January  1, 2008

Thank You to the Fairfield County Foundation!
The Young Fathers Outreach Service, a component of Family Centers’ Young Parents Program, received a Fairfield County Foundation grant in the amount of $12,670. The outreach service is the only program in the area working to actively engage young fathers in the lives of their children. The grant allows Family Centers to offer this critical service for young, unmarried fathers in the community. Ken Gainer started as the Outreach Worker for the Young Fathers program this September. In his short time on the job, Gainer has fostered relationships with new and existing clients to help them become better fathers. For the most part he provides one-on-one training with young fathers to help them advance in school, find work or otherwise enhance their overall economic stability. The program also provides parenting skills training in groups, so the young men can learn from each other the best ways to become responsible fathers. To find out more about the Young Fathers Outreach Program, call Ken Gainer at (203) 324-3167.
 The Den For Grieving Kids in Stamford received funding from the Fairfield County Foundation for the second year in a row. This year’s $15,000 foundation grant helps the program continue to provide a place of refuge and hope for children and their families in dealing with multiple problems, among them a traumatic death. Trained volunteers guide activities and discussions which allow kids to grieve while having their feelings heard. Program Director Lorenzo Munroe remembers the first visit by one particular 6 year-old, "She said ‘Mommy, all those kids are just like me.’ The youngster has not missed a session in the program’s 15 months of operation." The Den For Grieving Kids operates bereavement sessions 49 weeks out of the year from Family Centers’ Stamford office. In Stamford, The Den For Grieving Kids presently serves 72 children, parents and caregivers. The 19 volunteers who facilitate the groups provide more than 3200 hours of service annually and are trained and supervised by a bilingual and bicultural expert in the bereavement field. For more information on The Den For Grieving Kids, please call (203) 324-3167.
The Fairfield County Foundation (FCF) is a growing community foundation with assets of more than $32 million in over 150 different donor funds established by individuals, organizations, families and corporations to serve Fairfield County now and in the future. Through FCF, donors support programs in the arts, community and economic development, children and youth, the environment, and health and human services. In the past year, according to Fairfield County Foundation chair Ann S. Mandel, the FCF awarded grants to Fairfield County nonprofit organizations totaling $2.2 million and provided $2 million in loans to nonprofit organizations through the Fairfield County Nonprofit Loan Fund.

For more information about the Fairfield County Foundation, please call (203) 834-9393 or check them out on the web at www.fcfoundation.org.