To the Editor:
The Community Fund of Darien would like to thank Darien parents for their commitment to building resilience in our town’s youth.
With an impressive turnout of nearly 600 parents on a cold night last Tuesday, a panel of experts shared their challenges, stories and tips for parenting in the Darien community.
From the Community Fund for Darien account on Facebook
We would like to thank the Darien High School and our co-sponsors for an exciting and unique collaboration between the Darien High School Parents’ Association, the Middlesex Middle School Parents’ Association, and The Community Fund’s Thriving Youth Task Force.
The “got resilience?” panel had an impressive lineup of local experts who shared action steps parents can take to help their children develop the tools they need to be healthy, kind and successful at every stage of their lives.
The panel included: Dr. Tara Levinson, pediatric psychologist, Dr. Jamie Roach Murray, pediatrician, Dr. Debi Boccanfuso, Middlesex Middle School Principal, Tracy Masella, Silver Hill Hospital Social Worker, and Vince Benevento, Counselor and Founder of Causeway Collaborative. The panel was moderated by Maud Purcell, Director of The Life Solutions Center of Darien.
The panel (picture from the Community Fund for Darien on Facebook)
The panelists spoke on 5 critical risk factors for poor mental health and substance abuse: adult role models, peer pressure and restraint skills,planning and decision-making skills, family boundaries and self-esteem.
Research shows that the stronger the presence of these key assets, the healthier the child. For more information, please visit our website: www.communityfunddarien.org.
Thank you to all those who attended, to our co-sponsors and our panelists. The Community Fund of Darien and our Thriving Youth initiative aims to support parents and our entire community in promoting healthy youth development in Darien. Talk early, talk often!
Gratefully,
Carrie Bernier, Executive Director
The Community Fund of Darien