My name is Tara Menon and I am a senior at New Canaan High School. This fall, I will be attending George Washington University in D.C., where I plan to major in International Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs. I am very excited to be interning with the New Canaan Community Foundation, where I’ll have the opportunity to explore grant management and interact with local organizations. In my first week, I chose eight organizations that were of interest to me, all of different impact areas: human services, behavioral health, arts, etc. Throughout my internship, I will have the opportunity to visit these organizations and learn more about what they do. At each visit, I will present the respective organization with a check fulfilling their grant request. I hope to play a small part in strengthening local communities through my internship with the NCCF!
Below you can find each of my blog posts that encompass the various site visits I have done with local organizations.

Site Visit #1: Children in Placement Connecticut (5/28)

My first site visit was with Children in Placement Connecticut at the Bridgeport Probate Court. I met with Janet Freimuth, the Executive Director of the organization, who explained what she does along with the goals of the organization. I also met with Katherine Pastrana, the regional manager of the Western Connecticut branch of the organization. She talked about her role in the organization along with the work she does with children, guardians, DCF (Department of Children and Families), and other members of the court system.

When deciding which organizations to visit, I was very intrigued by the work of Children in Placement Connecticut. They work with children in underserved communities that have experienced abuse and neglect. Through the work of their organization, they focus on the Guardian ad Litem Program which is a group of trained volunteer advocates who serve as court-appointed representatives for the victims. These volunteer advocates provide crucial emotional support and stability to the children who are experiencing continued challenges. To put their work into perspective, approximately 4,000 children enter the child welfare system each year and through the Children in Placement (CIP) program, 250 children are assisted annually. The work this organization is doing is extremely beneficial as it places the children in stable environments that is crucial during their developing years.

At the end of the visit, I presented a $5,000 check to the organization, fulfilling their grant request and hopefully playing an important part in their mission to help children. Talking to both Janet and Katherine was very interesting as it gave me a better understanding of what their organization does, in addition to the court system. As someone who is interested in going into law, I learned a lot during my visit and I am very happy that I was able to meet with them.

Site Visit #2: The New Canaan Nature Center (5/30)

I met with Bill Flynn, the Executive Director of the New Canaan Nature Center, who talked about the grounds and new programs that will be implemented in the future. The NCNC has various programs for children to interact and visit the grounds, which is something he is trying to make more accessible to students in all grades. A common theme throughout our discussion was sustainability. The NCNC is committed to a chemical-free space, and does not use any pesticides to protect their grounds.

The NCNC is working on multiple projects that will help to promote their goals of **sustainability and land management**. One of the projects Bill talked about was the **Solarization Project**, which aims to eliminate invasive species through a chemical-free process. The plants will have a plastic cover placed on top of them, that stays for 3-6 months. This cover allows for heat generation which is used to kill off the invasive species that might be growing around the plants. This project was started last year and is set to continue due to its success. This is just one of the many projects the NCNC has been working on.

Another notable development at NCNC is the utilization of the Audubon House land. When you walk into the NCNC space, there is a green area that sits right in front of the Visitor’s Center. The Audubon House was previously located in that area, before its demolition at the beginning of this year. Now, the space is used as a bird sanctuary, with several bird feeders placed throughout the space. This project is a testament to the NCNC’s commitment to utilizing their land to protect wildlife.

NCNC received a $15,000 check from the NCCF for land management, ground beautification and ecological surveying. The Nature Center is an integral part of the New Canaan Community and its efforts to preserve the land around are especially important. For those that have yet to visit NCNC, I encourage you to please visit the grounds and you will have the opportunity to see the beauty of the space.

Site Visit #3: Inclusive Together (6/2)

I sat down with Lauren Tarzia, the founder and president of Inclusive Together in New Canaan, and her team to discuss the inspiring work her organization is doing to help the **neurodiverse community**. Inclusive Together is a grassroots organization that advances **acceptance** and **opportunities** for the neurodiverse community through their core pillars: **community training and engagement, inclusive spaces and family support services**.

When talking about the organization’s recent events, Lauren mentioned that they screened the motion picture film, Ezra, last week at the New Canaan Playhouse. The film tells the story of a father who hasn’t fully understood the diagnosis of his autistic son, which can be common among initial diagnoses. At the end of the film, there was a Q&A period, where the organization had the opportunity to talk about their mission and the work that they do. During our conversation, Lauren and her team talked about the training sessions that they organize, to help retail stores, restaurants, and parents learn about how to best care for members of the neurodiverse community. In the coming months, the team will meet with various restaurants in town to hold their training sessions and to ensure that they have the adequate skills and strategies to make neurodiverse members feel safe and comfortable. These training sessions are tailored to the audience, meaning that they take a different approach to their training based on those attending the session. To put this into perspective, she mentioned that Inclusive Together is going to hold a training session for dads, one that is more laid back, as opposed to a more formal training session that would be given to the retail stores. This kind of approach is very adaptive and still allows these different groups to receive similar training, just in different ways. Inclusive Together received a 7,500 check from NCCF to help with their efforts to provide equal opportunities to the neurodiverse community

After my conversation with Lauren and her team, is it clear that their work stems from the immense amount of passion they have to help others learn and understand the neurodiverse community. Lauren mentioned, that “many people look at what a neurodiverse child can’t do as opposed to what they can”. While their organization is fairly new, the work they are doing has a profound impact on the community. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to sit down with them and learn about all the incredible work they are doing!

