EMPOWERING CHILDREN, ADULTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL THE NEWSLETTER OF FAMILY CENTERS | FALL 2014

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Rep. JimHimes, Stamford Mayor DavidMartin, Stamford Public SchoolsSuperintendant Dr. Winifred Hamiltonand members of the Stamford Boardof Education helped Family Centerscelebrate the opening of its newestSchool Based Health Center (SBHC) atCloonan Middle School on Sept. 29.

The Cloonan SBHC is Family Centers’fifth clinic serving students in sevenof Stamford’s public schools. Availableto all students, the SBHCs are staffedby nurse practitioners, social workersand dental professionals, and providemedical assessments, physicals, men-tal health counseling, dental care andother services to nearly 1,050 childreneach year. Health education and out-reach efforts are offered to an addi-tional 8,100 students and families .Services are provided regardless of a

At the 123rd Annual Meeting, the Board

of Directors appointed Tom Ashforth

Chairman.

Since coming onto the Board of

Directors in 2003, Tom’s leadership

and strategic input has helped Family

Centers make a greater impact in

the community.

Tom currently works as a Principal at

Transwestern Commerical Real Estate

in Greenwich. Tom has been involved

in numerous special events and

fundraisers. His wife, Brooke, has

co-chaired three of Family Centers’

most successful benefits.

The Board of Directors also elected

Leigh Carpenter Vice Chairman.

Leigh joined the Board in 2005 and has

chaired several fundraising events,

including 2007’s Castaway and 2010’s

Coney Island benefits. She is the co-

chair of the Families in Crisis Center of

Excellence Committee, and sits on the

Development, Special Events and

Community Relations committees.

Cloonan Middle School Health Center Opens

Cloonan Middle School Student Council President Maura Jean Johnston (center) cuts the ribbon to open FamilyCenters’ new School Based Health Center at Cloonan Middle School. Looking on are (l-r) Family Centers’President Bob Arnold, Stamford Mayor David Martin, Rep. Jim Himes, Stamford Public Schools SuperintendantDr. Winifred Hamilton, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Family Centers’ Board Chairman Laurie Host, Cloonan MiddleSchool Principal David Tate, Family Centers’ Director of Healthcare Programs Dennis Torres, Stamford Board ofEducation President Geoff Alswanger and Stamford Board of Education Member Jackie Heftman.

New Board officers Leigh Carpenter andTom Ashforth

family’s income or health insurancestatus.

Vacant space previously occupied byCloonan Middle School’s IndustrialArts program was used to build thenew clinic. Funding to renovate thespace was made possible through agrant from the Health Resources &Service Administration of the U.S.Department of Health and HumanServices. Operating funds were pro-vided by the State of Connecticut’sDepartment of Public Health andStamford Public Schools.

Other clinics operated by Family Centersare located at Stamford High School,Westhill High School, RippowamMiddle School/AITE High School andDolan Middle School/Toquam Elem -en tary School. An additional clinicserves Kids in Crisis in Greenwich.

ASHFORTH ELECTED CHAIRMAN, CARPENTER VICE CHAIR

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Thanks to the cunning intelligence and daring missions of fictional charac-ters like James Bond, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and 24’s Jack Bauer, popu-

lar culture has long been obsessed with espionage stories. The real-life secre-cy of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) only adds to this fascination.

On Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 a.m., Family Centerswelcomes former CIA Acting Director JackDevine to the Greenwich Hyatt for a breakfastentitled “A Peek Behind the CIA Curtain withSpymaster Jack Devine”.

In addition to providing his perspectiveson the CIA’s role in such global eventsas the fall of Salvador Allende in Chile,the Iran-Contra affair and the covert con-flict against the Soviets in Afghanistanfamously depicted in the film, CharlieWilson’s War, Devine will shed light onthe inner-workings of the world’s mostsecretive government agency.

Tickets start at $100, and proceeds will support Family Centers’ programsthat provide counseling and support to families and individuals experiencinga crisis. Several exciting sponsorship opportunities – which include a semi-private reception with Mr. Devine – are also available. For information andtickets, visit www.familycenters.org or call 203-869-4848.

During his more than 30 years with the CIA, Devine was involved in organiz-ing, planning and executing countless sensitive projects in virtually all areasof intelligence, including analysis, operations, technology and management. In addition to serving as Acting Director, Devine headed the CIA’s Counter -narcotics Center and oversaw the Afghan Task Force and operations in LatinAmerica. In 1987, he was awarded the CIA’s Meritorious Officer Award forcountering Soviet aggression in Afghanistan.

