60 Days of Giving underway

Campaign efforts provides ways to help others, pets

The Estuary Council of Seniors is in the midst of a 60 Days of Giving campaign.

The campaign has two main goals. The first goal is to raise money for their senior health and wellness programs. The Estuary Council is a regional nonprofit that works to help seniors stay active, healthy, and independent through their senior center, medical transportation and nutrition programs, and as the only provider of Meals on Wheels in the nine-town estuary region. Donations can be made online at www.ecsenior.org.

The second goal of the campaign is to be a good community partner and help other area nonprofits.

The Estuary Council has partnered with Old Saybrook Youth and Family and Clinton Social Services to put up Giving Trees and Mitten Trees in the lobby where people can make holiday gift donations for local families. The council is holding pet food drives for Forgotten Felines and the estuary’s own holiday Ani-Meals on Wheels program for Meals on Wheels recipients who have pets.

A “Pack a Purse” event was just held. Items such as brushes, nail files, lotion, tissues, and much more were packed into purses to be donated to local women’s shelters. Volunteers packed nearly 50 purses.

The council provides nutrition, transportation, social services, activities, and fitness programs to residents of Chester, Clinton, Essex, Deep River, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook, it website notes. The services aim to “promote quality of life, community involvement, and independent living for persons 50 to 105.”

For more information on how to get involved or how you can help make a difference, contact Heather Milardo at 860-3881611 ext. 210 or development@ecsenior.org. The Estuary Council of Seniors is located at 220 Main St., Old Saybrook. Anyone age 50 and better is welcome.

Contributed photos Volunteers from left, Connie Cliffe, Corina Brown, Betsy Cote, and Mike Neville (not pictured) and staff organizer Sharon Slaton fill nearly 50 purses with donated items to be given to local women’s shelters.