills, learning strategies, and skill building for individuals living with mental health disorders (and some with co-occurring disorders) that is needed to productively integrate into the local community. The program ensures successful transition of vulnerable students to a continued path toward a vocation and self-sufficiency.

Liberation Programs: To support general operating, including inpatient treatment programs, outpatient services, and resources for youth, adults, and families struggling with substance use.

Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center: To support general operating, including comprehensive behavioral health services to children and families.

New Canaan CARES: To support the organization’s mission to advance the health and well-being of youth and families through responsive educational programs that support and strengthen parenting skills, positive youth development, and healthy lifestyles. New Canaan Parent Support Group*: To support the organization’s mission to provide support for parents of loved ones struggling with substance use disorder or in early recovery; and to raise awareness about addiction, mental health and recovery in our community.

Positive Directions – The Center for Prevention and Counseling: To support the organization’s outpatient treatment services in behavioral health and substance abuse for adolescents, adults and families, as well as financial assistance for those who cannot afford out-of-pocket fees.

RE/COACH: To support the development of a team of community recovery coaches. Recovery Coaches are peer support specialists, trained with the skills and knowledge to help guide, mentor and support anyone who’d like to enter into or sustain recovery from drugs or alcohol.

Seniors & Special Needs – $81,250 to 9 organizations ensuring older adults and persons with special needs achieve and maintain a high quality of life.

ElderHouse*: To support the Subsidy Program, which ensures low-income seniors have access to its adult day services, providing aging seniors with a safe, nurturing environment where they can share time with others while receiving the care they need to continue living at home.

Family & Children’s Agency: To support expansion of social work/case management services for seniors served by the organization’s home care program.

GetAbout: To support the organization’s mission of providing transportation services to seniors and anyone with special needs in the New Canaan community.

Meals on Wheels of New Canaan*: To support meal delivery services for the growing number of New Canaan seniors aging in place.

New Canaan Mounted Troop: To support the Super Troopers equine care and adaptive riding therapeutic programs, which are dedicated to serving children and adults with special needs who reside in the local community.

New Canaan YMCA*: To support a Camp Nurse for Campers with Special Needs to be on site at the Y’s Camp Y-Ki summer camp program held at Kiwanis Park, a traditional summer camp program held at Kiwanis Park and serving children ages 5-15.

Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs: To support a comprehensive arts program, including music therapy, music, photography, movement, visual arts and literacy, for children and young adults with special needs giving them the opportunity to participate more fully in the community.

Schoolhouse Apartments*: To support the existing health and wellness programs which have been modified to recognize their aging and disabled population and to stimulate their residents to leave their rooms to get exercise, have social interaction, and take in healthy nutrition.

STAR, Lighting the Way: To support the Birth to Three Program, an in-home early intervention service for young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism, as well as family support services. The program goal is for children to enter school developmentally on-track in literacy and social, emotional and intellectual skills with a personalized transition plan.

Arts, Culture & Community Resources

$81,200 to 19 organizations working to preserve, expand, and use New Canaan cultural and recreational resources.

Connecticut Fund for the Environment: To support the restoration of the Norwalk River at Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton, Connecticut. Goal of the project is to remove a derelict dam in order to enable fish to reach critical habitat, eliminate a significant flooding hazard, and improve a community resource.

Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County: To support the Alliance’s peer networking programs, which benefit the professional development of more than 260 arts and cultural organizations serving Fairfield County.

Earthplace: To support Harbor Watch’s water quality monitoring program in the Noroton and Rippowam Rivers in New Canaan and also for support of experiential learning programs for high school and college students, including New Canaan students. Water quality monitoring will provide municipal officials with the data necessary to locate and fix pollution sources. Due to budget limitations, most municipalities do not have the funding, laboratory space, or qualified personnel to collect this critical data.

The Glass House: To support “Glass House Presents” at the New Canaan Library, an on-going series of free public talks about architecture, design, and Modernism in New Canaan and beyond. Audiences have an opportunity to interact with prominent writers, curators, and others who engage with topics related to New Canaan’s history as well as international developments in architecture and design.

New Canaan Conservation Commission – Bristow Bird/Wildwood Preserve*: To support the Commission’s efforts to restore the main trail to a more child and senior friendly walking path as part of the Bristow Bird Sanctuary & Wildwood Preserve’s master plan.