Devine is a founding partner and President of The Arkin Group LLC, whichspecializes in international crisis management, strategic intelligence, inves-tigative research and business problem solving. His memoir, Good Hunting!An American Spymaster’s Story was released by Sarah Crichton Books inJune 2014.

We thank the following founda-

tions and organizations for their

commitment to ensuring residents

of lower Fairfield County continue

to have access to quality human

service programs.

• United Way of Greenwich —

$333,375 for Early Care and

Education, Head Start,

Counseling & Mental Health

and Literacy Volunteers

• Viking Global Foundation —

$176,000 for Early Care and

Education

• Lone Pine Foundation —

$100,000 for FCITC and Capital

Projects

• William Randolph Hearst

Foundation — $75,000 for

School Based Health Centers

• United Way of Western

Connecticut — $66,939 for

Clinical & Mental Health, School

Based Health Centers, RITE,

Stamford CARES and Literacy

Volunteers

• Dalio Family Foundation —

$25,000 for Literacy Volunteers

• Thompson Reuters — $20,000

for RITE and Literacy Volunteers

• Edward John Noble

Foundation — $10,000 for Early

Care and Education

• ViiV Healthcare — $10,000 for

Stamford CARES

• Pitney Bowes — $5,000 for

Literacy Volunteers

AREA FOUNDATIONSSUPPORT FAMILY CENTERS’

PROGRAMS

CIA “SPYMASTER” JACK DEVINE TOSPEAK AT BREAKFAST ON DEC. 12

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At the 123rd Annual Meeting,Board Member David Van Dyke

and volunteer Arlene Tahmin werehonored for their service to FamilyCenters and dedication to improvingthe lives of Fairfield County’s familiesand children.

David joined the Family Centers’Board of Directors in 2008 after helping to facilitate a merger withHealthCare Connection as that organization’s chairman. The movebrought the School Based HealthCenters, Stamford CARES and Care toCare under the Family Centersumbrella of services.

David quickly embraced his role as aFamily Centers Board member and isa tireless advocate for the welfare ofour community’s children. He is currently the co-chair of the BrightBeginnings Center of Excellence

Committee and serves onthe agency’s Families inCrisis committee. David has also provided keystrategic insight, havingcontributed to the forma-tion of the agency’s 2014-2016 Strategic Directions.David is Rector of FirstPresbyterian Church (TheFish Church) in Stamford.

To thank him for his many contribu-tions to the agency, Family Centerspresented David with the 2014 HelenGratz Rockefeller OutstandingVolunteerism Award.

UBS Financial Services Greenwichemployee Arlene Tahmin was namedthe 2014 Family Champion. For thepast several years, Arlene has lednumerous volunteer efforts withinUBS to benefit Family Centers.

In addition to organizing landscapingand clean-up projects at the Centerfor HOPE and Palmer’s Hill locations,Arlene and her team of UBS volunteers participate in FriendlyConnections’ annual holiday and summer luncheons. During the holi-days, Arlene spearheads food and giftdrives at UBS to benefit FamilyCenters’ neediest families.

Van Dyke, Tahmin Celebratedat Annual Meeting

2014 Family Champion Arlene Tahmin and 2014Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding VolunteerismAward winner David Van Dyke

Join Family Centers for one Enchanted Evening filled with island

adventure and romance at our “South Pacific” benefit on Friday,

May 29, 2015. Drawing from elements of the classic Broadway

musical, co-chairs Brooke Ashforth, Laurie Grauer, Laurie Host

and Susan Yonce will transform the waterfront home of Laurie

and Peter Grauer into a Polynesian paradise on Long Island Sound.

We’re holding a spot for you at the bar at Trader Vic’s, so get ready

for a night to remember!

“Bali Ha’i” is Calling!

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We fondly remember MILLY BEATTIE, a longtime staffmember who recently passed away following a short ill-ness. Milly served as Finance Director from 1992-2010,and played a key role in ensuring that Family Centersremained a fiscally responsible community organization. She also oversawthe agency’s Human Resources function for many years.

Milly was a tireless advocate for Family Centers and the families it serves. Inaddition to assisting with numerous special events and fundraisers, she contin-ued to volunteer in the Finance Department after her retirement.

