During the May 14 annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive to “Stamp Out Hunger” Person-to-Person’s food pantry received more food donations — valued at over $43,500 — than it did the previous year, according to the Darien-based organization. This current stock should last about two months, according to Darien Site Manager Sophie Neumann. Throughout the morning and into the late afternoon of Saturday, May 14, grocery bags (provided by Palmer’s Darien, which donated 6,500 of them) filled with donated food were delivered to Person-to-Person. The bags arrived in multiple waves of postal trucks and private vehicles assigned to specific neighborhoods for pick-up. Community volunteer Jane Yezzi and Neumann said the day was an enormous success.
Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Darien Toy Box at 1064 Boston Post Road, the P2P Youth Group will be collecting toys for the Person-to-Person’s annual holiday “Toy Store.”
If you’re planning a trip to the Darien Toy Box — or you’ll be in the area — we hope you’ll buy and donate a toy for the children of P2P clients. About P2P Holiday “Toy Store”
Every December, Person-to-Person hosts a pop-up Toy Store, where clients “shop” for their children’s holiday presents. Families select a toy and a book for each child, plus a board game for the entire family to enjoy. While the parents shop, children are entertained. Volunteer elves accompany each shopper and wrap each present in festive holiday paper.
Saturday, May 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Darien Toy Box at 1064 Boston Post Road, the P2P Youth Group will be collecting toys for the Person-to-Person’s annual holiday “Toy Store.”
If you’re planning a trip to the Darien Toy Box — or you’ll be in the area — we hope you’ll buy and donate a toy for the children of P2P clients. About P2P Holiday “Toy Store”
Every December, Person-to-Person hosts a pop-up Toy Store, where clients “shop” for their children’s holiday presents. Families select a toy and a book for each child, plus a board game for the entire family to enjoy. While the parents shop, children are entertained. Volunteer elves accompany each shopper and wrap each present in festive holiday paper.
“There’s a photo contest going on today and your vote can help a nonprofit win $! Just search the hashtag #FairfieldCountyGives to find these images. At 4 p.m., the two photos with the most “likes” will win a cash prize.” — an announcement from the Fairfield County Community Foundation on Facebook. Here’s some more information
These Darien two organizations are participating, with links to their Twitter feeds (when available) or go here on Facebook to search for their submitted photo to like — but do it by 4 p.m. Monday:
One of the most transformative initiatives at Person-to-Person is the Scholarship Program, established in 1968 to provide financial assistance to college students from low-income households, many of whom are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Over the last 10 years, more than 1,700 students have been awarded over $3.6 million in scholarships. Among P2P Scholars, the graduation rate is an impressive 79 percent, a figure well above the national average of 20 percent for students from low-income households. _________
— an announcement from Person-to-Person
_________
With the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, each year P2P recognizes the considerable achievements of two college seniors who demonstrate a high degree of integrity and responsibility as well as a commitment to community service. In recognition of their accomplishments, each student is awarded $1,000 for use in attaining professional or academic post-graduate goals.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Person-to-Person will be collecting non-perishable foods at three polling locations in town to help stock the P2P Food Pantry in Darien. _________
This announcement is from Person-to-Person. _________
For your convenience, P2P donation boxes will be at each of the three polling locations in town (35 Leroy Ave., Noroton Heights Fire Department and Town Hall). In Fairfield County, nearly 12 percent of our neighbors are struggling with food insecurity.
An announcement from Person-to-Person on Facebook:
P2P welcomes Damone Johnson as a full-time caseworker in the Darien office
Damone worked as a Case Planner at the Children’s Aid Society’s General Preventive Program. He also served as an intern at the Community School Student Partnerships, a program dedicated to providing inner city youth with academic enrichment opportunities to help improve math and reading performance in West Philadelphia public schools. Damone is founder of the Spoken Word Project, a faith-based youth poetry group based out of the Bronx aimed at spreading positivity and improving writing and public speaking skills in the community through poetry writing and performance. Damone earned his BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
An announcement Wednesday issued by Person-to-Person:
A member of the Person-to-Person Board of Directors for the past eight years, Rebecca Wilson was elected to the two-year term at the board’s Annual Meeting in June. Wilson first joined the board’s Executive Committee in 2009, serving as chair of the Scholarship Committee and as Vice President. Her involvement with P2P reflects Wilson’s passion for helping others maximize their full potential through education, counseling, training and development. Wilson is an adjunct faculty member with the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and Norwalk Community College Human Services Program. Certified in School Counseling and School Social Work by the State of Connecticut, Wilson is currently employed by the Stamford Public Schools as a High School Counselor.
Sarah Faeth, formerly an assistant caseworker at Person-to-Person, has been promoted to caseworker, P2P has announced. Here’s the announcement from the organization’s Facebook page:
Sarah joined Person-to-Person in September 2014 as the Casework Program assistant, a part-time position in which she served as the liaison between clients and caseworkers. Less than a year later, she has been promoted to a full-time caseworker position in the Darien office. With a background in various mental health and non-profit settings, education management and marketing, Sarah has brought a diverse skill set to P2P. Sarah earned her BA in psychology and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies from Wesleyan University and master’s in social work from Southern Connecticut State University.