Derby High athletes serve dinner at Spooner House in Shelton

Shared from the Derby Running Club's Facebook page:

Red Raiders giving back

"The DHS Indoor Track & Field team volunteered to serve dinner at Spooner House tonight [Sunday]. 

"With so many members of the community supporting our athletes, tonight was a great opportunity for our athletes to support their community.

"Special thank you to Coach Lucia Hanock for organizing and administering tonight’s dinner. #DerbyPride "

The Derby students are to be commended for helping others! I'm sure their efforts were appreciated.

Pantry at Spooner House in Shelton needs donations during summer

SHELTON - The Valley Food Bank operated by Spooner House typically gets very low on non-perishable supplies during the summer. 

This year is no exception.

"The need is primarily because children who rely on free or reduced breakfast and lunch in school are no longer receiving these important meals during the summer months," said Susan Agamy, Executive Director, Spooner House. 

“There is also a greater need for food banks this time of year by parents who need to find a way to provide these additional meals. In addition, many regular donors are on vacation. To help us through this difficult period, we have developed a list of the most needed items and ten ways any individual, family, or group in the Lower Naugatuck Valley can help us fight hunger this summer."

The food bank has a low supply of the following:

spaghetti/tomato sauce, peanut butter and jelly, soups/stews, canned tuna, canned chicken, beans, mixed fruit, rice, and packaged macaroni and cheese.

The list of ways anyone can help includes these suggestions:

1.     Run a neighborhood food drive

2.     Organize a food drive at a local grocery store. This is a particularly cool idea on hot days.

3.     Hold a lemonade stand to benefit Spooner House

4.     Shop on Amazon.com. Go to Amazon Smile! then search for Area Congregations Together"

5.     Grow a garden and then donate your extra vegetables

6.     Take part in the Plumb Memorial Library summer reading program

7.     Collect non-perishables at your summer camp

8.     Run a restock the household supplies drive for the Spooner House

9.     Prepare an evening meal for the Spooner House residents. This can be done by a small group

10.  Make a tax-deductible monetary donation.

More detailed information on the ideas above can be found at www.actspooner.org. 

If you have time this summer, please drop food items at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. though there is staff on duty 24/7.  

Contact the supervisor on duty to set up and assist with any donation delivery at 203-225-0453. 

Checks should be made payable and mailed to: Spooner House, and mailed to 30 Todd Road, 

Shelton CT 06484. Secure donations may also be made via PayPal by clicking on the Donate button at the 

bottom of the ACT Spooner House home page. 

Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organization and was formed in 1979 to help fill gaps in the lower Naugatuck Valley's social service network. 

Spooner House is operated by ACT and is a facility that provides food, shelter and support services to approximately 150 men, women and children during the year, annually for 5,000 people are providing approximately 108,000 meals. 
Spooner House is recognized as one of the most comprehensive emergency shelter programs in Connecticut and through its food bank provides 10 days' worth of groceries each month to participating families throughout the lower Naugatuck Valley. 

Spooner House is devoted to helping people establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. 

Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.

This is a press release from Area Congregations Together, Inc.

Griffin's Wonderland of Trees raises $9,300 for Spooner House in Shelton

Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House, left, joined Kim Hall, Sr. Applications Coordinator at Griffin Hospital, and hospital staff in drawing tickets Dec. 21 for the Holiday Wonderland of Trees fundraiser. / Contributed photo  

DERBY - Griffin Hospital’s annual Holiday Wonderland of Trees fundraiser collected more than $9,300 for Spooner House in Shelton to help feed and shelter area families in need this winter.

As part of Griffin’s Planetree Person-Centered Care Philosophy, the Holiday Wonderland of Trees calls on hospital departments to decorate three-foot artificial evergreen trees that are raffled off. 

The fundraiser aims to help improve the health of the community by supporting the Spooner House’s services.

This is the seventh year of the fundraiser, which has raised more than $47,000 in total.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Shelton to present fall concert

SHELTON - Trinity Lutheran Church, 183 Howe Ave., will present a Fall Concert at 3 p.m. Nov. 5 in the sanctuary.

Photo from church website

It will feature the church’s Hand Bell Choir and church organist Max Antig, along with flute and cello music. The concert is free and all are welcome.

Light refreshments will be served in Fellowship Hall after the concert.
A free will offering will go to support Spooner House in Shelton, a homeless shelter and food bank operated by Area Congregations Together, Inc.

This information is shared from an online community calendar sponsored by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and The New Haven Independent.