The main trail is a central artery of the Preserve acting as a “GreenLink” between Mead Park and Old Stamford Road, and eventually will be connecting Irwin Park and the Nature Center to Waveny Park.

New Canaan Garden Club: To support the Club’s work to eradicate invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, which have taken over selected portions of Irwin park. Grant funds would support a second year of goats, provided by Green Goats Farm — a more environmentally friendly alternative to the use of herbicides.

New Canaan Museum & Historical Society: To support the purchase of signage for the Hanford-Silliman House, with any additional funds to go towards UV liners for windows. New Canaan Nature Center*: To support the organization’s mission of inspiring people of all ages to respect, protect, and enjoy the world of nature through environmental education, stewardship of natural resources and service to the community.

New Canaan Society for the Arts – Carriage Barn*: To support the organization’s mission of promoting the visual and performing arts, and enriching the community through exhibitions, education, and cultural experiences, and operating the Carriage Barn Arts Center.

New England Dance Theater: To support their Arts Accessibility Program offered through NEDT In the Community and NEDT Dance! This includes: the Annual Nutcracker Benefit show; their dance demonstration series and participation in community events; classes for Carver Center and STAR, Inc.; and their Spring 2021 Carnival of the Animals inclusive ballet.

Norwalk Symphony Society: To support Not Just For Kids, a free music education program. Six presentations will be held at the New Canaan Library and and six presentations will be held for underserved populations in Norwalk. Many children who attend have never seen, held, or played a musical instrument before and are often transformed when they hear the notes, and sounds coming from their own efforts.

Pro Bono Partnership: To support free legal services to nonprofit organizations serving Fairfield County, including many Foundation grantees.

Shakespeare on the Sound: To support the Educational Outreach Program, bringing their works to a broader audience through a variety of school, library arts and adult education programs that reach a diverse cross section of our communities.

Silvermine Arts Center: To support the organization’s mission to cultivate and encourage growth through the arts; to promote and showcase artists; and to provide arts education opportunities for the greater community.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children*: To support the continuation and possible expansion of the Mutt-i-grees program in New Canaan. Mutt-i-grees is a social and emotional learning curriculum that brings shelter animals into spaces that encourage literacy, communication, empathy, and understanding. Stepping Stones recruits volunteers from their teen empowerment internship program to train as Mutt-i-grees program facilitators, and incorporates shelter animals identified through their existing partnership with Norwalk PAWS Animal Shelter.

Summer Theatre of New Canaan: To support the required replacement of much of our wireless sound equipment, due to limited supply, extensive overuse, and outdoor conditions which age equipment much faster.

Treetops Chamber Music Society*: To support four concerts at the Carriage Barn Arts Center, as well as post-concert receptions which allow for audience members to interact with the artists and ask questions, which further enhances the educational experience.

Waveny Park Conservancy: To support the restoration and enhancement of the front courtyard of Waveny House to visually enhance the entrance to the historic mansion. Funding will be used to undertake a complete restoration of the courtyard including trees, lighting, shrubs and ground cover. This grant specifically would most likely be directed to plantings and lighting.

Wildlife in Crisis: To support a new black bear habitat to provide permanent appropriate rehabilitation housing and care for cubs in the future should they become injured or orphaned.

Youth & Education

$65,300 to 12 organizations helping youth build the academic, social, and financial support they need to succeed.

ABC House of New Canaan: To support the mission to support minority students who, because of their desire to learn and participate in a strong and successful secondary education environment, will bring their talent, energy and diversity to the high school and to our community as a whole.

Carver Foundation of Norwalk: To support the Youth Development Program, which takes place at the Carver Community Center, Norwalk’s four middle and two high schools, and at Side by Side Charter School, helping seniors graduate high school on time and become first generation college students.

Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County: To support its early childhood education (birth to five years old) and support services for low-income families in Stamford and lower Fairfield County.

Domus Kids: To support the organization’s mission to empower young people to rise above adversity through academic support, social-emotional skill building, and personal and practical connections that help guide them through critical junctures to become resilient, positive contributors to their communities.

Future 5*: To support the organization’s mission serving motivated, low-income high school students in Stamford, so that they graduate with an actionable plan and the necessary resources to move on to a four-year or two-year college, trade school, professional job, or the military.

