Photographs: books, Andrea – stock.adobe.com; others: courtesy of Read to Grow, Mercy Learning Center, The Susan Fund and Campus Flyer
From a 17-year-old to a 90-year-old, Westport residents are actively improving the opportunities available to those around them. From getting baby books into the tiniest hands across the state to educating women who didn’t finish high school, from giving scholarships to cancer patients to connecting young people with employers—learn all about these impactful initiatives and how you can get involved with these four Inspirational organizations.
READ TO GROW
The average middle-class child is likely to own 13 books at any given time, while the average low-income neighborhood has one book for every 300 children (Changing the Odds for Children at Risk, Susan Neuman, University of Michigan). This is one of several eye-opening statistics on the Read to Grow website, that illuminate the urgency of the nonprofit organization’s mission. Read to Grow, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary, is committed to promoting early literacy and getting books for babies and youth into every home in our state.
Thanks to Read to Grow, a baby book and literacy packet go home with the parents of every newborn delivered at 19 Connecticut hospitals, and this material is also distributed to community centers and clinics offering prenatal care. Read to Grow has donated 2.7 million books, served 1.5 million people and distributed almost 400,000 newborn literacy packets.
“Read to Grow is doing truly transformative work in the birth-to-five space,” says Westporter Shari Kaufman, who has worked with the Branford-based organization for almost twenty years. “With my background in early childhood education and children’s publishing, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to start early when it comes to building a strong literacy foundation. The brain develops faster from birth to age five than at any other time in life. What Read to Grow is doing isn’t just important, it’s life-changing. They’re ensuring that every baby born in Connecticut receives a book, and they’re equipping families with the tools and support to become their child’s first and most important teacher. Their bookmobile brings joy and access to children across the state—and for many, these are the only books in their homes. I am passionate about this work because I believe real change in literacy starts at the very beginning.”
Read to Grow’s bookmobile brings curated books to underserved communities throughout Connecticut. A twenty-year study by Moriah Evans at University of Nevada demonstrated that the number of books in a home has a more direct effect on the eventual level of a child’s education than do the parents’ education and economic standing. Further studies show that of those struggling to read in first grade, 90 percent will be poor readers in fourth grade (Juel, 1988), and those kids are four times more likely to drop out of high school (America’s Early Childhood Literacy Gap, 2009). The bottom line is $240 billion in social service expenses and lost earnings and tax revenues. Read to Grow addresses the root of the problem, getting babies on track to be book lovers from Day 1.
READ TO GROW: HOW TO HELP
1. Donate.
2. Donate gently used books (which are given to families who request additional books, from birth through middle school).
3. Participate in one of Read to Grow’s fun Popcorn and PJ Virtual Family Storytime events, complete with meet-the-author talks.
4. Set up a book drive. See the “How You Can Help” section on readtogrow.org
MERCY LEARNING CENTER
Have you passed the Mercy Learning Center building in Bridgeport and wondered what it is? At its heart, Mercy Learning Center is an adult education program teaching literacy and life skills to women without high school diplomas. It also has a licensed early childhood education center on site, along with a free food and diaper pantry, and wraparound social services for students.
Mercy Learning Center draws students from 19 towns and has no income requirements, but 84 percent of students live in Bridgeport, where the median household income is the lowest in Fairfield County, and 22 percent of adults do not have a high school diploma.
Westporter Theanne Feldman has been involved with Mercy Learning Center as a volunteer and board member. “I learned about Mercy Learning Center when I was the Philanthropy Vice President for National Charity League Westport, around 12 years ago,” says Feldman. “Education has always been very important to me and my family. I truly believe that education equals opportunity and hope for all women, especially those in underserved communities. Mercy Learning’s holistic approach is paramount to the success in the classroom. The state-licensed early childhood program is a fantastic model and promotes generational success.”
Feldman recalls many rewarding experiences “engaging with the women and children volunteering in the childcare, especially watching the pure happiness on their faces at the new playground that was just completed, which has transformed their experience.”
She enjoyed her six years on the board and being part of the the search committee that found new President/CEO Lindsay Wyman. “I am excited to see the growth and continued success under her leadership,” says Feldman. “It is hard to grasp the atmosphere of joy and camaraderie among the women and staff unless you are in the building. I urge all your readers to take a tour and if able to volunteer—either as a tutor, which is extremely rewarding, or one of the many other opportunities to experience MLC firsthand.”
Lindsay Wyman recounts her favorite MLC memory: “One of our students was pregnant and giving birth last spring, and her classmates threw her a baby shower lunch. MLC students come from all over the world and showered her with love with traditions from multiple cultures. As she thanked them at the end of the shower she said, ‘Thank you for being my sisters. I am so lucky to be so supported here. There is love in this building.’ And that’s just it. There is love in this building—every day, in all forms, despite all the difficulties life may throw at us. We are proud to build an incredible, supportive, and loving community of women here who can conquer the world.”
