RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE

At its 133rd annual meeting on Nov. 4, Family Centers recognized two honorees with awards for their dedication to advancing the organization’s mission and enhancing the lives of people in lower Fairfield County.

Trish McGuire, former principal of Julian Curtiss Elementary School in Greenwich, received the Anne Firestone Ball Family Champion Award for her role in starting the Family First in Education program, a Family Centers two-generational program that engages parents of eligible Greenwich Public Schools students and provides structured educational after-school programming.

Family Centers’ Director of Outreach Services Carolina Ahumada said, “As principal of Julian Curtiss, Trish agreed that there was a need for a quality afterschool and family engagement program for her students and advocated with the Greenwich Public Schools to secure access to data, learning platforms and classroom space needed to fulfill this important work.”

Chief Program Officer Leslie P. Sexer added, “Trish is an amazing connector who fostered strong relationships with the schools’ staff that helped Family First serve 100 kids and their families and become a fully integrated partner with the school district.”

Family Centers’ Board Vice Chair Jean Witmer was honored with the Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding Volunteerism Award, the agency’s highest volunteerism honor. “Jeannie’s big-picture outlook and deep passion for our community’s most vulnerable populations has been instrumental in making Family Centers the innovative and responsive organization so many people rely on,” said CEO Bob Arnold. “Her thoughtful leadership and strategic approach have influenced the agency’s fundraising tactics, service delivery and governance practices. A founding member of the agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, she continues to guide the agency’s efforts in this area.”

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering health, education and human service programs to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 300 professionals and 500 trained volunteers work together to provide more than 26,000 residents with a holistic, wrap-around approach to care. Family Centers is Joint Commission accredited in Ambulatory Health Care, Behavioral Health Care and Human Services.  Family Centers’ Early Care and Education programs are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.