You can help get food to people nearby who could really use a hand. Use yours to fill a bag and leave it for letter carriers next Saturday. — an announcement from Person to Person
Person to Person is participating in the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger (Postal) Food Drive on Saturday, May 14. Residents of Darien, Norwalk, Wilton and Stamford will receive a P2P branded grocery bag in their mailboxes, thanks to the amazing letter carriers that deliver the mail. We need you to FILL THE BAGS with food for the P2P pantries, and leave for your letter carrier, or P2P volunteer, to pick up on Saturday, May 14.
Person to Person is co-hosting a free vaccination clinic on Friday, Feb. 4 at its Darien site, 1864 Post Road, in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. — an announcement from Person to Person
This clinic is for ages 12 years old and over and is open to the public. All three brands of vaccine will be available (Moderna, Pfizer and J&J) so this is appropriate for anyone who needs a first dose, second dose or booster. Participants are asked to please bring a health insurance card and photo ID if they have them, but it is not necessary to have health insurance or ID to receive the vaccine.
Person to Person (P2P), has launched a special St. Valentine’s Day fundraising campaign, “Honey 4 Your Honey,” offering Darien residents delivery of a one-pound jar of raw honey from a Darien apiary. A P2P announcement says the “Honey 4 Your Honey gift bundle” includes the limited-edition honey bundled with a custom card “to show your honey that you were meant to bee.” All proceeds to benefit P2P and its mission. The cost is $50.
For the 20th year in a row, Ox Ridge Elementary School in Darien again this holiday season supported Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) and the young people in the organization’s Foster Care program. — an announcement from Family & Children’s Agency
FCA provides services for children, families, adults, and seniors, including specialized foster care, which is designed for children with serious medical, emotional, and behavioral disorders. More than 60 kids from Ox Ridge School’s Kids Care Club gathered before school to create holiday cards for youth in Foster Care using colored paper, stickers, crayons, and other art supplies. “It has been our privilege to work with Family & Children’s Agency for the last 20 years,” said Lauren Stisser of the Kids Care Club. “Through Ox Ridge Elementary School’s Kids Care Club and Hope Chest, we have been able to teach our kids the importance and true joy of giving back, and that even small hands can make a big difference,” Stisser said.
YWCA Darien/Norwalk in partnership with Wilton-based Riverbrook Regional YMCA served as “coat drive ambassadors” for One Warm Coat, a nonprofit that distributes coats nationwide to organizations that serve people in need. — an announcement from the YWCA Darien/Norwalk
The two local groups identified Person-To-Person in Norwalk as an organization in need of coats. Jarred Barnes, YMCA’s chief operations officer, picked up 50 coats, and YWCA Board Chair Aidan Welsh, picked up another 25, then delivered them to Person-To-Person in Norwalk. The coats are all either gently worn or new. The need was especially urgent this year.
Each child in the STAR Rubino Family Center, an early intervention pediatric therapy program in Norwalk, will receive a handmade card with a cheerful holiday note along with a book to enjoy during the holidays, thanks to a project spearheaded by Amanda King Heavey and her son, Will. — an announcement from STAR Inc., Lighting the Way
Heavey, a STAR board member and New Canaan resident, and Will, a student at East School in New Canaan, were joined by students in Grades K-4, the Community Service committee of volunteer parents, the PTC board, and Principal Mrs.Woleck came together to give the holiday gifts. Along with the gifts to individual children, the project is also providing a specially curated selection of books that address age appropriate understanding of unique abilities, inclusion, diversity, and kindness will be shared at the school and donated to STAR Rubino Family Center lending library. Through STAR Rubino Family Center, STAR provides a multi-lingual program for children experiencing, or at risk of, developmental delays. This program, generously supported in part by The New Canaan Community Foundation and The Community Fund of Darien and other generous grants, offers services from birth through age eight.
In a first for Darien Scouting, Lindsay Ferretti was honored Sunday as Darien’s first female Eagle Scout. — an announcement from Darien Scouts
Lindsay has always been involved in community service, as an altar server at St. John Church, a volunteer at Person-to-Person, and even helping rebuild a home in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. After just a few weeks in Troop 219, Lindsay was chosen to be the senior patrol leader as the girls attended their first week ever at Camp Sequassen summer camp. For her Eagle project, Lindsay lead a team painting over 50 yellow fire hydrant locater markings on telephone poles to aid firefighters in quickly locating the closest hydrant in an emergency.
At Home In Darien, an organization that helps seniors in town, now has a wheelchair-accessible van, paid for with an $82,880 grant from The Darien Foundation. — an announcement from The Darien Foundation and At Home In Darien
“We are incredibly grateful to The Darien Foundation for this amazing new van and for their continued support and generosity,” said Gina Blum, executive director of At Home In Darien. The 2021 Toyota Sienna van is meant to provide users with a safer, more secure ride, according to the foundation. By getting older Darien residents from place to place, the service helps them avoid isolation. “We know that transportation is one of the biggest hindrances people face as they try to retain their independence, Blum said.
