Community Organizations
STAR Inc gifts to kids in Rubino Center

Students Make Holidays Brighter for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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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.

Community Organizations
Tommy Gogolak STAR YMCA

STAR Gets Grant to Help People With Disabilities Find First Jobs

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STAR, Inc., Lighting the Way received a $20,000 grant from Fairfield County’s Community Foundation to support local individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) find first jobs through their My First Jobs Program. — an announcement from STAR Inc., Lighting the Way

STAR’s My First Jobs Program provides support to workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities in entering the workforce. Current research indicates that only 15% of people with IDD are employed. However, with the right supports, many people with IDD can build a career alongside their typical peers. STAR is recognized as a leading agency in Connecticut in job placements, coaching, and hours worked competitively by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Community Organizations
Latasha Smith, resident Lauren Lindsey

Darien Foundation Awards $80K To Convert The Cottage, a STAR Group Residence, Into a ‘Smart Home’

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While the six residents at the Darien Cottage are already living semi-independently and several of them hold jobs and volunteer locally, smart home assistive technology will soon allow them to be more self-reliant in their home. — an announcement from STAR Inc., Lighting the Way and The Darien Foundation

Nestled on Edgerton Street, the STAR Cottage is home to six residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including wheelchair user, Ashley Milne. Now, when Ashley wishes to enter or exit the Cottage, she relies upon other people to open and close the doors for her. Now, through a $80,707 grant from The Darien Foundation, the STAR group residence will literally be able to open doors for Ashley. When fellow resident Tom Gogolak turns in for the night, he and the residential staff perform a series of tasks to lock up the house, arm the security system, and shut down all of the devices.