Youths sought to park cars at Ansonia Nature Center Autumn Fest

Here's a Great Opportunity for Youth Volunteers!

This is Ranger Dan with exciting news.

I have an opportunity for youth volunteers who were too late for signing up (things filled up fast for the student volunteers).

We have parking duties split into two shifts so that all of the parking volunteers can enjoy either the first part or the latter part of the festival.

This is where a chance for your youth volunteers has opened up: minors ages 12 - 17 who have one parent who will accompany them to volunteer specifically for parking duties are invited to fill out the form that I will be sharing in this email. (If a student has already signed up to volunteer, they cannot fill out this form as well because I am already working on their placement.)

Parent/youth duos who will commit to one of the two shifts are to fill out the form, which can be found by clicking HERE.

This is Great News for those who want to be a part of what we do here at the Ansonia Nature Center. If you have questions, reach out to me here: 203-736-1053.

Sincerely,

Ranger Dan

Derby Neck Library youth book sale starts Sunday

DERBY - Derby Neck Library's Youth Book (and Movie) Sale starts Sunday and runs through Thursday!

Join us for our book sale party on Sunday with an outdoor obstacle course and mosaic crafts, plus a whole week of fun events to experience when you come and shop!

Educators receive a bag of books for free! Hope to see you there!

The Library is at 307 Hawthorne Ave.

Valley TOPSoccer to host Kickoff Festival in Seymour

FREE PROGRAM - Ansonia and Seymour Soccer programs have partnered up to offer TOPSoccer in the Valley!

US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local US Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs.

TOPSoccer provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive.

Soccer cleats and shin guards recommended but sneakers are okay too. Balls will be provided, please bring water to drink.

Kickoff Festival is Sunday, Sept. 29 at Seymour Middle School soccer field

Register at ansoniasoccer.org

This is shared from the Ansonia Soccer Club Facebook page.

Abundant Life Fellowship Ministries in Ansonia to host movie night

 

Valley Save Our Youth to host employment open house Tuesday in Ansonia

ANSONIA - Valley Save Our Youth has teamed up with The Workplace to provide a youth employment open house at 4 p.m. Tuesday at 4 Fourth St.

Our mission at Valley Save Our Youth is to set our kids up for success. We want to thank The Workplace for this amazing opportunity, and we hope to see you there!

If you are unable to attend the open house, you can register for the Youth Earn & Learn Employment Program here: https://www.workplace.org/summer-youth-earn-learn...

This is shared from Valley Save Our Youth Facebook page.

Life Health and Wellness Center in Ansonia to host Youth Support Group via Zoom

 

Valley MLK Committee to present online 'Listening to our Youth' dialogue

Derby Pop Warner to hold football clinic at Bradley School

Abundant Life Fellowship Ministries in Ansonia to host youth group launch

McLeod said RareBreed "is a group that focuses on lost people who have mistaken what they do to be who they are and do not understand that ultimately it's about who we are and who we are willing to become."

Patronize Italian Pavilion, support Ansonia Pop Warner Football

Congratulations to Youths of the Month at club in Shelton

Sharing from the Lower Naugatuck Valley Boys & Girls Club Facebook page.

"Congratulations to our Lavietes Clubhouse March Youth of the Month! 
Fabian, Matthew, Jason & Deshon, we are so proud of you!"

We add our plaudits! Great job! 

Valley Community Foundation funds nonprofits, municipalities

Volunteers and supporters of Adam's House in Shelton, a 2018 VCF Community Grant Recipient, work on the organization's memorial garden and walkway./ Contributed photo

VCF has awarded a total of $23,090 in its Community Grants Program to 11 community groups serving the Valley. 

These grants will support youth, seniors, and wellness initiatives in the region.

“VCF is proud to support these 11 organizations with more than $23,000 in Community Grants,” said Sharon Closius, VCF President & CEO. “Community Grants are responsive to volunteer groups or nonprofits with very limited staff, and support civic and community efforts in our five-towns. With this grant funding, these small organizations can have the potential to make a big impact in the Valley.”

Adam Wysota Foundation - $2,500 to support the next phase of the Adam's House Memorial Garden and Walkway.