At the request of her family, those wishing to memorialize Milly’s life may doso through a gift to Family Centers. Donations may be made online atwww.familycenters.org or mailed to: Family Centers, 40 Arch Street,Greenwich, CT 06830.

In Memory of Milly Beattie

NEW PLAYGROUND OPENS ATGATEWAY PRESCHOOL

Children at the Gateway Preschool now have a new

place in which to climb, slide and explore. Earlier this

fall, a new playground was unveiled featuring a pirate

ship-themed play structure, a small jungle gym and

several ride-on toys.

The playground also features several stations embla-

zoned with QR codes so that teachers can engage

students with educational games on mobile devices.

A smaller play structure was also built on the school’s

toddler playground.

Funding for the playground was provided by the

Town of Greenwich’s Community Development Block

Grant (CDGB) and the State of Connecticut.

While many of us look forward to

the festivities associated with the

holidays, financial hardships and

other issues make the season a

difficult time for many area

families. Consider bringing a little

joy to some of Families Centers’

neediest families by participating

in our annual Holiday Giving

campaign.

Whether you are interested in

giving gifts for an entire family,

running a food drive or providing

a coat to a child in need, Family

Centers has a number of ways to

give back this holiday season.

For more information on Family

Centers’ Holiday Giving program,

contact Jennifer Flatow at

jflatow@familycenters.org or

203-869-4848.

H elp a family in

need this hol-iday season

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Two of America’s most-recognizedcompanies recently gave partici-

pants of the Reaching IndependenceThrough Employment (RITE) programvaluable insight, while helping tostrengthen the skills they need toland a job and succeed in the business world.

In July, Priceline.com hosted a JobReadiness Day at its Norwalk head-quarters. In addition to meeting thecompany’s top executives and partici-pating in career advancement work-shops, three RITE clients participatedin resume evaluation, mock interview

RUNNERS PREP FOR

TREADMILL MARATHONRELAY

third annual

Priceline.com, GE Capital TreasuryHost Job Readiness Events

and job shadowing exercises withPriceline employees. GE CapitalTreasury held a similar event inOctober for an additional seven participants.

In addition to improving participants’job skills, the RITE program alsooffers regular educational enhance-ment opportunities, referral services,resume-writing and interview assis-tance, ESL/literacy classes and bilin-gual computer training. All servicesare free and open to all residents ofGreenwich and Stamford.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, runners

from Family Centers, Toyota of

Stamford and the greater

Stamford community once

again lace up their sneakers

to help families in need this

holiday season.

Beginning at 9 a.m., teams of

runners will take to several

treadmills at Planet Fitness

Harborview in Stamford to

cover the 26.2 mile marathon

distance – all while raising

funds to purchase holiday gifts

and basic living necessities for

Stamford families. The event,

dubbed the Marathon on

Myrtle, is an annual fundraising

collaboration between Family

Centers and Toyota of

Stamford.

Last year’s event raised more

than $5,000. In addition to

directly supporting Stamford

families, the Marathon on

Myrtle also raises scholarship

funds for preschool families.

To register or sponsor a runner,

visit www.familycenters.org.

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Wendy Marroquin

Wendy Marroquin hasexperienced more

hardship and adversity inher 17 years than most people might throughout anentire lifetime. As a younggirl, Wendy and her familyleft their native Guatemalafor a chance at a better lifein the United States. While

she was excited about the opportunities that awaited inher new hometown of Stamford, the thought of adaptingto an entirely new culture made Wendy anxious.

The transition was initially difficult for Wendy. Despitebeing a good student in Guatemala, Wendy was placed inremedial classes as she worked to learn how to speakEnglish. This language barrier also prevented Wendyfrom making friends. Despite these barriers, however,Wendy was determined to further her education. In just afew short years, Wendy managed to become fluent inEnglish and began taking honors courses.

Things seemed to looking up for Wendy, and she enteredStamford High School with a positive outlook on herfuture. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before thingsbecame unhinged. Halfway through her sophomore year,Wendy’s mother was diagnosed with an aggressive formof cancer. Because the illness left her mother lethargicand weak, Wendy assumed the responsibilities of main-taining the household. In addition to her mountingschoolwork, Wendy cooked, cleaned and cared for herbaby sister. On top of that, Wendy was the main source

FACES OF FAMILY CENTERS

of support for her mother, as her father grew emotional-ly withdrawn from the family. Despite having her entirefamily nearby, Wendy felt alone and isolated.

