Community Organizations
Olive Hauser: Retiring as Darien Social Services Director, Helped Build Nonprofits in Town
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Olive Hauser, Darien’s social services director, retiring on April 3 after 26 years with the town, hasn’t just administered a town department — she’s also been a volunteer with and board member for a number of social service nonprofit groups in town.
She’s been the chair of the Darien Unit of the Salvation Army (she started the kettle donation program in town), on the board of the United Way of Darien (now the Community Fund of Darien), the Andrew Shaw Boy Scout Cabin, the advisory board of Person-to-Person and was the first chair of the advisory committee of Aging In Place, which became At Home in Darien (now she sits on the governing board). One of the things Hauser says she wants to do in retirement is continue working with Aging In Place. Visiting Hauser’s office last week, a reporter almost tripped over one of the metal Salvation Army collection buckets she was storing there. Hauser recruits volunteers to ring the bells in front of stores in town each Christmas season. Of the money collected in Darien, 90 percent stays in the town to help local residents with food, clothing, shelter and heat — a total of $5,099 was collected this past season.