Site Visit #4: Orchestra Lumos (6/4)

I met with Russell Jones, the President and CEO of Orchestra Lumos in Stamford, who talked about the various programs the organization offers along with some of their most recent events. At the end of last month, they hosted a concert at the Palace Theatre featuring world renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. Jones said that “both shows were sold out within 11 minutes of going live”. In order to build a strong subscriber base, only those that attended four shows prior to the Our Common World concert, featuring Yo-Yo Ma were able to purchase tickets for the show. This marketing strategy increased the amount of people at the concerts leading up to Yo-Yo Ma.

This is Jones’ eighth year as President and CEO of Orchestra Lumos, unfortunately this year being his last. During his time, he has made immense progress and has made it a point to adapt the organization based on community responses. He mentioned that when the organization first began, the audience was tailored to a specific demographic, primarily the middle to upper class, white population. Some of the smaller, town-based organizations wanted to get involved with his organization and now, Orchestra Lumos works with various public works including town libraries and schools. This transition was significant to the organization as it broadened their network and made it more accessible to individuals that weren’t previously exposed to it. As he described, their work was “invisible to the audience”. Before Jones steps down as CEO, he wants to hold more jazz events including at the Stamford Comedy Club. One event to look forward to is one that is being held next February at the Palace Theatre. Orchestra Lumos will be performing Fantasia, with a live orchestra.

At the end of the meeting, Russell talked about the shifts he is seeing within the organization. He mentioned that there will be “less orchestras in the next 25 years”. He attributes this to the lack of **music education and modernization that has come with the rise of technology**. As future generations rely heavily on social media, he is fearful that the motivation to see a live orchestra will slowly decline. When I asked him if social media could be used as a means to promote the concerts, he mentioned that there has to be a motivation to listen to classical music, he said “you have to commit to classical music to get something out of it.” Through my conversation with Russell, it is evident that he is extremely passionate about promoting the work of the organization and throughout his eight years he has done so much to connect with neighboring communities. NCCF presented Orchestra Lumos with a $2,500 check to **support and strengthen programming for New Canaan youth, including the Reading and Rhythm program for Pre-K children and a special “Small Space Series” chamber concert for the New Canaan community**. For those that are interested in classical music, I encourage you to attend an Orchestra Lumos concert and the various events that will be held in the coming year!

Site Visit #5: Wildlife in Crisis (6/5)

I visited Dara Reid, the Executive Director at the Wildlife in Crisis facility in Weston. WIC has cared for **injured and orphaned wildlife** since 1988 and has since accepted **6,000 injured animals**. They have also answered over **20,000 phone calls**, often **100 calls per day** during their busy summer season. Their organization is completely **volunteer-based** and there are several interns that work with them throughout the year. WIC’s most recent volunteer is Willow, who primarily cares for the birds but is an incredible asset to their team.

Dara and Willow took us around the facility and showed us the various animals that are currently being housed there. Some of the animals include birds, raccoons, possums and rabbits. Each of the animals entered the facility due to injuries or other issues and the on-site vet helps to care for them, performing any necessary operations to make sure that they are safe and no longer in pain. The organization is currently working to expand their facility to take care of more animals. When asked if the facility has a certain capacity for the animals, Dara mentioned that WIC cares for all animals that are brought in since they are typically in serious condition.

Dara and her team work tirelessly to make sure that all the animals that are brought in are cared for which is why the $2,500 check that they received from NCCF for **New Canaan-based reserves and flood remediation** is incredibly helpful. For those that are interested in wildlife preservation, and the work of Wildlife in Crisis, feel free to reach out to Dara Reid if you would like to schedule a visit to the facility.

Site Visit #6: Mercy Learning Center (6/9)

I met with Fiona Wilkes, the Director of Development at Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, who spoke to me about all the impactful work her organization is doing to help women and children of immigrant backgrounds receive proper educational skills. Mercy is currently holding their summer intensive classes which run for about six weeks and focus on a variety of topics including conversational skills, among many others. All of their classes are completely free, which allows more students to partake in their programs. They receive most of their money from fundraising efforts, which has been largely successful as they have been able to expand upon the work that they are doing. Before students enter the program, they are given a test so that determines which class they need to be placed in. Fiona mentioned that many students ask “how can I study?”, but the students are encouraged to just take the test as the purpose is not to see what they already know, but rather what skills MLC can help them develop or learn.