Griffin Hospital fundraiser collects $8K for Spooner House in Shelton

Susan Agamy, Executive Director of Spooner House, left, joined Kim Hall, Sr. Applications Coordinator at Griffin Hospital, and hospital staff Dec. 21 in drawing tickets for the Holiday Wonderland of Trees fundraiser./ Contributed photo


DERBY - Griffin Hospital’s annual Holiday Wonderland of Trees fundraiser collected more than $8,000 for Spooner House in Shelton to help feed and shelter area families in need this winter.

As part of Griffin’s Planetree Patient-Centered Care Philosophy, the Holiday Wonderland of Trees calls on hospital departments to decorate three-foot artificial evergreen trees that are raffled off. 

The fundraiser aims to help improve health the community by supporting the Spooner House’s free shelter and food.

This is the sixth year of the fundraiser, which has raised more than $37,900 in total.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital. 

Buy greeting cards, support Spooner House in Shelton

Support Spooner House and receive a beautiful box of 10 blank greeting cards with a winter scene, painted by a Shelton-based artist with the Spooner House logo and mission on the back. 
Suggested donation for one box is $10.

The cards are available in the Spooner House office, 30 Todd Road, Shelton, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

For more information call 203-225-0453 x102.

This information is shared from a release from Spooner House.

Sikorsky holds food drives for Spooner House in Shelton

The presentation check is being held by Susan Agamy, Executive Director, Spooner House, and Daniel C. Schultz, President of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company./Submitted photo



SHELTON - Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company with headquarters in Stratford and other southern Connecticut satellite locations conducted food drives to benefit Spooner House from April 29 through May 31.

The goal of the M.E.N.U. Project (Mission: Engage, Nourish, Unite) was to provide non-perishable food items and raise funds to aid local veterans and families using the Valley Food Bank and homeless shelter at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road.

Sikorsky joined Lockheed Martin business units across 14 states and two countries in the M.E.N.U. initiative. Each drive outside of Connecticut benefits a local food bank organization.

"It has been an extreme pleasure to work with the nice people at Spooner House and shelter and to help continue the positive impact they are making in the local community," said Chris Quilici, one of the primary coordinators of the M.E.N.U. initiative at Sikorsky. 

“This experience made us aware of how difficult it has become for many of our nation's veterans to acquire food. We are extremely grateful and thankful for Spooner House, which provides the means to make food accessible. The motto during the drives within Sikorsky, where helicopters supporting the military are made, was, 'if we can save them in combat, we can feed them at home,' and the Spooner staff helped us deliver on that promise."

The Sikorsky M.E.N.U. food drive collected 1,346 food items. 
Online donations from employees and their families totaled $10,368, while other internal fundraisers brought in $5,941, making the grand total of financial donations $16,309.

Spooner House Executive Director Susan Agamy said, “We are extremely grateful for the time, energy, and support of the Sikorsky community, which went above and beyond to serve the local community. A sincere thank you goes out to everyone who participated in the Sikorsky M.E.N.U. food drive in support of veterans, neighbors and families in need.”

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About ACT

Non-profit Area Congregations Together, Inc. was formed in 1979 to help fill gaps in the Naugatuck Valley’s social service network. Today, Spooner House is operated by ACT and is a facility that provides food, shelter and support services to approximately 150 men, women and children each year. 

More than 6,000 individuals have been served by the Food Bank this past year, comprising more than 100,000 meals. Spooner House is recognized as one of the most comprehensive emergency shelter programs in Connecticut and through its food bank provides a week’s supply of groceries each month to participating families throughout the Naugatuck Valley. 

Spooner House is devoted to helping people establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. Area Congregations Together, Inc. is a partner agency of the Valley United Way.

This is a press release from Area Congregations Together, Inc. 

Spooner House in Shelton to hold open house, walk kick-off

19th annual walk on Derby Greenway to benefit Spooner House

Participants pose at last year's walk on the Derby Greenway./Submitted photo

DERBY - Spooner House invites willing walkers and runners to the Derby Greenway May 21 starting at 9 a.m. (rain or shine) to take part in the 19th annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless. 

Registration is at the fountain beginning at 8:30 a.m. with a 9 a.m. kickoff. 

Participants are asked to make donations in any amount that fits their budget, ask others to sponsor them for additional funds, and seek matching donations from employers. However, a minimum donation of $20 will be required for each participant to receive the commemorative walk T-shirt. 

All proceeds benefit Spooner House Homeless Shelter and Food Bank in Shelton.

