Woodbridge Human Services News: Volunteers Honored, Community Game Night & More

July 3, 2024

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The Human Services Department honored 175 volunteers for their dedication and generosity to this community at the 34th Annual Volunteer Recognition Celebration. State Senator Jorge Cabrera, State Representative Mary Welander, and First Selectman Mica Cardozo were on hand to present the awards. The staff of Human Services, Youth Services, and The Woodbridge Center extend their gratitude to all receiving this honor for their contributions. The Human Services Special Recognition Award was presented to Amity Gardens and Bailey, Moore, Schaefer, Glazer, and Proto, LLP. Outstanding Volunteers this year were Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program coordinator Vincent Spino and Woodbridge resident Lauren Sholtis. The Community Organization and Business Award was presented to Valley Pharmacy, Massaro Community Farm, and Opal Stork Home Care. The Woodbridge Center Award was given to Laura Speranzini and Lainey Blanar. The First Selectman’s Youth Award was presented to Sophie Noujaim.

Join in for the 2^nd Community Game Night, an all-age event for toddlers to grandparents including everyone in between! This fun family event will be held on June 13^th in The Woodbridge Center on the lower level of the Center Building at 4 Meetinghouse Lane, Woodbridge. The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The price for families of four or less is $10. Each additional family member is $5. Older residents (65+) are $5. Admission includes games, prizes, pizza, drinks, and cookies. The event is co-sponsored by the Woodbridge Rotary Club and hosted by Woodbridge Youth Services.

RSVP to Woodbridge Human Services at 203-389-3429 or by email at humanservices@woodbridgect.org. Please let us know how many family members will attend and the ages of the children. We’ll have age-appropriate games for all! Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Financial assistance is available.

The Stop & Shop Bloomin’ for Good Program has once again chosen Woodbridge Human Services Resident Assistance Fund (RAF) as a non-profit partner to receive proceeds from the sale of specially marked flower bouquets during the month of June. The RAF will receive one dollar from each bouquet of $10.99 specially marked flowers from the Ansonia store at 100 Division Street.

Food Pantry: Residents in need may call for access to non-perishable food each month. If interested in donating, the food pantry needs cold cereals, canned chicken, snack foods (including cookies, nuts, crackers, pretzels, fruit bars, chips, and brownie mix), coffee (both ground and instant), shelf stable milk, canola and olive oil, condiments (especially ketchup and mayonnaise), pasta sauce, cleaning products, laundry soap, and personal hygiene products such as deodorant, toothpaste, razors, and shampoo. Please check items for expiration dates prior to donating.

Woodbridge resident Meagan Acampora and her granddaughter stand with some of the food collected by the Women’s Ministry at Trinity Church

Memorial Day will be commemorated in Woodbridge on May 27 at 11 am at the Veterans of Foreign Wars monument in front of the Center Building. With this ceremony, the Town will pay tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in service to this country. The annual program, led by former Army Captain Barry Josephs, will include patriotic music, a memorial wreath presentation, the Woodbridge Police Department Honor Guard, Boy Scout Troop 907, and remarks by state and local elected officials. The keynote speaker will be Civil War Historian Irving Moy. Moy is a well-known Civil War author, historian, and reenactment participant who specializes in the life of Abraham Lincoln. He is also the Civil War docent at the West Haven Military Museum and Learning Center. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in The Woodbridge Center (lower-level Center Building).

Living Treasure Committee Volunteers Sought: The Human Services Department will hold the 6^th annual Living Treasure event on September 25^th. The event will honor a few residents age 60 or over, who have demonstrated positive actions to improve the quality of life in Woodbridge, have contributed and may continue to contribute their time to enhance our community, and have performed this work on a volunteer, unpaid basis. The Living Treasure event is a community-building event which also serves as a fundraiser for The Woodbridge Center. Members of the community are welcome to join the event planning committee which meets during the months of June, July, August, and September. For information about meeting dates, or to volunteer, please contact Jeanette Glicksman at 203-389-3429. Donations of gift certificates to local businesses, tickets to sporting events, timeshares, etc. are welcome!

Emergency Preparedness: In the event of a weather emergency or power outage, elderly residents and those with disabilities are encouraged to register for the Emergency Call List by contacting the Human Services Department at 203-389-3429. The Department will provide outreach to all on the list prior to anticipated emergencies.

Facebook: For information on upcoming events and news, please follow the Town’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/WoodbrigeCT.

Call 203-389-3429 or email humanservices@woodbridgect.org for more information

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