Spring Programs Funded Through Community Behavioral Health Fund
Thanks to your support of the Community Behavioral Health Fund, NCCF continues to partner with local organizations strengthening our community’s health and well-being.
Following the release of the Community Behavioral Health & Well-Being Survey, NCCF issued a call for proposals and awarded grants to support programs directly addressing community-identified needs. Several of their programs are launching in our community soon, below.
We encourage you to share this information with friends, family, and neighbors. You never know who may benefit from added support or who may be quietly struggling.
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Community Mindfulness Project
New Canaan Parent Mindfulness Series:
Thursday, Feb 26 through May 5
Feeling stressed, distracted, or worn out?
Craving a few quiet minutes just for yourself?
We get it. When loneliness and exhaustion turn to overwhelm, a few minutes of connection and guided meditation can help you feel lighter, calmer, and more connected—sometimes the greatest challenge is just having the structure to get started and stay consistent.
Community Mindfulness Project created the Parent Circle Series, made possible by New Canaan Community Foundation, to support you through it all. Whether you’re a first time meditator or just looking for something different, we are here to help you find your pause, even in the times of the year where it feels hardest.
Kick off Mini Retreat: Thursday - Feb 26 - Program (10-11:30am), New Canaan Nature Center
Session 1: Tuesday - March 3rd - Program (10am, 60 Minutes), New Canaan Library
Session 2: Thursday - March 26th - Program (10am, 60 Minutes), New Canaan Library
Session 3: Tuesday - April 14th -Program (10am, 60 Minutes), New Canaan Library
Session 4: Thursday - April 30th - Program (10am, 60 Minutes), New Canaan Library
Final Mini Retreat: Tuesday - May 5th (10-11:30am), New Canaan Nature Center
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New Canaan CARES
Positive Discipline Workshops with Diane Hobbs: March 3 - 31
CARES is offering a six-session Positive Discipline Parent Workshop Series for elementary school parents. Led by certified facilitator and former teacher Diane Hobbs, this in-person series focuses on turning challenging behavior into opportunities to build character and essential life skills.
You may participate in one, two, or as many sessions as your schedule permits. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31st, from 9:30-11 am at New Canaan Library.
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Family Center
Sandwich Generation Support Group
Feeling “sandwiched” between caring for your children and supporting aging parents? You’re not alone.
Supported through NCCF’s Behavioral Health & Well-Being Survey response grants, this free and confidential support group offers a space for adults navigating the emotional and practical challenges of caring for multiple generations.
Participants will have the opportunity to connect with others who truly understand the demands of caregiving, gain practical tools to reduce stress and prevent burnout, and feel less alone - sandwiched in the middle.
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Staying Put in New Canaan
Being Prepared, Staying Connected: Supporting Aging Parents with Confidence: March 25
Janet Simpson Benvenuti, Founder of Circle of Life Partners, and her book Don’t Give Up on Me! Supporting Aging Parents Successfully
March 25 from 6:30 – 8:00 PM
New Canaan Library
Join Staying Put in New Canaan for a practical conversation on supporting aging parents while planning for your own future. Learn about legal, financial, medical, housing, and caregiving decisions, with insight, humor, and real-life experience.
Led by Janet Simpson Benvenuti, founder of Circle of Life Partners and author of Don’t Give Up on Me! Supporting Aging Parents Successfully. A complimentary copy of her book will be provided to attendees.
Staying Put in New Canaan helps older adults live confidently at home and stay connected to the community.
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Inclusive Together
Social Programming for Disabled Adults: April 11
April 11 from 11:45am – 1:00pm
New Canaan Library
Made possible through NCCF’s Behavioral Health & Well-Being Survey response grants, this program expands inclusive social opportunities for adults with disabilities in our community.
The first of four planned programs will be a cooking class in partnership with the New Canaan Library, designed specifically for disabled adults. The program offers a welcoming, supportive space to build skills, foster connection, and strengthen community engagement.
Registration at the New Canaan Library will be available soon.
These programs were made possible through NCCF's Community Behavioral Health Fund, a community-based and volunteer-led fund with a multi-year focus on addressing both the short-term and long-term behavioral health in New Canaan and surrounding communities.
The fund aims to mobilize resources for continued access to services, decrease stigma, improve data tracking, forge partnerships across sectors, advocate for policies and funding, and document learning. The New Canaan Community Foundation brings together information from across the community and the behavioral health system, addressing issues in a way that is smart for the whole ecosystem.
Learn more about the recent grants from the Community Behavioral Health Fund.
For questions on any of these programs, please reach out to Meg Soffen at msoffen@newcanaancf.org.