Grassroots Tennis & Education: To support the expansion of their impactful programming at the New Canaan Racquet Club through the implementation of a new winter schedule that will bring tennis, social-emotional, and academic support to children and youth in a safe nurturing environment. They are hoping to provide that experience to all of their core student-athletes.

Horizons at New Canaan Country School*: To support the organization’s mission of transforming the lives of underserved children and youth from Stamford and Norwalk through year-round academic and enrichment programs to inspire learning, encourage success, and close the opportunity gap.

INTEMPO*: To support the organization’s Music School, an afterschool music-education program that provides free or low-cost small group instrumental and choral music lessons. Intempo provides high-quality music education to low-income children predominantly from immigrant or first-generation backgrounds and from communities underrepresented in the arts, helping them build critical emotional, cognitive, and behavioral skills, and empowering them to leverage these skills to achieve life success.

LiveGirl: To support Confidence Clubs (formerly known as LiveGirlTalk) for middle school girls grades 5-8 at Saxe and NC Library. Confidence Clubs are afterschool mentoring groups that provide girls with a positive adult role model and an emotionally and physically safe BRAVE SPACE to develop self-esteem and social emotional intelligence, the building blocks of a confident leader. Grant support will also provide Camp LiveGirl scholarships for New Canaan residents, as well as New Canaan Community “Parent/Daughter” Workshops (Social Media Wellness, Know Before You Go – Sexual Assault Awareness). These workshops will serve as an ongoing resource for parents and community on a wide range of topics impacting girls today.

Mercy Learning Center: To support a variety of programming for women, including part-time tutoring, full-time classroom instruction, technology education, employment and life skills training, family literacy programs, and enrichment. Holistic support services including case management, childcare, legal counsel, nursing, citizenship application assistance, food, and diapers are freely available to all program participants.

Norwalk Community College Foundation*: To support the Summer Bridge Math Intensive Program, which prepares students who have placed into remedial math for college-level courses.

United Way of Western Connecticut: To support the Stamford Cradle to Career Initiative, a community-wide partnership working to collectively align resources to ensure that all youth succeed in education, career and life. The initiative is housed at the United Way of Western Connecticut and involves many leaders of local nonprofit organizations.

The New Canaan Community Foundation, founded in 1977, serves as New Canaan’s local partner for advice, leadership, and facilitation of charitable giving. Their vision strives for a New Canaan that comes together to address both individual and local challenges, enriching the lives of all community members. To-date, the New Canaan Community Foundation has invested more than $16 million in nonprofit organizations, working with individuals and businesses to achieve their philanthropic goals through donor-advised funds and other partnerships. Learn more at www.newcanaancf.org

It’s not too often when 11- and 13-year-olds think of helping others instead of themselves.

But that’s exactly what the Torch Club members of the Boys & Girls Club decided to do.

While the club’s facilities are closed, staff members have been running a virtual programming schedule to keep connected with the club’s membership. During last week’s virtual Zoom meeting, the club members voted to use funds from their account to send food from local establishments to Greenwich’s essential workers and first responders.

The Torch Club is a club within the Boys & Girls Club that fosters character and leadership skills for boys and girls ages 11 to 13. Members elect officers and work together to implement projects and raise funds throughout the year. While members routinely hold toiletry or food drives for the community, they typically raise funds that are spent on field trips or pizza nights for themselves.

“In light of the current environment, the youth decided that focusing on the essential workers of the Greenwich community was the right thing to do,” said Torch Club advisor and 2019 National Boys & Girls Club of America Advisor of the Year, Camryn Ferrara.

“Because Camryn and Ashley continually ask us to be our best, they inspire, encourage and motivate us to be good citizens and help those who help our community,” said Torch Club President, Jasmine Scott, a seventh grader at Western Middle School. Ferrara is co-advisor with Ashley Culver.

Torch Club had food delivered to the first responders the week of April 13.

The Police Department received sandwiches from Corbo’s Deli, workers at Greenwich Hospital received sandwiches from Garden Catering, paramedics at GEMS received sandwiches from Firehouse Deli, and Firefighters received pizza from Bella Nonna.

Along with the food, the first responders received notes from the youth. Western Middle School seventh grader Sydney Niemynski wrote, “Thank you for all your hard work. Your effort is not going unrecognized. I hope that you can find peace during this hectic time and that things start to calm down soon. I hope that you can get some rest and spend time with your family soon.”

