Derby mayor recognizes National Diaper Need Awareness Week

David Morgan, TEAM President/CEO and Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto at City Hall./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Mayor Anita Dugatto Monday presented David Morgan, TEAM President/CEO a proclamation recognizing the week of Sept. 28 – Oct. 2 as National Diaper Need Awareness Week.  

A signature initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network Diaper Need Awareness Week features a range of activities focused on diaper need and its prevalence in communities across the country. 

“Derby is proud to be home to the TEAM Diaper Bank that recognizes the importance of diapers in helping to  produce economic stability for families and distribute diapers to poor families through various channels," Dugatto said. 

“I encourage the citizens of Derby to donate generously to the TEAM Diaper Bank and those organizations that distribute diapers to families in need to help alleviate diaper bank need in Derby and the surrounding communities.” 

Though diapers are a basic need for every child in their first years and are essential to the health and well-being of the child, safety net programs that provide assistance to low-income families such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC do not cover the purchase of diapers. 

To address the needs of families in the Valley, TEAM Diaper Bank provides monthly diapers and wipes to more than 200 eligible families residing in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.  Since opening in 2013, TEAM has distributed over 300,000 diapers to Valley families. 

As part of Diaper Need Awareness Week, TEAM Diaper Bank will be hosting a workshop providing diapering and potty training support for all families with young children in the community. 

The public is invited to register for the workshop being held on Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at TEAM Early Education Center, 80 Howard Ave., Ansonia.

Individuals and organizations can get involved in Diaper Need Awareness Week by donating to the Diaper Bank or hosting a diaper drive. 

For further information about TEAM Diaper Bank or to donate, contact Ayanna Williams at awilliams@teaminc.org or 203-736-5420 ext. 204.

This is a press release from TEAM Inc., a private, 501c (3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to connect individuals and families with solutions that lead to well-being, self-sufficiency and full participation in the community. It aims to achieve its mission by conducting activities that address the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals and families including resource mobilization, education, advocacy and service delivery. 

TEAM programs serve the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour and Woodbridge. 

Shelton firefighters provide safety tips to residents

SHELTON - Location matters when it comes to your smoke alarm. 
That’s the message behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!”

The Shelton Fire Department, consisting of members of Echo Hose, Huntington, Pine Rock Park, and White Hills volunteer fire companies are currently involved in various fire safety activities that will continue through October. 
This includes visiting all preschools and schools where firefighters will present fire safety lessons for children aging from preschool through Grade 6. 
These programs are part of an effort to reduce the chances of residents being injured or killed by fire, in addition to preserving property.

Together with the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association, the Shelton Fire Department is working to remind residents about the importance of having working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

“In a fire, seconds count,” said Ted Pisciotta, Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention. “Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”

According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, three out of five fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

In conjunction with making every effort to prevent a fire from ever happening, be prepared by maintaining working smoke alarms throughout the entire home. 

Follow these tips for making sure smoke alarms are in place and working properly:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
  
• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. This way, when one sounds, they all do.
  
• Test alarms at least monthly by pushing the test button.
  
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they don’t
  respond properly.
  
• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm and
  understands what to do when they hear it.
  
• If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
• Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard- wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested. 

• Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

Pisciotta is encouraging businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout the city to visit the Fire Prevention Bureau web site, which may be found by clicking on “Public Safety” at www.cityofshelton.org. 


This is a press release from Ted Pisciotta, Assistant Chief, Fire Prevention.

Conroy recognized for substance abuse prevention work

State Rep. Theresa Conroy, left, and Pamela A. Mautte, Director, Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council./Contributed photo

NEW HAVEN - State Rep. Theresa Conroy (D-Seymour, Beacon Falls, Derby) was recognized recently by the Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council at its 2015 Community Champion Awards ceremony.

Pamela A. Mautte, Director, Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council, said, “Theresa has worked on several substance abuse prevention and intervention initiatives over the past several years. It was my pleasure working side by side with Theresa this past year on opiate issues, banning powdered alcohol and other prevention issues.”

Conroy has been a strong advocate for many prevention issues. She was instrumental in the passage of legislation that improves the monitoring and reporting of narcotic prescriptions and increases access to life-saving opioid antagonists. 

Naloxone, or Narcan, is an opioid antagonist that works to reverse the effects of opioids.

Between 2009-2014, there were more than 2,000 accidental and unintentional opioid involved deaths that occurred in 150 of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns. 

“I want to thank the Valley Substance Abuse Action Council for their incredible work and advocacy,” Conroy said. “They are true champions of prevention.”

This is a press release from Conroy's office. 

Sharing info from Spooner House in Shelton

On learning curves, news, and views in the Valley

Wires, and cables, and chargers, oh my!

Dear readers,

We at The Valley Voice (i.e. my husband Ralph and I!) yesterday launched a website with the same name.

It is a project that has had its share of delays because of what I can best describe as "technical issues."

But we are getting there. 

We also launched a Facebook page yesterday to promote the site and so far have more than 60 likes.

Here is the link to that page, in case you'd like to give it a look-see.

Please continue to stop by to learn the good news of this one-of-a-kind community of ours here in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. 

We're ready to share!