Photographs by William Taufic.
In 2008, Dr. David Brown, a well-known doctor in New Canaan, asked family friend Lyn Chivvis to join the board of Staying Put, an organization that helps seniors remain comfortable and safe in their own homes. Describing Brown as “a magnificent human,” Lyn replied with a resounding yes. She has been saying yes ever since.
Yes, she would be secretary of the executive board. Yes, she also would take on the role of volunteer chairperson, host monthly coffees for volunteer drivers and annual recognition parties, spearhead a Phone Buddies project to ward off loneliness for solitary seniors, and be the first to raise her hand anytime other needs arose at Staying Put board meetings.
“Lyn has earned the nickname the Energizer Bunny,” says Nancy Helle, a friend and fellow board member. Donna Simone, assistant director of Staying Put, adds, “There is never a challenge for which Lyn cannot come up with a creative solution.”
A New Canaan resident since the age of two, Lyn’s first memory is of strolling in Mead Park. Now, she is doing everything she can to make her New Canaan neighbors’ memories of their Golden Years positive ones. “I’m delighted to get the word out about Staying Put,” she says. “Everybody on the board deserves this award.” The organization attracts big names—a recent fundraiser at New Canaan High School included the likes of Paul Simon, Harry Connick Jr. and Brian Williams.
With a staff of paid workers and volunteers, Staying Put offers “social events to get people out and having fun together, as well as high-tech and low-tech assistance,” explains Lyn. “We’ll set up your computer, change a lightbulb you can no longer reach, walk your dog. Giving rides is our biggest service. We started out giving thirty rides a month; now we’re up to 160. I host the monthly coffee for the drivers because I want to thank them. At one point we asked drivers to give reasons why they do it. Some like making a new friend. One replied, ‘There’s just so much tennis you can play in one day!’”
Lyn has her own business, so she doesn’t have trouble filling her days. “As a massage therapist, helping is in my nature,” she says. “Somehow there’s time, and somehow there’s always more that can be done.” Why does she do it? “We are setting the table for the next generation—David Brown said that. I want to set the table for the next generation.” And she certainly is—she is an inspiration to those who will follow in her footsteps.