Valley Community Foundation helps center in Shelton create garden

SHELTON – A $2,500 grant from the Valley Community Foundation recently helped volunteers with Adam’s House construct a garden surrounding the memorial walkway for the nonprofit grief education center. 

Adam’s House Founder and Executive Director Allison Wysota said, "We are thrilled that our front garden is now a beautiful, welcoming space that will offer peace and healing not only to grieving children and families that enter our program, but to all in the Shelton community that pass by our doors.” 

As part of the Adam’s House “Healing Hearts” program, children and their families can create a commemorative brick to place on the Memorial Walkway to honor and celebrate the life of a loved one. 

VCF board chairman Alan Tyma and 

Adam's House founder Alison Wysota.

The Valley Community Foundation grant funded the plantings and construction of the gardens that encompass the Memorial Walkway. 

The Olde Ripton Garden Club in Shelton led by Garden Designer Renee Marsh, owner of A Simpler Place, contributed the project’s landscape design. 

Twelve volunteers from the Shelton office of Nasdaq made up the labor force that turned Marsh’s landscape design into reality.   

During a warm, sunny day, the Nasdaq volunteers cheerfully planted a new array of hydrangeas, lilies, catmint, roses, and a dogwood tree to create the Memorial Walkway landscaping and front garden. 

“Our Nasdaq Shelton office was proud to partner with Adam’s House in their garden restoration event,” said Tanya Smigocki, Nasdaq Sr. Advisor, Corporate Responsibility 
“Our employees give back by exercising their corporate know-how and investing their time and talent in communities to provide the biggest impact.”

Wysota said the completion of the Memorial Walkway project could not come at a better time. Adam’s House currently has openings for families, including children from 3 to 18 years of age, to participate in its eight-week “Healing Hearts” program. 

The new program starts Aug. 30 and is offered at no charge to grieving families. 
Interested family members must pre-register by contacting Adam’s House Executive Director Allison Wysota at 203-513-2808 or adamshousect@gmail.com.

Located in a charming, multi-story Victorian home at 241 Coram Ave., Adam’s House is a supportive place where bereaved families come together to share experiences and ideas on how to navigate their grief. 

Nurturing educational workshops, arts and crafts programs and personalized discussion groups are part of the program. 
“We believe no child, no family should ever grieve alone,” Wysota said. “Through educational programs guided by compassionate, trained facilitators, we can help grieving families ease their feelings of loneliness and isolation and build hope and resiliency.”

This is a press release from Adam's House.