The stress took a major toll on Wendy. She gainedweight, functioned on little sleep and began to sufferanxiety attacks. Sensing Wendy was near a breakingpoint, a friend suggested Wendy go to the School BasedHealth Center for help. She was introduced to theCenter’s social worker, who lent a sympathetic ear andprovided Wendy with some ideas on how to manage thestress and reduce her anxiety. The Center’s nurse practi-tioner also educated Wendy on healthy lifestyle choicesand offered weight loss suggestions.

Wendy continued to visit the Health Center on a regularbasis over the next two years. Whether she needed totalk about something that was bothering her or was just“checking in,” Wendy felt she finally found a place whereshe could focus on her own well-being. Over time, shemanaged to lose weight, gained confidence and learnedhow to take time to focus on her own goals. This lessonproved to be extremely valuable, as Wendy graduatedlast spring with honors and earned a college scholarship.

While she admits that her life can still be hectic at times,Wendy said the School Based Health Center gave her thetools she needed to find a balance in life. “The mostimportant thing I’ve learned was that in order to help myfamily, I needed to take care of myself, too,” she said.“Things are still crazy, but I’m able to manage the stressbetter now. Thanks to the School Based Health Center,I’m a more healthy and centered person these days.”

A BRAND NEW WWW.FAMILYCENTERS.ORG Family Centers’ website, www.familycenters.org, has undergone a bit of a

change. In addition to its fresh look, the new site operates on a more user-

friendly navigation configuration and includes several new exciting features.

For one, it’s completely mobile compatible – allowing users to easily navigate

the site from any mobile device. We’ve even added a live Facebook page feed!

We hope you enjoy the new and improved www.familycenters.org and use it as

a useful tool to find important information about our programs and services.

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~ IN HONOR OF ~

~ IN MEMORY OF ~

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND SENIOR ADVISORS

Officers • Tom Ashforth, Chairman • Leigh Carpenter, Vice Chairman • Laurie Grauer, Vice Chairman • Michael McKeever, Treasurer • Kevin Walsh, Assistant Treasurer• Susan Yonce, Secretary • Alice Holbrook, Assistant Secretary • Bob Arnold, President & CEO

Directors • Ashley Allan • Nancy Axilrod • Marjorie Berkley • Allison Bourke • Abby Bowers • Doug Brown • Pam Caffray • David Campbell • Ann Croll • JanDilenschneider • Helen Dixon • Lauren Driscoll • Jim Duffy • Patti Fast • Carl Goodnow • Julie Graham • Joli Gross • Merrilou Hillenbrand • Richard Hokin • JohnHorton, Jr. • Laurie Host • Seeley Hubbard • Kip Koons • Elizabeth Lake • Arlene Mark • Charlotte Minor • Mary Moran • Kathleen Ryan-Mufson • Maribeth Smith •Susan Shanks • John Straus • Nonie Sullivan • Mimi Tabah • David Tuttle • Louise Vanderlip • David Van Dyke • Terri Walker • Bunny Weicker

Lifetime Member • Joan Warburg

Senior Advisors • Lucy Barrett • Molly Byrne • Karen Casey • Nathaniel Day • Kathleen DeCruze • Bob Fields • Muffie Fitzgerald • Gordon Garrett • Edwen Goldstein• Hazel Hobbs • Mystique Johnston • Karen Keegan • Kim Kispert • Howard Kraft • Muffie Lynch • Tom Melly • Sharon Phillips • Mimi Pivirotto • George Reilly •Margaret Sirot • Cathy Weisenburger • Victoria Zerjav

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Paul AdelbergMariellen & Richard Harland

Brandon CampbellPeggy Campbell

Anne CrollNell Wall Otto & John F. Otto, Jr.

Helen DixonAnonymous

Kathleen Ryan-Mufson Pitney Bowes

Suzanne SetonLily E. Knobler

Miha ZajecLinda Fields

Anne Firestone BallLizora Yonce

Chandler Bates, Jr.Greenwich Horseneck Club

Mildred BeattieJane & Jim Francisco

Richard F. Daly, Sr.Claire Daly

Rosemary EschenbrennerJane & Alan Batkin

Peter J. HowardElizabeth Hebert

Christine MatyszkowiczSusan CrawfordAllison LowrieLisa MartinTara Metcalf

Jane PotrzebowskiThe Jon and Kathy Savitz Foundation

Thomas SeiboldEllen Spark

Samuel M. YonceLizora Yonce

LUMINARIES

Milly BeattieFamily Centers’ Finance Department

Lisa Nelson FioreFrank Fiore

For the eighth

consecutive year,

Charity Navigator, the

largest independent

evaluator of U.S.

charities, awarded

Family Centers with

its 4-star rating for

outstanding fiscal

management.

