Hewitt Grant to Fund Study of Senior Needs
Valley United Way has received a $27,500 grant from the Hewitt Foundation that will be used to work with the Valley Senior Services Council of the Valley Council for Health & Human Services on a survey to assess the need for outreach services for isolated, homebound persons in the Valley over the age of sixty. The funds will also be used by Valley United Way’s Volunteer Center for the development of a Senior Leadership Volunteer Council similar to councils that the Center currently coordinates for area corporations and high schools.
In making the grant to Valley United Way, Pat Carey, President of the Hewitt Foundation said that the Foundation viewed the grant as an opportunity for the new foundation to work with United Way to assess the needs of the Valley’s senior population. He said, “The Foundation is excited about the possibilities coming from this grant for both the United Way and the Hewitt Foundation. Jack Walsh, President and C.O.O. of Valley United Way echoed those sentiments by saying that the Valley has developed a network of service providers who work collaboratively to address issues facing seniors. “This grant will provide resources to the Senior Services Council that will allow them to continue the good work that they are currently doing with seniors and to plan for enhanced services as we move forward.”
The Senior Services Council is a collaborative effort that includes a wide variety of agencies in the Valley that service the needs of seniors including senior centers, health and counseling services and housing authorities. Bob Bohannon, Director of Elderly and Family Services for TEAM, Inc. in Derby currently chairs the Senior Services council. He said that the Senior Services Council has been looking at the issue of isolated seniors for years. He added that, “This survey will allow us to gather the data that we need to better service their needs in the years ahead.”
Valley United Way’s Volunteer Center has been connecting individuals and groups looking to volunteer in the Valley with agencies needing their services. It also coordinates the Corporate Volunteer Council which assists nearly 50 Valley businesses with community involvement. Their volunteer activities range from monthly food and clothing drives to annually clothing children for the new school year and conducting United Way’s annual Week of Caring Project which recently involved renovating the Catholic Charities office in Ansonia. The High School Volunteer Council plays a similar role for the Valley’s five public high schools.
Walsh said, “With the impending increase in retirements by the baby boom generations, there is a fantastic opportunity to create a new core of volunteers with time and talent to make a real difference in the Valley. Our Senior Leadership Council will help to mobilize a whole new wave of volunteers in much the same way as our Corporate Volunteer Council and High School councils have already done.
The Hewitt Foundation is set up to support charitable organizations providing for the care of sick and infirmed persons whether it be due to disease or age. The Foundation also provides support for programs to prevent sickness and infirmity. The Hewitt Foundation provides care for persons in the Naugatuck Valley area.