On May 20 from 4 to 7 p.m., walkers will have the opportunity to pick up their walk T-shirt and drop off their pledge form in advance during a Community Open House at Spooner House, 30 Todd Road, Shelton. Participants can also register online to form and join teams. 

The first 250 participants to register will receive a goodie bag and every participant will receive an entry into a drawing to win gift cards and prizes.

For walk registration and sponsorship forms or more information please call 203-225-0453 ext.102 or

e-mail Kate Pipa at kpipa@actspooner.org. 

The Spooner House website actspooner.org has a link to the walk registration page and all forms as well.

The entire walk route is 3.4 miles along the Naugatuck River, but participants may travel any distance they choose and water will be provided at the halfway point along the 1.7 mile Greenway. 

The Derby Greenway provides a safe, vehicle-free, boardwalk style route with great scenery along the Naugatuck River. 

Strollers are welcome, and participants may begin the route whenever they arrive. Please use the Division Street entrance and meet at the Derby Greenway fountain. Parking is available at BJ's.  

The fourth annual Derby EcoFest will be taking place the day of the walk on the other end of the Greenway on Caroline Street.

This year generous sponsors have stepped forward in support of the annual Walk for the Hungry and Homeless. 

They include as Gold Sponsors: Unilever, Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte, and Sterczala PC, AD-MERICA, Precision Aerospace, Inc. and New Haven Terminal. 

Silver Sponsors are: Gary's East Coast Service, Calvert Safe + Lock, Pepe Reality, Tuttle Insurance Group, Apple Health Care, BIC Corp., and PerkinElmer. 

This year's Bronze Sponsors include: O.E.M. Controls, Inc., DataTel, LLC, Newtown Savings Bank, R.D. Scinto, Inc., Friedberg Smith & Co., P.C., St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oxford, Teamsters Local 1150 and Iroquois Gas Transmission System.

Contributing sponsors are: Royal Bakery, Derby Adams Super Food Store, Legend’s Pizzeria, Focaccia's Café & Catering, Berry Chill, Outback Steakhouse, Aroma JS, Captain’s Pizza, Orange Theory Fitness, Seymour Stop and Shop, and Young Nails.

Pre-registration is not required, but encouraged so participants won't have to get up as early on Saturday morning and to guarantee a walk t-shirt.

This is a press release from Spooner House.

DiMatteo Group in Shelton brightens holiday for homeless in region

Children living in shelters receive Easter baskets          

Four area shelters in Fairfield County recently benefited from the generosity of the DiMatteo Group in Shelton, who delivered nearly 120 Easter baskets to homeless children in the region.

Anthony DiMatteo and Alida Ballou

assembled Easter baskets and delivered 

them to needy children. /Contributed photo 

Since this annual drive was started over 15 years ago, more than 1,600 baskets have brightened the lives of area children.

Kim DiMatteo of Bethany, a partner and vice president of the DiMatteo Group in Shelton, along with two of her children and their friend, spearheaded this community service project.
Each basket was filled with age-appropriate necessities. 

The majority of the funds for the baskets were donated by The DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation.

Baskets were delivered to: Norwalk Emergency Shelter and Domestic Violence Crisis Center, both in
Norwalk, and Inspirica, Inc. and Domestic Violence Crisis Center, both in Stamford.

“We spent weeks preparing, shopping and volunteering for this greatly anticipated community service project,” said DiMatteo. “This year my son, Anthony, and my daughter, Jessica, along with their friend Alida Ballou, assembled 80 baskets, while the remainder was donated by generous individuals.

“I am especially proud of this group of dedicated young people who took the time to assemble and deliver the gift baskets. Their act of kindness embodies our company’s mission to give back to the community. Each of the shelters was so appreciative and grateful for the tremendous volunteer effort we put into this worthwhile community project.”

Founded over 55 years ago, DiMatteo Group in Shelton is a family-owned and operated business that specializes in insurance, employee benefits, income tax and financial services.

Visit wwwdimatteogrp.com for more information.

This is a press release from DiMatteo Group.

Ansonia Middle School collecting jeans for homeless

Spooner House in Shelton to benefit from event at TD Bank

Tomorrow's the Day! Bring Your Change to TD Bank Shelton to "Bring Change"

Got change? On Friday, donate your loose coins at the Penny Arcade located in the TD Bank Shelton store at 820 Bridgeport Ave. to support Spooner House.  The bank will be open from 8:30 a.m-.4 p.m. On top of your donation, TD Bank will match a portion of the coins counted to help folks at Spooner House get back on their feet. We hope to see you tomorrow! This is a press release from Spooner House.