Next week, deliveries will be made to essential workers, such as grocery store employees, and US Post Office workers.

In addition to club youth donating food to first responders and essential workers, members of the Boys & Girls Club staff have been volunteering in tandem with other local agencies. “Our Staff has recently begun supporting the combined efforts of Transportation Association of Greenwich and Neighbor to Neighbor to deliver food to members in our community who rely on the food pantry for their daily meals,” said Bobby Walker, Jr, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich.

According to Walker, the Boys & Girls Club is helping Community Centers, Inc. of Greenwich with delivering food to some of the families they support, and their parking lot is used for Meals on Wheels and Filling in the Blanks food pick-ups as well.

“Through direct connections with the United Way and Greenwich Hospital, I have been able to stay informed on the latest developments on the Town’s needs every week, and the Club is proud to provide support when asked,” Walker said.

https://greenwichfreepress.com/around-town/giving/boys-girls-club-is-closed-but-youth-are-supporting-the-community-in-new-ways-138337/

Beyond the gleaming office towers overlooking I-95 in Stamford and the pleasure boats that frequent the city’s marinas, thousands of city residents are struggling with hunger, a situation worsened by the pandemic.

Severe food needs in Stamford, which has the most COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, reflect the state and national food emergency wrought by record unemployment. Consistent with the national experience, Latino and black residents, who comprise about 40% of the city’s population, are disproportionately contracting COVID-19 and losing low-wage work. Latinos comprise 26% (33,000) of Stamford’s population, blacks 14% (17,000).

The Brookings Institution has reported that more than one in five households nationally were food insecure by the end of April. The Connecticut Food Bank, which services 270,000 people in its region, projects that the pandemic will result in as many as 187,000 additional state residents becoming food insecure.

A 2018 DataHaven survey titled the Fairfield County Community Wellbeing Index found that food insecurity was experienced in Stamford by 17% of blacks, 13% of Latinos, and 9% of residents overall. The pandemic and resulting loss of jobs have heightened that food insecurity. Social services providers say the crisis illuminates ethnic and racial disparities in health and income that lead to food insecurity.

Many immigrants are undocumented and can’t get unemployment compensation, said Catalina Horak, executive director of an immigrant program called Building One Community, which offers educational and social programs. She says immigrants have lost jobs in restaurants, hotels, construction, landscaping, and as housekeepers and nannies without “the luxury of working from home.” According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, immigrants comprise 34% of Stamford’s population of 129,775.

Building One Community has transformed into a temporary emergency agency with an onsite food pantry. It is also providing gift cards, Horak said. She gets about 100 calls daily from immigrants who are “very, very desperate,” she said.

Horak wondered if, after the pandemic, the Stamford community will “flip the switch and pretend nothing happened.” She said, “It has become more clear than ever that there are huge disparities in Stamford. Are we going to address them by giving money and food to the most vulnerable for a few months, or are we going to use this opportunity to understand the underlying issues and address them?”

“I think that’s what will define us,” Horak said.

‘We Make It Work’

Before the pandemic, more than 57% of Stamford public school children received subsidized school meals, said Associate Superintendent Olympia Della Flora. She predicts that number will rise based on increased unemployment and a statewide surge of applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The school system now gives Grab-and-Go meals to any Stamford families that have asked for them. Between March 13 and April 29, about 131,000 meals were distributed in multi-meal packages, she said.

Lynn McKee gets food for her 5-year-old grandson from Grab-and-Go and from Filling in the Blanks, a nonprofit that provides items like applesauce, cereal and pasta. Disabled and unemployed, McKee receives $34 a month in SNAP benefits. She doesn’t complain. “I don’t want to be ungrateful,” she said, adding, “We make it work.”

Filling in the Blanks, which provides weekend meals to low-income children, added two weekday distributions in Stamford because “parents really need the extra food,” said Tina Kramer, co-director. The organization is facing a potential loss of $500,000 in fundraising due to canceled events, she said.

Shirl Bond has stopped going to food pantries to supplement SNAP because she is afraid of contracting the virus. “There’s too many people out there,” Bond said. Her 11-year-old daughter gets Filling in the Blanks meals, which Bond said provides “extra food in the house when we run out.”

