Donations to ‘Help A Neighbor’ fund will help Stamford families
The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can already be felt across the state.
With businesses closed, many residents have lost their source of income, leaving them unable to pay for basic necessities such as food, rent, utilities and rent.
Help-A-Neighbor is a new emergency drive to help meet some of those needs efficiently. The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time are working together with nonprofit agencies Family Centers, Person-to-Person , Domus and Building One Community, which collectively serve many of the most vulnerable members of the community.
In the weeks to come, we will publish stories about neighbors in crisis. Included with each story will be an estimated dollar amount to meet their identified needs. The agencies will channel 100 percent of donations to the clients.
Family Centers provides human service programs to more than 20,000 residents in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan and Darien.
Person-to-Person serves those communities as well as Norwalk, Wilton, Weston and Westport. Among other things, it provides food and clothing to families in need.
Domus provides services for at-risk youth, and Building One Community delivers assistance to immigrants. Both are based in Stamford.
To donate, go to
helpaneighbor.isecuresites. com.
Case No. 28 — Jolene has four children ages 5 to 17 who receive free breakfast and lunch at school, as well as additional food from another program. Her part-time job has ended at a store that has closed due to COVID-19. Jolene has already skipped her car insurance payment to buy
groceries for her family instead. A donation of $400 would greatly help this family.
Case No. 29 — Latoya and Jermaine recently had a baby and are in dire need of basic supplies. Latoya graduated in January and Jermaine is on track to graduate in June. They are running out of baby formula and asked for help. A donation of $250 would greatly help this young family over the next few weeks.
Case No. 30 — Jenny is a single parent with four children, including one in college. Three of her kids depend on free lunches from school. One child who usually helps with bills is not working due to COVID-19. Jenny is worried about not having enough food in the house.
A donation of a grocery gift card for $300 would help the family over the next few weeks.
Case No. 31 — Natalia is a senior in high school who has diabetes. She is staying with her aunt and doing the best she can to remain healthy. She is nervous about going out to get supplies and food. An Amazon gift card — so she can order what she needs — in the amount of $250 would relieve her anxiety and allow her to get the supplies to remain healthy over the next few weeks.
Case No. 32 — Barbara is a single grandmother who is raising her only grandson. Since her husband’s sudden death a few years ago, she has been working two jobs to make ends meet, which is difficult in the best of times. With the recent pandemic, both of her jobs are in jeopardy and any reduced hours/job loss will make it difficult to put food on the table. A donation of $250 would help this family in this difficult time.
Case No. 33 — Sally and her husband were unexpectently given custody of their two grandchildren a few years ago. Because of her age and the difficulty of balancing work and raising children, Sally had to give up her work. Her husband, who has a disability, is the sole provider. Now with the COVID-19 outbreak, both grandparents are in fear that they may contract the virus. A donation of $300 would help the family make ends meet during this uncertain time.
STAMFORD — Embracing the message “I Will Survive,” the Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County will go on with its planned fundraiser — but in a very different format thanks to the coronavirus.
The annual benefit planned for April 24, which was set to feature Grammy Award-winning singing legend Gloria Gaynor, most famous for her hit “I Will Survive,” has ben canceled. Instead, there will be a virtual dance party on Friday, held on Instagram and featuring the work of DJ April Larken of Greenwich.
To take part in the benefit, follow Larken at www.instagram.com/ aprillarken and go to the live feed in her profile picture. The event is free, but donations are welcome. CLC has turned its focus to providing care and education of healthcare workers and first responders.
CLC is a nonprofit organization with eight early childhood education locations.
“Providing care and education to the children of our healthcare workers and first responders is crucial in stopping the spread of (coronavirus),” said Marc Jaffe, chief executive officer of CLC. “We are extremely pleased to be able to provide this support so our healthcare workforce can focus on what we all need them to be doing right now.”
The dance party is billed as a “social distancing party” and as “an opportunity to connect people and flatten the curve.”
More information is online at www.clcfc.org.