Griffin Center for Healthy Living in Oxford offers stress management workshop

OXFORD - The Griffin Center for Healthy Living  is helping individuals better understand and cope with the pressures of daily life with a free workshop starting May 16.

Stress can cause or worsen many health disorders, including excessive weight gain, poor sleep, lung and heart conditions, a weakened immune system, reproductive health issues, and skin and hair ailments. 

The Griffin Health Stress Management Workshop provides practical tools and techniques based on the proven, best practices for stress management by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to help individuals better understand and cope with the pressures of daily life in healthier ways, leading to increased resilience, improved emotional balance, and a better quality of life overall.

Offered on Fridays, May 16 and 30, and June 6 and 13 from 1-2 p.m. at the Griffin Center for Health Living, Second Floor, Quarry Walk, 300 Oxford Road, the workshop will teach attendees how to identify stress triggers, practice relaxation exercises, and implement mindfulness strategies to help reduce stress levels and improve both mental and physical well-being.

This free wellness program is part of Griffin’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of its community through free education, guidance and assistance in preventing and managing chronic disease, and in promoting overall wellness. 

Griffin’s mission is to empower individuals to make choices that change their lifestyles for the better, and to go beyond caring for individuals when they are not well by building a meaningful relationship, guiding, and coaching them to maximize their quality of life.

To register or for more information, visit www.griffinhealth.org/stress-workshop or contact The Griffin Center for Healthy Living Wellness Coordinator at 203-732-1369.

This is a press release from Griffin Health.

Valley Community Foundation releases snapshot of quality of life indicators

The Valley Community Foundation Wednesday announced the release of The Valley Now: A 2015 Snapshot, representing the start of a multi-year process that will culminate in the creation of a community index for the Lower Naugatuck Valley towns in 2016.

 

The snapshot report includes a brief summary of changing demographics and population growth, health indicators, employment rates, education and student achievement, income and accessibility to basic needs among residents in the region.

“This snapshot report represents the start of an ongoing commitment to learn the changing needs and opportunities in the Valley,” said Sharon Closius, President & CEO of the Valley Community Foundation. 

“A comprehensive community index will be published next year, which will include the data of a statewide wellbeing survey conducted by DataHaven and the Siena College Research Institute. Your answers are critical in helping us paint an accurate picture of the Valley. Please answer the call.”

Snapshot focuses on range of factors
Last year, VCF hosted an advisory committee of key stakeholders and nonprofit organizations to discuss critical focus areas affecting the Valley and to define the scope of this snapshot report, which expands upon the 2010 Valley CARES Quality of Life Report. This snapshot looks at a range of factors affecting quality of life and wellbeing in the region, which includes the five towns served by VCF: Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton, as well as Beacon Falls and Naugatuck. 

The addition of these two towns, which were included in the region as part of the All-American City Award in 2000, will help provide continuity and a historical comparison to the study of economic, health and education trends within the region. 

The full 12-page snapshot report is available at www.valleyfoundation.org.

According to the preliminary snapshot report, the Lower Naugatuck Valley has seen a rise in overall population since 2000, but a decline in families with young children and the under-18 population in general. 

Just over half of all Valley adults report being in good health. Performance of the Valley’s economy is in line with the rest of the state, and the report indicates that the Valley has a strong middle class. A third of all Valley residents, however, struggle to afford basic needs such as food and housing, and student achievement varies widely between schools in the region. 

Valley residents who follow VCF on its Facebook and Twitter accounts will get the latest information from the 2015 Valley Snapshot report and ongoing survey.

Data collection for this snapshot was provided by DataHaven, a nonprofit with a 25-year history of collecting, sharing, and interpreting public data for effective decision-making throughout Greater New Haven and Connecticut. 

DataHaven, in conjunction with the Siena College Research Institute, will be conducting a statewide survey over the next few months. Data from its 2015 Community Wellbeing Survey will be featured in the Valley’s community index report, which will be published in 2016. Residents are encouraged to pick up the phone (calls will come from a 518 area code) and take the time to answer the survey questions, as each participant will contribute to high-quality, meaningful data collection.

About Valley Community Foundation
Established in 2004, the Valley Community Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of grant dollars each year to support the local nonprofit sector and the people it serves. In addition to grant making, VCF works in strong partnership with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, to promote philanthropy in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton. 

To learn more about how your gifts of cash, life insurance, appreciated stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets can help to support the quality of life in the Valley, contact Sharon Closius at sclosius@valleyfoundation.org or 203-751-9162. Follow VCF on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vcfct and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vcf_ct.

This is a press release from the Valley Community Foundation.

Ansonia receives $400K to complete riverwalk

ANSONIA - Mayor David S. Cassetti was notified Thursday that the City was successful in requesting an additional $400,000 in federal funds for the completion of a segment of the riverwalk.

This grant is an 80 percent federal and 20 percent local share matching grant.

Segment 8 of the Riverwalk includes the construction of an additional 500 feet of 10-foot paved multi-use trail atop the western flood control dike, including a 130-foot pedestrian bridge over the Metro-North railroad. 
The project terminates at Pershing Drive.
Up to this point, the City did not have sufficient funds to complete this segment of its riverwalk.

“I know how important the riverwalk is to the residents of Ansonia and I wanted to move this project forward as quickly as possible," Cassetti said.

"That is why I requested additional funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (ConnDOT’s) agreement to complete this project. I am thrilled we have been able to successfully secure the funds necessary and thankful to the FHWA and ConnDOT.
“Residents from Ansonia and surrounding towns continue to take advantage of our beautiful riverwalk. This segment will make a nice addition and provide enjoyment for our residents. It’s all about enhancing the quality of life for our residents," Cassetti said.

The project has had costly obstacles to overcome including obtaining the required permits from the state and federal agencies, crossing the Metro-North rail line, and building on top of a flood control dike.

Additionally, the cost of the bridge has risen since the inception of the project in 2009.


This is a press release from Sheila O'Malley, Economic Development Director and Grants Writer, City of Ansonia.