‘We Can’t Go Back’

The myriad food programs in Stamford are scrambling for food and money due to skyrocketing demand, supply shortages, canceled fundraisers, and fewer volunteers as people stay home. Some organizations have added home delivery, established virtual fundraisers, and closed mobile pantries that are too small to maintain social distancing.

Person-to-Person, which operates food pantries and provides emergency financial help in seven communities, has seen monthly food costs rise from $15,000 to $32,000, said Nancy Coughlin, chief executive officer. She said the agency, which usually fed about 7,000 Stamford residents annually, now serves nearly 1,000 more. A recent virtual fundraiser brought in more than $400,000 with the help of a $200,000 matching grant from two people.

“I worry since we’re not feeling the burden equally, it might be too easy when this is said and done to go back to the way it was,” Coughlin said. “We really can’t go back to the way it was.”

Coughlin has shifted from buying mostly from the Connecticut Food Bank to buying from wholesalers. Grocery stores no longer have surplus food to donate to the Connecticut Food Bank. Now, the food bank can’t meet all of her needs, she said.

Kathleen Lombardo, executive director of the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, said she’s competing for groceries with other nonprofit agencies buying food. “If they didn’t take it, the food bank would have it” to distribute to them and other agencies, she said. First responders recently collected 7,000 pounds of food for her food bank.

The Connecticut Food Bank is buying from wholesalers now as well, said spokesman Paul Shipman. He said that from early March through the end of April, the food bank purchased 2.8 million pounds of food, compared to 2 million pounds all last year.

Cara Mitchell, food policy manager of United Way of Western Connecticut, explained that worry about running out of food is also a sign of food insecurity, a factor not addressed in the 2018 County Wellbeing Index.

“I hope that whatever we are able to rebuild after this virus will bring a more just food system,” she said, adding, “It’s hard to be optimistic right now with everything’s that’s going on.”

“I think everybody is concerned about what the next 12 to 18 months will look like and how we’re going to get through this,” Mitchell said.

Thousands of school children in Connecticut’s richest county are hungry on the weekends. Nonprofit Filling in the Blanks (FIB) has strived to fill those bellies and on a typical Friday would have free take-home meals for Saturday and Sunday available to 2,500 children — all of whom rely on free or reduced-price lunch to meet their nutritional needs while school is in session.

But March 20 was not your typical Friday: No school was in session and the organization’s co-founders/co-directors Shawnee Knight and Tina Kramer scrambled to make alternate plans so their usual weekend meal recipients in Greenwich, Norwalk, Stamford and Bedford Hills, N.Y., would have adequate food items to carry them through.

“It changed minute by minute,” recounted Shawnee Knight. She said the non-profit had begun making school deliveries earlier in the week while schools were open and arranged for other drive-up locations, including a church and childcare center Thursday and Friday as the coronavirus impact made its harsh landing.

The effort resulted in providing supplemental food bags of breakfast and lunch items, fruit and snacks for 1,100 children.

“This week again we’re trying to find new ways and locations to get them out and try to confirm that those same locations are still okay to use,” Knight told Daily Voice Plus. In order to maintain social distancing, the operation is being run by the founders, along with some paid staff and a driver, but not the usual volunteers that help the energetic operation run smoothly in normal times.

Knight said measures are being taken to protect everyone doing the work. “Our bags are packed and sealed and everybody is wearing gloves. We’re leaving them [the meals] in a receptacle outside the pick-up locations.”

FIB has partnered with several organizations to provide these weekend food bags at no cost to families and is committed to serving the community throughout the current COVID-19 Pandemic.

“Having multiple organizations come together to help those most affected by the COVID19 Pandemic is necessary and essential to the community,” said Knight, “Now more than ever, local families need a lift,” said Yenny Toone, Family Centers’ director of Early Childhood and partner of FIB. “With so many people out of work as a result of the COVID-19 situation, healthy food is one of those basic living necessities that is becoming increasingly difficult for people to afford. Our partnership with Filling in the Blanks allows us to provide some relief to our most vulnerable families.”

“We are thankful for the support of our partner agencies, volunteers and employees. Without them we would not have been able to coordinate deliveries to food-insecure children during this uncertain time,” added Kramer.

Their remaining challenge is getting the word out and raising money in our new reality, Knight noted.

A golf outing and other charity events have been canceled amid the health crisis but funding is still necessary to run the charity and purchase food from a warehouse.

