Current in Community: Local Updates - Wednesday, July 31, 2024
The latest on UJF, Family Centers, and Back to School Shop
STAMFORD — With so much happening in the city, the Current is sharing some news about several local community organizations. From a popular comedian planning a visit in September and a well-known health services provider moving back downtown to a successful return for a Stamford charity, here’s what you need to know.
Michael Rapaport
On Sunday, September 15, comedian and actor Michael Rapaport will make a visit to Stamford for an event hosted by the United Jewish Federation of Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien (UJF) and UJA-JCC of Greenwich.
“Promising to be equally exciting and informative,” UJF wrote on social media while promoting the occasion, “the event … is co-chaired by Joui Hessel, Meredith and Oren Isacoff, Leslie and Michael Moskowitz, Samantha Himelman and Seth Niedermayer, and Molly and Adam Rafalowicz.”
Beginning at 7:00 pm and held at Rippowam Middle School, tickets are available for $75 per person until Tuesday, September 3, and will increase to $100 after that date.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available for $500. Each package provides two tickets, drinks, food, and a meet and greet with Rapaport.
Acting credits for Rapaport include “The Basketball Diaries” (1995), “Boston Public” (2000-2004), “Hitch” (2005), “The Heat” (2013), and “Sully” (2016). For directing “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest” (2012), Rapaport received a Grammy nomination. According to IMDb, he has Polish Jewish and Russian Jewish ancestry.
For registration, click here. For more information, contact Diane Sloyer.
Moving Downtown
A well-known Stamford institution in the behavioral and mental health space is returning to the downtown neighborhood with a move planned soon.
Family Centers, a nonprofit offering a variety of health programming to children and adults, recently announced on Thursday, July 18, that they will be moving to a new space at 986 Bedford Street that is double the size of their current location on Palmer’s Hill Road.
“Over the past 10 years, Family Centers has greatly expanded its holistic network of services to keep pace with our community’s growing needs,” CEO Bob Arnold said in the press release. “Having a home base in downtown allows us to offer a wide array of health, education, and human service programs under one roof and improve the overall experience for Stamford’s residents.”
At 18,600 square feet, the new location will complement the organization’s recent growth while offering more room for a big selection of the current programming available across education, human services, and mental health. Additionally, group meeting space will be provided for enhanced literacy education, job readiness support, group therapy, and parenting education services.
Family Centers, which has Stamford roots going back to 1891, also has facility locations in Darien and Greenwich.
School Supplies
Last weekend, students from across Stamford visited Davenport Ridge Elementary School to stock up on important supplies ahead of the school year beginning soon.
Back to School Shop, Inc. hosted their annual event for students all over the city. Staffed by more than 200 volunteers, according to a press release, the Stamford students were able to select from new school items to ensure that they can start the academic year off with excitement and determination.
While attending the event, Mayor Caroline Simmons presented Back to School Shop Co-Founders and Co-Chairs Meryl Japha and Jane Levene with a proclamation declaring July 28, 2024, as Back to School Shop Day in Stamford. The proclamation extended the city’s “gratitude to all the volunteers for your unwavering commitment to serving the Stamford community and ensuring that our students are ready to learn and grow in the 2024-2025 school year.”
With this being the 10th anniversary of the organization’s efforts, there was much to celebrate as attendees gathered supplies and clothing to make their upcoming school year a success.
In addition to Simmons, there were several other elected officials on hand for the event to speak with students, their families, and the volunteers. They included U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, State Senators Ceci Maher and Patricia Billie Miller, and State Representatives Matt Blumenthal, Hubery Delany, and Corey Paris. The announcement indicated that Delany “did a shift as a shoe fitter in the shop.”
Senator Blumenthal expressed his appreciation for the diligent efforts of the volunteers and organizers. “I am absolutely awed by the amazing numbers and quality of Back to School Shop resources available to Stamford’s young people,” Blumenthal said. “It’s a model for the state, indeed the country. As important as the tangibles of clothing, books, and school supplies are, even more so is the spirit, generosity, and caring that comes through via the kids, their parents, and the entire community.”
While students collected items for school, parents and caregivers were connected with resources from more than a dozen local community organizations. They also were provided with the opportunity to obtain items from the Schoke Jewish Family Service Mobile Food Pantry as well as bags filled with general and feminine hygiene products from the United Jewish Federation’s Dignity Grows program.
“Back to School Shop is such a fabulous event for our community! I love seeing the kids coming to school on the first day showing off their new clothes,” Hart Magnet Elementary School social worker Nancy Stanton said. “The Back to School Shop program is just one more way to engage our students in school so that they are more excited to learn!”
To learn more about Back to School Shop, including how to donate or volunteer, visit backtoschoolshop.org.
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