Abilis is holding its week-long Job Fair this Monday through Friday, Dec. 6 to 10, at its Greenwich headquarters at 50 Glenville St. — an announcement from Abilis
Prospective employees/job seekers are encouraged to attend the Abilis Job Fair and interview on-site for open positions. Walk-ins are welcome and no appointment necessary! Applicants should come prepared with their resume and be prepared to be interviewed during the job fair.
Ready to start your holiday shopping? The Rowayton Gardeners is online now with their second “Virtually Yours” online store. More than 175 items will be offered for sale, including festive gifts and unique ornaments, fresh bundled greens and our designer-quality wreaths are ready for purchase online now and through Sunday, Nov. 28. — an announcement from The Rowayton Gardeners club
YWCA of Darien/Norwalk’s annual Dazzling December shopping event, a fun and festive evening celebrating the upcoming holiday season, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 9 at Everything is Rosey in Darien. — an announcement from the YWCA of Darien/Norwalk
Everything is Rosey at 1072 Post Road in Darien offers a wide array of colorful apparel, resort wear and unique holiday gifts. Light hors d’oeuvres and complimentary wine tastings will be served by local Scout & Cellar representative Sally Betz. Several gift baskets will be raffled off throughout the evening.
A record-breaking 300 canned and dry goods were collected for Person-to-Person’s pantry at the recent “Thanksgiving Sing” at the Methodist Family Center Preschool. — an announcement from the Methodist Family Center Preschool
On a bright and unseasonably warm November morning, the MFCP welcomed the school’s families to the Thanksgiving Sing, a cherished annual tradition that had been canceled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The ‘Sing’ as it is affectionately called, concluded a month-long food drive in partnership with Person to Person’s Darien Pantry and their mobile food pantry, P2P On Wheels. Children ages 3 to 5 began the Sing by bringing their food donations and placing them in a basket. “Listening to the children sing reminds us of how blessed we are to come together on a gorgeous day with the sole purpose of being thankful,” said MFCP Director Laurie Anderson.
The Annual Meeting of At Home In Darien will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 10, with state Attorney General William Tong the featured guest speaker. The meeting will take place in the Community Room at Darien Library. The public is invited to attend virtually and learn more about At Home In Darien and its services. — an announcement from At Home In Darien
As attorney general, Tong’s top priority is to protect Connecticut families, residents and consumers, and to stand up to powerful forces that threaten us.
Darien High School graduate Matthew Gentile will be awarded the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the National Eagle Scout Association on Sunday at the Andrew Shaw Memorial Scout Cabin. Gentile is an engineer with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is part of the Mars Rover Mission team. He was a scout in Troop 35 Darien when he became an eagle scout in 2010. — an announcement from Darien Scouts
The award is granted to eagle scouts who have distinguished themselves in their life’s work and have shared their talents with their communities on a voluntary basis. Only a couple of these honors are awarded from each Boy Scouts of America Council.
The Tiny Miracles Foundation, a Darien-based not-for-profit organization set up to help area families with premature babies, has announced Tina Tison as its new executive director. — an announcement from The Tiny Miracles Foundation
Tison joins the foundation from The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, where she was director of marketing since 2016. “I am looking forward to working with our partners and volunteers to guide and support families impacted by prematurity,” Tison said. “The Foundation has an incredibly important mission and has helped so many families since its creation.”
Ashley Dineen, president of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, said, “We’re so pleased to welcome Tina, and know that her skills, experience, energy and vision will lift the organization to new levels.”
Tison will direct the foundation’s efforts to help preemie parents in Fairfield and New Haven counties through critical times, as well as to enhance neonatal intensive care unit services and improve the short- and long-term outcomes for local preterm babies and their families. The Foundation operates in-NICU programs at the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) Bridgeport and New Haven campuses, St.
The Community Fund of Darien is launching The Volunteer Hub, a complimentary service to Darien residents interested in finding just the right local volunteer opportunity. — an announcement from The Community Fund of Darien
“We’ve heard from Darien residents that they wanted to be more involved in our community and didn’t know how to get started,” explained Janet King, Executive Director of The Community Fund of Darien. Thanks to its community investments in many local nonprofit organizations, The Community Fund has strong ties to those who need volunteer help — a list that’s growing. “Since TCF has such extensive knowledge of local nonprofits, we want to use this expertise to create a personalized matchmaking service for Darien residents to find their dream volunteer position and support these organizations with their skills,” King said. How It Works
Individuals contact TCF’s Volunteer Hub Hosts, and those “volunteers for volunteering” will personally guide participants to the organizations which best match their skill set and areas of interest.