“We’re running a virtual food drive now,” said Knight. “The biggest challenge is needing more donations and obviously securing locations to bring the meals and getting the word out that we have meals for the children.”

For information about the virtual food drive going on now during the coronavirus crisis, click here. “Our goal is to get the food to the children that need it,” said Knight.

By Dave Stewart 4:04 pm EDT, Thursday, April 30, 2020

Photo: Erik Trautmann / Hearst Connecticut Media Person-to-Person Site Director Greg Dobbs and Site Associate Susana Alvarado help clients as they receive food at their Norwalk facilty Tuesday, April 28, 2020, in Norwalk, Conn.

NORWALK — With the COVID-19 outbreak resulting in the loss of jobs for many families, local food pantries and services have become a much-needed lifeline within the city.

Getting food to those in need is essential, but keeping the shelves of the pantries stocked has become exceedingly difficult.

“In Norwalk, while the pantries are giving food, they’re unable to meet the demand,” said Lamond Daniels, Norwalk’s chief of community services. “There were people already struggling pre-COVID, so those families are even more vulnerable and they still need support and assistance, especially food. But we’re also finding people who have never had to ask for assistance now saying they need food as well.”

While speaking to active pantries, Daniels said they’ve estimated demand for food is up 50 percent since early March, with much of that going to individuals and families who are suddenly in need. That’s created an educational curve to let people know what’s available.

“That’s where we’re seeing the volume of individuals and families reaching out to the local non-profits, whether it’s a pantry, rental assistance, or any of the different programs that are offered,” Daniels said. “It is putting a lot of stress on the system that we have in place.”

With that in mind, Mayor Harry Rilling, Daniels and city officials have been working to make sure people are aware of the available resources and how to navigate them.

“We want to provide those resources to those who may not even know that these services exist,” Daniels said. “Then, they’ll hopefully be able to reach out and those services can work with those families or individuals to get them the support that they need. We’re working to make that information available — whether it’s through social media or different social platforms that we have in the municipality.”

The food shortage is part of a statewide issue as municipalities struggle to cope with the growing number of unemployed individuals and families. There have been more than 400,000 new unemployment claims since early March.

“Food distributions are one of the most, I think, visible and emotional proofs of this pandemic,” said Paul Shipman, spokesman for the Connecticut Food Bank, which provides commodities to pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and more. “We are working hard to meet (the increased need) and, clearly, it’s a challenge.”

There are many ways for individuals and businesses to help during the crisis, and they can do so in several ways, according to Daniels.

“For those that are asking what can I do or where can I help, my response is: food,” Daniels said. “Whether it’s different organizations, social or cultural groups who want to do some food drives, or from the business community, we need funds. The pantries, while they all receive services from the Connecticut food banks, but they’re strained too.”

Many of the pantries have existing relationships with donors and are doing their own internal fundraisers, Daniels said. They then use those funds to purchase food at grocery stores, but that’s at market rate and funds can disappear quickly.

“So reach out to the local pantry and if they have the wherewithal and the means, they can make a financial contribution so that pantry can continue to stock their shelves,” Daniels said.

The local food services include the larger and well-known groups such as Person-to-Person, Open Door Shelter and the Norwalk Salvation Army, as well as services such as Meals on Wheels, Norwalk Senior Services, Filling in the Blanks and St. Philip Church. That’s in addition to smaller, local pantries that are providing help in some neighborhoods.

“We are asking funders to reach out to any pantry to support, because they all need help,” Daniels said. “There are larger ones, but there’s also smaller pantries that provide, and in these smaller neighborhoods, that may be the closest pantry that a resident can get to. So we’re asking people not to forget the smaller pantries that people may rely on. The small ones provide a great need as well.”

The city has also teamed with schools and community centers to provide breakfast and lunches to Norwalk children, between the ages of 2 and 18, on weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. Meals for the weekend are available on Friday. Children do not have to be enrolled in Norwalk schools to receive meals.

Those meals are available at numerous sites, including Ben Franklin Community Center (165 Flax Hill Road), Brien McMahon High School (300 Highland Ave.), Carver Community Center (7 Academy St.), Columbus Magnet School (46 Concord St.), Jefferson Elementary School (75 Van Buren Ave.), Kendall Elementary School (57 Fillow St.), Marvin Elementary School (15 Calf Pasture Beach Road), Nathaniel Ely Center/Maritime Odyssey Preschool (11 Ingalls Ave.), Ponus Ridge Middle School (21 Hunters Lane), Nathan Hale Middle School (176 Strawberry Hill Ave.), and Tracey Magnet School (20 Camp St.).

