The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Health center hosts Thanksgiving breakfast
TORRINGTON — Ludwig “Luddy” Gauger, 96, is a decorated World War II soldier who moved to Torrington in 1953.
The longtime resident has attended the annual Community Thanksgiving Breakfast at Community Health and Wellness Center Torrington, every year for the past three years, when the tradition began.
Luddy is a patient of the center’s dentist, Dr. Tesse Jacob, DDS, and is a popular guest at breakfast.
“I love coming to the breakfast here and meeting people,” he said. “It’s something different than what I have at home — it’s great!”
The longtime resident served as a sergeant in the army’s Infantry Company “L,” fighting in France, Germany, Austria, and Italy, and was awarded a Bronze Star medal for shielding a wounded soldier with his own body when they were under attack.
When he moved to Torrington, Luddy worked as a tool maker at the Thomaston Clock Company, where he designed a custom tool for manufacturing one of the company’s new clock designs. He and his wife, Elsie, had four children together. He has been a widower for 14 years.
“We are grateful for Mr. Gauger’s service to our country, and were absolutely delighted to see him again at our Thanksgiving breakfast celebration on Nov. 14,” said Joanne Borduas, CEO of CHWC. “People love talking to him and hearing his stories. He is a very special person, and an inspiration to everyone who meets him.”
The Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington is committed to keeping communities healthy. The center, its employees, volunteer practitioners, board members, officer, and independent contractors are deemed to be employees of the Federal Public Health and Human Services.
In a compassionate, patientcentered environment, CHWC services are accessible and provided without discriminations, with cultural competence, and where all people matter regardless of their ability to pay.
CHWC offers and continues to develop a range of healthcare services for the underserved throughout northwest Connecticut, including medical, dental, chiropractic, and counseling services.
It strives to achieve the reputation of “provider of choice” for affordable, high quality services that achieve positive patient outcomes in a welcoming and caring environment.
CHWC collaborates and advocates with other organizations to increase the region’s capacity to meet the communities’ health and wellness needs.
It is the only Federally Qualified Health Center in Connecticut to receive a Health Services and Resource’s Association’s Health Center Program 2017 Quality Leader Award, and is the recipient of its 2018 Health Center quality Leader Award, as well.
CHWC is located at 469 Migeon Avenue, Torrington, CT, and 115 Spencer Street, Winsted, CT, with the following satellite locations: FISH of Torrington, 332 South Main Street, Torrington; Sullivan Senior Center, 88 East Albert Street, Torrington, CT; The Open Door Soup Kitchen, 160 Main Street, Winsted; YMCA Emergency Shelter, 480 Main Street, Winsted; Torrington Soup Kitchen, 220 Prospect Street, Torrington; and Oliver Wolcott Technical School, 75 Oliver Street, Torrington. Telephone 860-489-0931, visit at www.chwctorr.org and on Facebook.