Annual Thanksgiving Basket Committee - $2,500 to support the purchase of perishable and non-perishable food items and supplies for distribution of Thanksgiving baskets to 50 families.

City of Derby, Youth Services Bureau - $2,000 to support a program to help students recognize consequences of poor decisions and provide opportunities to make amends.

College Access for all Kids, Inc. - $2,500 to support urban youth access to colleges, universities and other higher education possibilities.

Derby Green Farmers Market - $1,400 to support the innovative Power of Produce Club program, which provides participating children with education and experience in purchasing and using healthy fruits and vegetables at the Derby Farmers' markets.

Derby Historical Society - $2,500 to support transportation assistance for Valley schools to visit the General David Humphreys House.

Shelton Farmers Market - $2,500 to support the Valley Sprouts Club, provide more local music at the market, reach out to Valley schools, and provide health related services for visitors.

Southford Falls Quilt Guild - $2,500 to support “Quilting Outside the Box” programs which focus on new quilting trends, tools, and techniques.

St. Joseph Parish Nurse Program - $600 to support education and wellness programs on CPR and AED use, heart disease and stroke prevention, and the importance of advanced care planning.

Town of Seymour - $1,590 to support the Senior Fit & Strong exercise program.

Youth 2 Youth - $2,500 to support the cost of sending students to the national conference in Rhode Island.

About The 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 and receives funding from The Gates Fund and other preference funds at TCF. 

This is a press release from the Valley Community Foundation.

Cassetti proclaims Ansonia Little League Week

*Shared from the City of Ansonia Facebook page.

Huntington Branch Library to host treat-making activity

Hedgehog Rice Krispie Treats

SHELTON - Tweens in Grades 5-8 can make "hedgehogs sweet enough to eat" from 4:30-5 p.m. Monday at Huntington Branch Library.

The Library is at 41 Church St.

Register here or call 203-926-0111. Registration form said Friday morning there are 14 current openings.


*Information shared from Shelton Library System website.

Griffin Hospital in Derby to host teen safe driving awareness night

Griffin Hospital to hold 8th Annual Prom Safety Awareness Night./ Contributed photo 

DERBY - Juniors and seniors of Lower Naugatuck Valley high schools and their parents are invited to the 8th Annual Teen Safe Driving Awareness Night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 3 at Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St.

“Underage drinking and distracted driving are main reasons for teenage driver car accidents, and the most powerful tool against these risk factors is parents,” said Cathi Kellett of Griffin Hospital’s Community Outreach & Valley Parish Nurse Program.

This free program features a talk by Joe Laucella, EMS-I, from Shelton Echo Hose Ambulance, about parenting teens through the dangers and distractions of driving. 

This event aims to engage teens and their parents in an open conversation to encourage safe behaviors and decrease questionable decisions in regard to driving, texting, drugs, and alcohol.

Griffin Hospital will provide a free dinner for all attendees. Participating students will receive free gift cards for Dunkin' Donuts and be entered into a grand prize drawing for prom ticket bids.

This event is free, but seating is limited. Reservations are due by March 28 to Dee at 203-924-7614 or d.kopec@cityofshelton.org. 

Please provide your name, phone number, town and number of guests.

The event is sponsored by Shelton Youth Service Bureau, Ansonia Youth Service Bureau, Valley Parish Nurse Program, Safe Kids Greater Naugatuck Valley and Griffin Hospital.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

Youths invited to sample, judge pizza at Plumb Memorial Library in Shelton

SHELTON - Hey tweens and teens: get your 
taste buds ready for the ultimate showdown! You be the judge!  

A pizza tasting contest will be held from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 26 at Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St.
Participants will sample cheese pizzas from a variety of local restaurants.  

Judging will be on best sauce, best crust, best cheese, and more to determine Best in Show!  

This event is for ages 10-19; register here or call 203-924-9461.


*Information shared from the Shelton Library System Facebook page and website.

Beacon Falls Library slates fundraiser in Seymour for youth theater group

SEYMOUR - Have a great time creating this beautiful landscape (pictured above) at Kokopelli School of Music and Arts, 33 Smith St., while raising money for Beacon Falls Youth Theater Group.

