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Community Fund Launches Volunteer Matching Service

10/26/2021

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Thanks to its community investments in many local nonprofit organizations, The Community Fund of Darien (TCF) has strong ties to those who need volunteer help - and that list is growing.  This month, TCF is launching The Volunteer Hub, a complimentary service to Darien residents interested in finding just the right local volunteer opportunity.  Individuals contact TCF’s Volunteer Hub Hosts, and those “volunteers for volunteering” will personally guide participants to the organizations which best match their skill set and areas of interest. Due to the most agencies’ strict age requirements for volunteers, the service is geared to individuals preferably ages 14 and up.

Potential volunteers will call The Volunteer Hub at The Community Fund of Darien at 203-202-2098 or complete a confidential Volunteer Interest form online at www.communityfunddarien.org/volunteer-interest-form. One of TCF’s Volunteer Hub Hosts, Jessica Brokaw Cahill or Celeste Marsh, will respond within 24 hours for a personal one-on-one conversation to better understand the individual's interests, which may take place in person or via telephone. From there, the Host will make an introduction to the volunteer manager at the organization which suits the applicant best. Volunteer Hub Hosts will follow up within one week and again in one month to make sure that volunteer and agency relationships work for all parties.

“We’ve heard from Darien residents that they wanted to be more involved in our community and didn't know how to get started,” explained Janet King, Executive Director of The Community Fund of Darien. “Since TCF has such extensive knowledge of local nonprofits, we want to use this expertise to create a personalized matchmaking service for Darien residents to find their dream volunteer position and support these organizations with their skills.”

Quotes from Nonprofit Partners
“The Darien Community Association (DCA) relies on volunteers to fulfill our nearly 100-year-old mission. We are excited to participate in The Community Fund of Darien’s new Volunteer Hub. We think it’s a win-win for both nonprofit organizations seeking volunteers, and people in the community who are looking for a way to give back.”  Amy M. Bell, Executive Director of the Darien Community Association
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​“Volunteer Hub is the missing link! Norwalk Community Health Center is a high impact local nonprofit with a new, under-the-radar, volunteer program. Our volunteers are key to wellness initiatives that complement our core services. Without a dedicated volunteer coordinator, there isn’t always time to make those connections. We’re excited to have Volunteer Hub in our corner, bringing the right people together with the right causes.”  -- Betty Cordellos, Director of  Development and Communications for Norwalk Community Health Center.
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Axe Throwing Men's Night Out

10/26/2021

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Gentlemen, channel your inner lumberjack and join The Community Fund of Darien for a men’s charity night of axe throwing on Thursday, November 4th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Mather Homestead, located at 19 Stephen Mather Road, Darien!  First timers welcome -- a trained axe master will walk you through the throwing technique, and lanes are safely gated off.  
 
The evening includes Two Roads Brewery beer provided by Sipstirs, a Litchfield Distillery Bourbon tasting, nibbles from The Butcher Shop, and a few other surprises. Limited tickets ($60) are available at www.communityfunddarien.org; all proceeds benefit 30 local nonprofits addressing community needs such as hunger, homelessness, mental health, domestic violence, and gaps in education. 
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Community Fund of Darien Awarded $625,000 Multi-Year Drug-Free Communities Grant

10/11/2021

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The Community Fund of Darien was recently awarded $125,000 per year for the next 5 years by the federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Grant, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The funding will support programming from The Thriving Youth Task Force (TYTF), Darien’s volunteer coalition that convenes local community organizations to promote and empower positive youth development, with the goal of reducing teen substance use.  
The DFC Grant funding will allow the Thriving Youth Task Force to: 
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  • Continue to survey 7-12th grade students about their mental health and substance use trends and share the results with parents and the community. This year’s free community presentation of the student survey findings will be held on Wednesday, October 20th at 7pm in the Middlesex Middle School auditorium and will also be live streamed via Zoom. Registration is requested for in-person attendance and required for Zoom at www.communityfunddarien.org/tytf-programs-and-events. 
  • Use student survey findings to inform community and school efforts to promote the development of Darien youth into healthy, resilient adults and to reduce at-risk behaviors.  
  • ​​Convene community partners to collaborate on teen mental health and substance use 
  • Increase public awareness of the risks of substance use and risky behavior through community programs and social marketing, such as the nationally recognized “06820” campaign.
  • ​Expand the scope of its work to include a focus on marijuana use in addition to alcohol use.

Created in 1997, the Drug-Free Communities Grant funds community-based coalitions such as Darien’s Thriving Youth Task Force that engage multiple sectors of the community to prevent youth substance use.  The twelve sectors represented by TYTF members are youth, parents, businesses, media, school, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement, religious/fraternal organizations, civic and volunteer organizations, healthcare professionals and local government.  This membership diversity helps coalitions connect their communities’ resources to each other and adopt a balanced and comprehensive approach to reducing substance use.

“We are thrilled to have secure funding for the next five years to continue the Thriving Youth Task Force’s work targeting teen substance use prevention and education,” said Janet King, Executive Director of The Community Fund of Darien.  “The DFC Grant gives us a fantastic opportunity to further engage our community to work together towards this goal.”

Thriving Youth Program Director Emily Larkin added, “This work is especially timely in light of the state’s recent marijuana legalization.  The Thriving Youth Task Force’s programs will provide parents with critical information about how marijuana impacts the teen brain and strategies for keeping open lines of communication with their teen around all substance use.”
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THE COMMUNITY FUND OF DARIEN
30 Old Kings Highway South
​Darien, CT 06820
Phone: 203-655-8775
Email: info@communityfunddarien.org
Mailing Address:
​ 30 Old Kings Highway South, Darien, CT 06820
The Community Fund of Darien is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
​Your donations are tax deductible under EIN: 06-0737286

​© The Community Fund of Darien. All rights reserved.
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  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
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    • Contact Us
  • Our Team
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    • Donor Services
  • Community
    • Human Services Planning Council
    • Youth Programs >
      • Youth Give Back
      • Freshmen Community Group
      • Youth Asset Team
      • Youth Community Fund
  • Community Investments
    • Nonprofit Partners
    • Community Investment Funding Goals
    • Community Investment Review
    • Touch-a-Life Fund
    • Collective Impact
  • Thriving Youth Task Force
    • TYTF Programs and Events
    • TYTF Substance Use Resources
    • Mental Health Resources
    • Student Survey Results
  • Volunteer Hub
  • Events