Mercy Learning Center educates mothers of immigrant backgrounds and their goal is to provide them with the literacy and life skills that they need to venture off into the world and be confident with their English skills. Their motto is **“educate a mother…educate a family”**, which is clearly seen through their transformative efforts.

Prior to the 2024 election, MLC held voting workshops to educate eligible voters on the canidates running for office and what they stand for. This is incredibly significant as many of the students may not have access to the internet or other outlets where they can educate themselves about what is going on in the political sphere. Fiona said that “for many of the women the voting process is completely new as they didn’t have that same opportunity in their own countries”. Fiona also talked about the community lunches that MLC holds with their students. The purpose of these lunches is to allow the students to get to know each other and they have the opportunity to bring in food from their native culture.

I visited three classroom— one for the adults and two for the younger children. When I walked in to the adult class, the women were sitting at two tables, with the teacher going to each one and talking to the students. They each had a name tag, that included the country that they are from, at the bottom. It was evident that they all had the passion and drive to immersive themselves in a language that was fairly new to them, since they were talking to one another and writing various phrases in English on the paper in front of them. Walking into the kintergarten classroom, I was immediately reminded of my days as a kintergartener. The walls were covered with various drawings, there were cubbies with various art supplies and the tiny chair were tucked into the desk. Fiona explained how everything in the room was labeled with the english work, so that they children can practice their vocabulary and get aquainted to the things in the classroom. After the children returned to the classroom, they were enthusiastic about learning as they sat amongst their friends. The preschool room was split into two classes, with a class sitting on either side of the cubbies. Both classes were learning about shapes, and the students were asked to name which shape their teacher was holding.

Mercy Learning Center received a $7,500 check, $5,000 coming from the New Canaan Community Foundation and $2,500 coming from a donor-advised fund, to help with their Early Childhood Program. It was very informative to see the classroom and to the incredible work Mercy Learning Center does to educate both mothers and children. It is organizations like these that play such a pivotal role in strengthening the community and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to talk to Fiona and learn about the work that the organization is doing.

Site Visit #7: Liberation Programs (6/10)

I spoke with the Chief Development Officer, Tracy Cramer and Chief Recovery Officer, Maggie Young at Liberation Programs in Norwalk who gave us a tour of the facility and explained the work of their organization. Liberation Programs is an organization that focuses on **behavioral health** and works with families and individuals affected by substance abuse and mental health issues. Their three main focuses are **prevention, substance use and treatment, and outreach and harm reduction**.

Liberation Programs primarily helps those in low-income communities and Tracy mentioned that they receive around 1,200 individuals seeking help at their facilities. More recently, Liberation now has counselors in Staples High School, with the introduction of the counselors in Trumbull High School, starting next school year. The purpose of these counselors is to give students the opportunity to talk to an individual that is not a teacher or someone associated with their school. The subject of the conversations with the counselor can be general, and dosen’t need to focus on substance abuse and mental health. During my conversation with Maggie and Tracy, I was curious about the referral process and what that looks like. Maggie mentioned that individuals either come in because of self referrals or word of mouth, which is typically the most common.

The facility includes 8 rooms of permanent housing on the top floor, for those suffering with more serious issues of substance use. The permanent housing is known as Gini’s house. The top floor is organized in a way that is very convenient for the individuals since it includes a kitchen area, a living room, a laundry room and a room for individuals to nurse their children. Each of the rooms are labeled 1-8 and Maggie mentioned that instead of referring to the rooms by number, the women are encouraged to name their rooms. Next to each room, there is a piece of paper that is decorated with various colors and shapes, with a word in the middle. This word is the “name of the room” and makes each room more unique to the individual as opposed to being characterized by a number. The organization creates a unique experience for those being permanently housed in the facility so that the program feels less of recovery but rather a group of individuals working towards a similar goal. When entering the kitchen, the women were all sitting at the table, talking to one another. Maggie explained how they are encouraged to do ten different chores, and split them up amongst themselves. This creates a household environment in which each person has a different responsibility.

Liberation Programs received a $20,000 check from the New Canaan Community Foundation for General Operating. Liberation is doing amazing work to help families and individuals recovering from substance use and mental health issues. Their permanent housing is a testament to their dedication to help all individuals and make the space feel like their own.

Takeaways

Throughout my four weeks interning at the New Canaan Foundation, I have had the privilege of meeting with seven different local organizations, based on my interest in their work. Upon visiting each organization, I was amazed by the efforts to connect the community and help individuals who are facing different issues. Much of the work that these organizations do, largely go unnoticed and even general interest in helpful. I am very grateful to have had such an amazing opportunity through NCCF and I encourage those interested in the work of the organizations that I visited, to please visit the website linked to each post!

Meet Tara, Our Senior Intern!