Mingle hour will be from 6-7 p.m. Please bring a beverage of your choice and a snack to share.

The instructional paint starts promptly at 7 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.

The $30 price includes instruction, all paint supplies, and your own take-home masterpiece with a 40 percent portion of your ticket going back to the theater group!


*Information shared from the Beacon Falls Public Library Facebook page.

BHcare, agencies to host presentation on gambling at Orange venue

ORANGE - BHcare’s Alliance for Prevention & Wellness along with Middlesex County Substance Abuse Council, South Central CT Substance Abuse Council, Problem Gambling Services, and DMHAS will host “The Intersection of Youth Gaming and Gambling” Sept. 28 from 9-11:30 a.m. at Grassy Hill Country Club.

This free presentation will explore youth gambling, gaming, and Internet use and how they relate to other risk behaviors. 

Guest speakers include: Marc Potenza, PhD, MD, Professor of Psychiatry in the Child Study Center and of Neuroscience, Director, Center of Excellence in Gambling Research, Yale University School of Medicine; Rayallen Berman, B.S. Program Coordinator, Southeastern Regional Action Council; Jeremy Wampler, LCSW, LADC Program Director DMHAS Problem Gambling Services and Pam Mautte, Director, Alliance for Prevention & Wellness. 

CEUs are available. Register today at: http://bit.ly/youthgambling2017. 

For more information contact Christelle Aube, 475-222-6035/sccsac@aol.com, Pam Mautte, 203-736-8566/pmautte@bhcare.org, or Betsey Chadwick, 860-347-5959/betsey@mcsaac.org.

The Alliance for Wellness and Prevention is a program of BHcare. For more information, visit www.APW-CT.org.

This is a press release from BHcare, a regional community provider of behavioral health, addiction prevention, and domestic violence services for the Lower Naugatuck Valley, Greater New Haven, and Shoreline communities.  

For more information, visit www.bhcare.org.

Boys & Girls Club presents annual awards at dinner in Monroe

SHELTON - The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley presented two Raymond P. Lavietes Service to Youth Awards at its annual dinner June 15 at the Stone Barn Restaurant in Monroe. 

The Raymond P. Lavietes Service to Youth Award is the highest honor the Boys & Girls Club can bestow on an individual.
It is presented to those worthy of recognition due to their involvement in serving the youth of our community. 

Nominees exhibit outstanding leadership and untiring dedication to youth activities, a distinguished record in volunteer service with an emphasis on youth, and may be former Club members who have made notable accomplishments which would serve as a model to the youth of today.

The first recipient, Susan “Sooz” DeLeon, has been actively involved in the Boys & Girls Club for nearly 20 years. The Club became a second home to her children when she moved to Shelton, a recently divorced mom of two who was also working full-time. She was content that the Club was not only a safe environment but had counselors and mentors that were there to help. Both of her children became involved in every aspect of the Club, including work as they grew older. 
She joined the Board as a way to give back and never left. Sooz has served as a Board member for 17 years, including a three-year term as President. She is currently serving as Chairman of the Board. She has served on most committees, including the John “Red” Larsen Golf Classic, Herbie Rollinson Memorial 5K Run-Walk, Executive, Personnel, and Governance, as well as serving as chairman of our 60th Anniversary Gala committee last year.
Her passion isn’t limited to the Boys & Girls Club though. She’s also organized and participated in other organizations’ fundraising events. From the March of Dimes Walk for Kids to Team’s Men Who Cook, Sooz is more than willing to help out wherever she’s needed. 
At Iroquois Pipeline Operating Co., where she’s worked for the past 25 years as a Paralegal and Compliance Specialist, Sooz has been part of Iroquois’ annual United Way campaign committee for more than 20 years. Iroquois also strongly believes in community support; the company received our Champion of Youth Award in 2009.

Sooz received the Women Making a Difference in the Valley award in 2013. The tribute recognizes “outstanding women” who have made positive contributions to the community and have demonstrated significant achievement in their fields of endeavor, both professional and volunteer. Sooz deeply cares for the community in which she lives and works, and we are all the better for it.