The 4-star designation

is Charity Navigator’s

highest honor, and

indicates that Family

Centers outperforms

the majority of non-

profits in America

with respect to fiscal

responsibility and

transparency. Only

seven percent of non-

profits surveyed have

earned Charity

Navigator’s four-star

rating at least four

consecutive years.

FAMILY CENTERSEARNS ANOTHER4-STAR RATING

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERSAt the Annual Meeting on October 28, Family Centers welcomed

Nancy Axilrod, Elizabeth Lake and Maribeth Smith to the

Board of Directors.

A longtime Greenwich resident, Nancy brings a

wealth of marketing and sales experience to the

Family Centers Board. After earning a bachelor’s

degree in marketing and communications from

Babson College, she worked as a government

bond sales representative for Carroll, McEntee

& McGinley.

In recent years, Nancy shifted her focus to raise her three

children. She served on the Greenwich Academy Parent Board,

and was very active at Brunswick School. Nancy has also

volunteered for the Breast Cancer Alliance, Boys and Girls Club,

City Harvest and Family Centers.

Elizabeth earned a bachelor’s degree in the

history of arts and architecture from Brown

University, and previously held positions with

Sotheby’s in New York. In 2006, she switched

career paths to start her own residential

interior design firm.

Elizabeth also serves on the board of the Merck Family Fund,

which awards grants to nonprofit organizations across the U.S.

Maribeth has been actively involved in the

Greenwich community for more than 20 years.

She has served on the Board of Directors for

such organizations as the Greenwich YWCA,

Neighbor to Neighbor and the Greenwich

Garden Club. She also is a board member of

her family foundation, The Edward John Noble Foundation.

Maribeth is a staunch advocate for the education of young

children, and regularly volunteers at the Greenwich Head Start

preschool. She has also donated her time to assist Greenwich

Hospital, Greenwich Arts Council and St. Barnabas Church.

40 Arch Street, P.O. Box 7550Greenwich, CT 06836-7550

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBridgeport, CTPermit No. 347

Contact usFamily Centers’ Executive Offices, & Arch Street Preschool40 Arch Street, Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel (203) 869-4848www.familycenters.org

Family Centers GreenwichTel (203) 629-2822

Family Centers Darien/New CanaanTel (203) 655-0547 / Tel (203) 972-0556

Family Centers StamfordTel (203) 324-3167

Center for HOPETel (203) 655-4693

Family Centers –Stamford Government CenterTel (203) 977-4939

Early Childhood Education & Head Start Preschools

Gateway PreschoolTel (203) 531-8430

First Steps Head Start/School ReadinessTel (203) 522-0633

Kids Corner Head StartTel (203) 869-2730

Joan Melber Warburg Early Childhood CenterTel (203) 629-2822

Follow us on:

Luminary Season is Here!help assemble luminary kits and helpdistribute them.

The Hope Lights Lives campaign cul-minates with a county-wide lighting onSaturday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. On thatday, residents of Darien, Fairfield,Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk,Rowayton, Southport, Stamford,Weston and Wilton residents willadorn their lawns with luminaries tohonor loved ones who have died orare coping with a critical illness.

To volunteer or become a sponsor of this year’s Hope Lights Lives cam-paign, contact Aleksa Lazarewicz atalazarewicz@ familycenters.org or 203-869-4848. Individual luminary kits are also on sale now at www.familycenters.org.

The 2014 Hope Lights Lives campaignis sponsored by Ann Croll, FrankFiore, Nancy Palmer, Keno Graphics,Siegel, Reilly & Conlon, SpringdaleFlorist, Walter Stewart’s Market,Family Centers’ Finance Dept., PizzaPost, Nancy Palmer, GE Capital, Mr.and Mrs. Paul Adelberg, Splash CarWash, The Schriber Family and threeanonymous sponsors.

With the holidays right aroundthe corner, Family Centers is

gearing up for its annual Hope LightsLives luminary project.

Now entering its 21st year, the grass-roots-style fundraiser benefits theCenter for HOPE and The Den forGrieving Kids. More than 600 volun-teers from across Fairfield County sellluminary kits to their neighbors,friends and families. Dozens of others