The local food services include Person-to-Person (203-939-1650), Open Door Shelter (203-866-1057), Norwalk Salvation Army (203-866-2125), Meals on Wheels (203-847-3115), Norwalk Senior Services (203-847-2830), Filling in the Blanks (203-750-0019), and St. Philip Church (203-847-4549).

Information about the Norwalk Public Schools food service is available at 203-899-2990.

david.stewart@hearstmediact.com; @dstewartsports

https://www.thehour.com/news/coronavirus/article/Norwalk-food-pantries-running-low-as-coronavirus-15233125.php#item-85307-tbla-10

St. Luke’s + Filling in the Blanks Virtual 5K

There are times when you have to DO something. When students were sent home to complete the rest of their school year from home, Filling in the Blanks (FITB) took immediate action. This community organization is built on filling in the blanks caused by weekends without school-provided nutrition. Now without the daily meals provided at school the need is even greater (while school districts continue to make food available, reports are that its a bit lighter than what they would normally get, and for some students the challenge of getting to school to pick it up is insurmountable). So Filling in the Blanks has been doubling down on their efforts to make sure that students in our community aren’t going hungry.

St. Luke’s School has had a long-standing relationship with Filling in the Blanks so it was only natural that the St. Luke’s community would want to be a part of FITB’s extra efforts during this time. The St. Luke’s Service Board and Athletic Department joined forces to host a Virtual 5K on Tuesday, May 5 (Giving Tuesday) to raise money for FITB. People sign up to participate and are welcome to run or walk their 5K anytime during the day. “In addition to registering for the walk/run, we’d love for people to also get sponsors for their participation,” St. Luke’s Director of the Center for Leadership Kate Parker-Burgard commented, “to deepen the impact of the event.” When the idea first came up, the school sports teams were especially enthusiastic about it. Varsity Girls Lacrosse co-captain Phoebe Kurth ‘20 said, “I’m excited for all the SLS spring sports teams to be gathering virtually for this event. Although we didn’t get to have the seasons we wanted, it will be nice to come together as a community and also support FITB. “ Junior Hayden Critchel, Varsity Boys Lacrosse co-captain added, “the virtual 5k will be an amazing experience that helps support our local families!” We hope that everyone will join us for it. 

Tina Kramer of Filling in the Blanks says “Working with St. Luke’s on the Virtual 5K was a natural fit as all three of my children have either attended or are currently attending the school. It is a wonderful way for the students to embody the school’s mission ‘Enter to learn go forth to serve’.  We are grateful for our continued partnership”.

Shawnee Knight Co-Founder said that “We’ve been working with St Luke’s side by side for years now and this 5K is a great way to keep all of us connected while we are social distancing.”

Here’s how you can support this effort

• Join us on May 5 at 4 pm for the Virtual 5K to Outrun Hunger (you can actually do the run anytime you want, but the SLS community will have a Zoom kick off at 4). You will do the run/walk through your neighborhood. If your neighborhood isn’t conducive to this, then do 30-40 minutes of exercise at your home. Register for the run here.

• Once you sign up, please post this web link on your social media and ask people to sponsor you by writing your name in the section that says, “On behalf of…” (sponsors should choose “other” and write in your name or team)

If you’re unable to participate in the event, please sponsor someone (or a team, or the SLS community) by donating here.

From left, volunteers Connie Begetis and P.J. Johns hand out meals to families on Friday, April 17, 2020 in Stamford, Connecticut. As part of the Grab and Go Meals that Stamford Schools is providing to families, Johns, a resident of Darien is volunteering with a Norwalk based non profit Filling in the Blanks, helping supplement [weekend meals].

STAMFORD — As the number of coronavirus cases in the city escalated over the last month, so did the number of volunteers willing to help with emergency response efforts.

More than 500 citizens have signed up to check on senior citizens, direct traffic at COVID-19 testing sites, make deliveries to people who are quarantined, hand out grab-and-go meals to children and sew protective masks. Some support the Medical Reserve Corps, a national network of retired doctors, nurses and other professionals who help towns handle public-health emergencies.

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