'Community matters'

The second recipient is Joseph A. Pagliaro, Jr. known throughout the Valley for his extensive civic engagement. “Community matters” - that’s what Joseph A. Pagliaro Sr., always told Joe and his sister. 
Joe’s father set a shining example for his children to follow, and Joe has taken that example to heart. 
His involvement with the community began with the Shelton Board of Education, the Parent Child Resource Center, and Junior Achievement Valley Division. After his father’s death in 2004, Joe joined the Board of Directors and never looked back. When he was approached in 2013 to be Board President, he accepted without hesitation, happy to serve kids in any way he could.
Since then Joe has served on the personnel, executive, and development committees, and is now in the midst of his second term as Board President. He has been a generous supporter of the Back-a-Kid annual appeal each year, as well as the annual Service to Youth Awards. 
A graduate of St. Joseph High School class of 1986 and Sacred Heart University 1990, earning a BS in Political Science, Joe went on to intern for Congressman John G. Rowland from 1989-1992, including Rowland’s first run for Governor.
In addition to his support of our Club, he has continued his service with the Valley United Way, the Valley Community Foundation, the Gift of Life Foundation, St. Lawrence Parish Council, St. Joseph’s High School, The Recreation Camp, Griffin Hospital, and St. Catherine Academy. “Many people have said to me, it is our responsibility to grow and serve the community that has served us in the past,” Joe says. 
And like his father, he has been touched and changed by those he has been helping for the past 23 years.

Champion of Youth Four Champion of Youth Awards were also presented at the dinner. 
This is the highest honor our Boys & Girls Club can bestow on a company/organization. It is presented to those worthy of recognition due to their involvement in serving the youth of our community. Nominees exhibit outstanding leadership and untiring dedication to youth activities, a distinguished record in volunteer service with an emphasis on youth, and exceptional support of our Boys & Girls Club. 
The award recipients are: Town of Seymour- Kurt Miller, Family of Dr. Edward G. Bednar, Blanchette Sporting Goods (Shelton), Curtiss Ryan Honda (Shelton).

From the Heart Awards
In addition, four From the Heart Awards were presented. This award recognizes individuals and organizations who go above and beyond in supporting our organization, contributing their time, talent, and/or treasure in ways that directly impact our members. Their special acts of caring are often the touch that makes their chosen program, event, or unit a success. 
The award recipients are: Don North, (Shelton), City Stitchers (Derby), Lewis Jewelers (Ansonia), and Doggie Styles Pet Grooming (Shelton).

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley visit www.BGC-LNV.org. 


This is a press release from the club.

Club in Shelton hosts 200 teens at regional summit

SHELTON - The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley hosted the Boys & Girls Club Northeast Regional Torch Club Summit last weekend at its Raymond P. Lavietes Clubhouse.  

The Torch Club is a small-group leadership and service club for boys and girls ages 11-13, and it is chartered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. 

Members came together in a fun, safe, learning environment that reinforced the Torch Club’s values and traditions in four pillar areas: service to Club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation.  

More than 200 teens and advisors from 17 different Boys & Clubs across the Northeast region attended. 
The purpose of the summit is to inspire youth across the Northeast to feel confident that they are capable of achieving anything they put their minds to. 
The focus is to motivate Torch Club members to express their individuality and become more confident in knowing that they truly make a difference in this world.  

Workshops covered a range of issues, including peer pressure, drug trends, suicide prevention and making the right choices. Fun activities centered around health such as Yoga, Zumba and sport safety.  
The highlight of the summit was a special guest speaker, Shaun Derik, a performing artist who has dedicated his life to helping people, young and old, reconnect with their passion and go after their dreams.  Derik is the founder of Dreamsong, a production company designed to deliver inspiration and relevant content for today’s dreamer. 

The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley has been changing the lives of young people in our area for more than 60 years. 
With programs ranging from homework assistance to nutrition to sports, we help all young people to reach their full potential, but especially those from disadvantaged circumstances. 

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, visit www.BGC-LNV.org.

This is a press release from the club.