Mercy Learning Center’s annual benefit will take place September 21 at Shorehaven Country Club in Norwalk. “It is an extraordinary evening to celebrate what is possible when we educate and empower women,” comments Feldman, who is on the Benefit Committee. “Hearing their stories and understanding that volunteers and donors have an impact on students’ lives is a rewarding experience for everyone in attendance.”
Learn more/get involved/donate: mercylearningcenter.org
THE SUSAN FUND
Susan Lloyd was a bright, Colgate-bound Staples senior when she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She had a leg amputated and showed all of her classmates what it means to be strong-willed and resilient. Sadly, in 1980, she lost her thirteen-month battle with cancer. Since then her mom, Ann Young, has demonstrated where that resilience came from. Ann recently celebrated her 90th birthday and 43rd year of service to cancer patients, through the charity she founded soon after losing her daughter. The Susan Fund has donated $2 million to Fairfield County students struggling with cancer. Over 90 percent of contributions go directly to scholarships.
Ann, still an active board member, took time to share with us the vital work The Susan Fund does and her own formula for vitality.
Share with us the origins of The Susan Fund.
Susan passed away shortly after graduating from Staples High School in 1980. We received around $12,000 in donations in her memory and connected with Candlelighters, a nonprofit that provides support and resources to families of children with cancer. After several years, we went out on our own and started The Susan Fund, a 501(c)(3) whose sole purpose is to provide educational scholarships to Fairfield County students who have been diagnosed with cancer.
In addition to the many students The Susan Fund has helped, how has it helped you cope with the tremendous pain of losing your daughter?
The truth is, you never lose the pain of losing a child. But I’ve always felt, when you’re down, do something for others, as it will help make you feel a little better. Being part of an organization that has provided 900+ individuals with Susan Fund scholarships has helped not only the recipients, but also helped to keep Susan’s memory alive.
Is there a recipient whose story stands out?
Over the years, I’ve run into many previous recipients, which is always a joy. Several years ago I was in the emergency room at Norwalk Hospital. The admitting nurse was a former four-time Susan Fund recipient who immediately recognized me. She was delightful and so appreciative of the financial and emotional support we provided.
You recently turned 90! What is your secret for continuing to remain such an impactful member of the community?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to still be in good health, with great support from my family, friends and loved ones. Remaining active on The Susan Fund Board has helped me stay active and involved. Every year, the Board personally meets with all our applicants. We get so much out of hearing about their cancer and educational journeys. It’s a wonderful feeling to help these courageous individuals.
Do you still live in Westport?
Yes, we moved to Westport in 1966 and I’ve lived in the same house for 59 years!
Donate/learn more (read the beautiful tribute from Susan’s brother, ESPN anchor David Lloyd, on the “Meet Susan” page): thesusanfund.org
Donations by check:
The Susan Fund
458 Newtown Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06851
CAMPUS FLYER
Staples junior Kevin Cano was looking for a summer job when the obstacles to finding one got his coder brain thinking. “I was trying to find a job locally, and I realized there is no resource to do this,” he explains. “LinkedIn and Indeed are more for professionals or older college students. There is a real need for high school students, and even some college students, who are looking for local jobs.”
Cano hatched a plan to build a site that would serve this set of job-seekers and the employers who need them. The 17-year-old juggled a Staples High School course-load with building the site and launching a business. Campus Flyer went live in February, giving Fairfield County students and employers—whether for paid jobs or volunteer/internships, short-term or long-term—a place to connect online. Some job postings this spring included volunteers for the library book sale, a social media manager for an art studio, a construction job, a data and analytics intern, and a Saturday-night sitter.
Students sign up by first selecting the school they attend in Fairfield County. “Fairfield University will also starting using Campus Flyer in the fall,” says Cano, who is busy spreading the word among area schools and Chambers of Commerce. “The toughest part has been getting people to use it. Not that people don’t want to; it just takes effort to convince people to make an account and learn to use it.” The site is easy to navigate once they do and free for both job seekers and employers.
While challenging, Cano has really enjoyed talking with schools and employers. “I had a year of building the site and dealing with the legal and financial hurdles,” says Cano. “It was just an empty website. Now seeing people using it is really fun. I open the dashboard and see people logging in; it’s very pleasing.”
Cano expects to always offer users a free plan, but eventually add paid-plans with higher-level features so the site can begin to generate revenue. Employers do not undergo any formal screening, so as with sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, users should “vet what you are looking at and take precautions, just like anything else,” says Cano.
The budding entrepreneur hopes to pursue a dual degree in business and technology in college.
Sign up/learn more: campusflyer.com