At 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, the Community Fund of Darien will present to the public its survey of 1,800 town students on risky behaviors and how well or poorly teens are avoiding them. The presentation starts at 7 p.m. in the Community Room of Darien Library. This appears to be part of what they’ll say, from slides about the latest survey that are currently posted on the organization’s website (alterations may be made in the actual presentation):
The Community Fund of Darien will announce on Tuesday the results from a survey of 1,800 Darien teenagers from the 7th through the 12th grade. They were asked about aspects of their lives that encouraged and discouraged risky behaviors like substance abuse. The survey results will be made available and discussed at a 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 23 forum at Darien Library. Here’s the announcement from the Thriving Youth Task Force of the Community Fund of Darien:
Bridgeport Rescue Mission needs to raise $40,000 immediately in order to replace their aged walk-in cooler which finally failed beyond repair after several attempts to fix it. The $40,000 needed will pay for
a new cooler as well as
concrete foundation, and
associated installation costs
In addition they’ve had to rent a refrigerated truck at an additional cost of $1,500 per week in order to continue to provide their programs, which include serving more than 550,000 meals per year to the hungry in our area. — an announcement from the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and ImpactVine.org
The walk-in cooler enables the organization to have food on hand to cook and serve prepared meals to men in their New Life addiction recovery program, low-income and working poor families who come to their dining room for three meals a day, and also prepare meals for distribution from two of the organization’s mobile kitchens, which serve individuals and families in need in Bridgeport and South Norwalk. According to Donna Romano, of Bridgeport Rescue Mission, “It also enables us to keep donated dairy, fruits and vegetables and other items fresh so that we can offer them during our daily food pantry where individuals and families in need can shop for fresh produce which we offer to the community in need free of charge.”
Please visit the Bridgeport Rescue Mission’s appeal Web page on the ImpactVine website for more information or to donate. To learn more about Bridgeport Rescue Mission’s goal of providing meals, clothing, shelter and recovery services for people experiencing poverty, addiction and homelessness, please visit the organization’s website.
The 39th annual Darien Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 16 at Pear Tree Point Beach and includes a 1.5-mile Fun Run and, new this year, a 5-mile race. This year’s race will feature “The Finish Line” tent with music, games, sponsor booths, silent auction and an awards ceremony. The race, organized by the Community Fund of Darien, has raised a significant amount of money over the years to benefit our neighbors with critical needs in Stamford, Norwalk and Darien. — an announcement from the Community Fund of Darien
This year’s race will begin at 9 a.m. for the 1.5 mile Fun Run and 9:30 a.m. for the 5 mile.
Come to the Darien YMCA on Friday, Sept. 21 for Darien’s annual “Family Dinner Day,” a free dinner for parents and their kids celebrating the simple things that keep families connected and strong. The evening event, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., includes dinner, swimming, open gym, arts & crafts, games, goodie bags and an evening of fun for the whole family.
Space is limited so reservations are required. (See details below.)
While this event is open to all, the organizers are focusing on families with preschool through elementary school aged children. The event is sponsored by the Thriving Youth Task Force, the Darien YMCA, The Community Fund of Darien & the Darien Youth Commission.
Pacific House received a $34,000 grant from the Community Fund of Darien to support the organization’s efforts to provide safe shelter to homeless men while getting them back to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Pacific House is the only regional men’s emergency shelter, serving Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien and the rest of Fairfield County. — Information in this article is from an announcement from the Community Fund of Darien. In 2017, Pacific House aided 335 clients, served almost 50,000 meals and provided roughly 20,000 shelter stays. “We thank the Community Fund of Darien for their generous gift and continued support,” said Rafael Pagan Jr., Pacific House executive director.
The 39th annual Darien Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 16 at Pear Tree Point Beach and includes a 1.5-mile Fun Run and, new this year, a 5-mile race. This year’s race will feature “The Finish Line” tent with music, games, sponsor booths, silent auction and an awards ceremony. The race, organized by the Community Fund of Darien, has raised a significant amount of money over the years to benefit our neighbors with critical needs in Stamford, Norwalk and Darien. — an announcement from the Community Fund of Darien
This year’s race will begin at 9 a.m. for the 1.5 mile Fun Run and 9:30 a.m. for the 5 mile.
Janet King has been hired as the new executive director of the Community Fund of Darien, replacing Carrie Bernier, who has accepted a job elsewhere. A Darien resident, King has been director of volunteers at Person-to-Person in Darien for the last eight years. King “brings a wealth of experience, talent and enthusiasm for Darien and community philanthropy to our organization.” Frank Huck, the Community Fund of Darien’s board chair, said in a news release sent Monday morning by the organization. As P2P’s director of volunteers, King has been responsible for recruiting, coordinating, training and managing more than 4,000 volunteers. She was also responsible for developing and implementing the P2P mobile food pantry to address basic needs access for local communities.
Emily Larkin Arocha, who has led the Community Fund of Darien’s Thriving Youth Initiative, has been picked as one of Fairfield County Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” promising people in the county. Since October 2015, Arocha, who uses her maiden name professionally, has led the Thriving Youth Initiative with a mission of promoting healthy youth development by improving thriving indicators and reducing risk factors such as substance abuse and poor mental health. Her greatest accomplishment, according to an announcement from the Community Fund, has been her leadership of the innovative public health social media campaign, titled “06820,” to reduce teenage binge drinking in Darien. Susan Cator, president of the Darien Chamber of Commerce, nominated Larkin, who uses her maiden name professionally. “The Darien Chamber of Commerce nominated Emily for the 40 Under 40 award due to her contributions to the Darien community, especially the teens of our town,” Cator said.
The Board of Directors of The Community Fund of Darien announces Carrie Bernier’s departure as executive director. Bernier will join the Norwalk Community College Foundation as executive director in June. ___________
— an announcement from the Community Fund of Darien
___________
Bernier assumed leadership of The Community Fund in 2013, and drove the organization’s innovation to better respond to critical human service needs in Darien, Stamford and Norwalk. “Under Carrie’s leadership and innovation over the past five years, we grew as an organization and adapted to the changing needs of our community. We are proud of our growth and energized by the commitment of our engaged and dedicated staff, board, advisory board and volunteers” said board President Steve Ward.
Binge drinking killed a college freshman from Greenwich in 2004, and it’s killed a Darien teenager as well. “Haze,” a documentary about binge drinking and Gordie Bailey’s death, will be shown from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Monday, March 5 at Darien Library. Bailey died from alcohol poisoning in September 2004 after passing out on a couch in his fraternity house following a hazing initiation at the University of Colorado. In 2008, The Gordie Foundation produced Haze, a documentary telling Gordie’s story and discussing the issues surrounding college drinking and hazing. This program is for parents and mature high-school aged students.
