Ansonia resident collecting food to help needy neighbors

ANSONIA - Resident Noreen DeCiucis is collecting donations of food and funds to help the less fortunate in our community this holiday season.

She told me it's the ninth annual drive she has held, but I had not heard of it before. It's a wonderful effort and one that we all should support.

She posted Tuesday on Facebook:

"Hi friends.

As you know we are celebrating our 9th annual Thanksgiving food drive and need your help.

We run by donations only and are in desperate need of Turkeys!

If you could find it in your heart to donate please let me know.

There is no better feeling than sitting down at your Thanksgiving table, knowing you fed another family their dinner too."

https://www.facebook.com/events/945309619010682/?ti=cl 

Plant seeds in loved one's memory at Adam's House in Shelton

Sharing from a Facebook event page:

Join us [at Adam's House in Shelton] for The Great Give May 1st 4-7pm & May 2nd 10am-3pm!

Honor your loved one by planting seeds or flowers in our memorial garden. 
Pick your special place on the Adam's House grounds to plant your seeds and add a commemorative nameplate that you can visit year after year. This is also a great event for kids as they can customize their loved one's name plate. 

Can't make it? You can still order flowers to be planted with a commemoratory nameplate online here. Once our volunteers have finished planting, we will send you a location and photo. 

Help Support Adam's House for The Great Give, the Valley Community Foundation's 36 Hour Online-Giving Event.

Glitzy event to benefit Seymour Pink

This fundraiser will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 at 67 West Hair Designers, 39 New Haven Road, Suite 4, Seymour.    

Griffin Hospital staff supports needy Valley family

Michael J. Wynne, VP Children’s Services at PCRC, left, and Sarah Beard, Director of Clinical Services at PCRC, second from left, receive a donation from Griffin Hospital staff, from right, Katie Grant, Chris Thornley, and Robin Quickel./ Contributed photo

DERBY -  Staff from Griffin Hospital’s Operating Room and Anesthesia departments got into the spirit of giving by supporting a family in need this holiday season.

For the third straight year, the staff worked with the Parent Child Resource Center to fill the wish list of a local family whose children are receiving services at the Center. 
This year, they provided clothes for two children along with a grocery store gift card and cash.

“We started doing this because we are blessed to have jobs and our health when those around us in the community have much less than we do, and we love paying it forward,” said Robin Quickel, Griffin Hospital Operating Room Materials coordinator.

PCRC, a division of BHcare, is a state licensed, nonprofit behavioral healthcare provider serving children and families throughout the Lower Naugatuck Valley and beyond. 

For more than 40 years, PCRC has been providing hope and help to children, adolescents, and families struggling with emotional and behavioral issues.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital. 

Valley United Way joins global day of giving Nov. 29

SHELTON - Valley United Way has joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities, and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

Occurring this year on Nov. 29, #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday to kick-off the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

Valley United Way is fighting to improve the lives of every person in our community.  

United Way envisions a world where all individuals and families achieve their potential through health, education and financial stability.

Each year, the dollars Valley United Way raises are invested into local programs, services and our Volunteer Center.  In the last year alone, donations to Valley United way allowed us and our funded partners to help 107,964 Valley residents by providing basic needs, assisting people in crisis situations and preparing youth to be successful in life.

Community Campaign Chair Jimmy Tickey said, “The Valley United Way and our partner agencies do unparalleled work in the community, but it all begins with our Community Campaign. Without the funds raised into our Community Campaign; we cannot allocate funding locally. And without that, the Valley United Way cannot help to strengthen families, help people in need and prepare youth to succeed.”

Tickey continued, “The old adage is true – with the United Way, you give once but help many. Please join us in Giving Tuesday this year, and help us fight for a stronger community now and in our future.”

92Y − a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around its core values of community service and giving back − conceptualized #GivingTuesday as a new way of linking individuals and causes to strengthen communities and encourage giving. 

In 2015, the fourth year of the movement, #GivingTuesday brought together over 45,000 partners in 71 countries and helped raise nearly $117 Million online in the US alone.

“We have been incredibly inspired by the generosity in time, efforts and ideas that have brought our concept for a worldwide movement into reality,” said Henry Timms, founder of #GivingTuesday and executive director of 92Y. “As we embark on our fifth year of #GivingTuesday, we are encouraged by the early response from partners eager to continue making an impact in this global conversation.”

Those who are interested in joining Valley United Way’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.valleyunitedway.org.

This is a press release from Valley United Way, the leading philanthropic resource for the Valley towns of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, and Shelton matching the needs of the community and the interests of donors to improve the quality of life in the community. 

United Way supports and creates initiatives addressing youth, families, and people in crisis. 

Each year Valley United Way funds programs and organizations that make a measurable difference in the lives of people living and working in the Valley.