Community Champions

Through the power of people coming together, not only are lives changed, but conditions in our community improve as well. Meet United Way's Community Champions... amazing people from throughout Greater New Haven who are making our community a stronger, healthier place to live and work.

The Altieri Family
Joseph Altieri, a chemical operator, and Ivette Altieri, an administrative assistant, explain that they are first and foremost proud parents of five wonderful children, who range in age from eleven to sixteen. Joseph is a lifetime resident of New Haven and Ivette has been a resident of New Haven since 1997.
Learn more about the Altieri Family

Jose Alverez - FatherCare Participant
Jose Alvarez is a 17-year old father with a happy one-year old daughter, Saileen. A grant from United Way of Greater New Haven's "Project Graduation" collaboration with Sikorsky Aircraft is helping him get the support he needs to be a responsible father and plan for his family's successful future. After involvement in the Elizabeth Cellotto Child Care Center at Wilbur Cross High School for two years, he recognizes that he is "one of the few lucky ones."
Learn more about Jose

Nilda Aponte - Grant Review Volunteer
Nilda Aponte, Family and Childcare Licensing Coordinator at the non-profit organization All Our Kin, has lived with her five children in New Haven since 2003. She came to Connecticut on vacation from her home in Puerto Rico to visit her brother in Stratford. While here, she saw the opening for the position at All Our Kin and applied, feeling the need to make a change. Her caring and friendly demeanor landed her the job and she moved to New Haven permanently.
Learn more about Nilda

Bitsie Clark - Grant Review Volunteer
Bitsie Clark is a well-known New Haven Alderwoman for Ward 7 since 2003. She has lived in New Haven since her graduation from Vassar College in 1953, after moving here to be with her husband while he studied at Yale Law School. Shortly thereafter she took a position with Girl Scouts of America, supported by United Way of Greater New Haven, organizing, training, and employing the troop leaders for the region.
Learn more about Bitsie

Richard and Brigitte Cogswell: Parents with a Purpose
Richard and Brigitte Cogswell may not be the image that comes to mind when you think "soccer mom", but that's exactly what they are. Their children are the center of their lives. Shuttling daughters Agape and Destiny, ages 11 and age 8, to ballet, gymnastics, Girl Scouts, choir, and yes, soccer are what their days revolve around.
Learn more about Richard and Brigitte

Nick DiGioia - Experience Corps Member
As one of the first members of Experience Corps in Greater New Haven, Nick DiGioia has found that he can reach kids who have trouble reading by providing them with the individual attention they need. Nick has a professional background in the private sector as well as the U.S. government, where he held a number of managerial positions in the Defense Contract Management Agency.
Learn more about Nick

Dr. Donald Kohn - Alexis de Tocqueville Society member
Members of United Way of Greater New Haven's Alexis de Tocqueville Society are generous philanthropists in our community. Dr. Donald Kohn and his wife Candace are valued members of the Society. We sat down recently with Dr. Kohn to learn more about what he hopes his philanthropy can achieve and why giving back is so important to him.
Learn more about Donald

Rose Mentone - Experience Corps Member
As one of the first members of Experience Corps in Greater New Haven, Rose Mentone has found that this work has given her something meaningful to do, while making a difference in the lives of children. As a retired Italian, English, and journalism teacher at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, as well as an assistant principal at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Experience Corps provides Rose with a way to continue to share her knowledge and promote the importance of education.
Learn more about Rose

Fran Nelson - Experience Corps Member
As one of the first members of Experience Corps in Greater New Haven, Fran Nelson has found that she can give back to the community, while doing something that she is truly good at, teaching. Fran joined Experience Corps because she missed spending time with children. After teaching grades 1, 3, and 4 at at Cos Cob Elementary School in Greenwich, Connecticut for 37 years and being retired for five years, Fran was ready to return to her passion.
Learn more about Fran

Robert and Que Payne: Making an Everlasting Impact
"I feel like I get a whole lot more than I could give out. I don't know how many times in my life I've heard a successful individual say that a neighborhood person, or a teacher, or a mentor, said something or did something that made a change in them. You're not just working with a child today. You've making an impact that could be everlasting."
Learn more about Robert and Que Payne

Tom Sansone
Tom has been on the United Way of Greater New Haven Board of Directors since 1998, serving as its Secretary, Vice Chair, Chair and is now enjoying his current role as immediate past Chair.  In addition, Tom served as Chair of the Community Compass partnership, a diverse group of 30+ civic, philanthropic and corporate entities.
Learn more about Tom

Al Smith
Al Smith's ties to Greater New Haven go back to his early childhood. Now, he has chosen to remain in Greater New Haven as a partner in a well-known law firm, where he has been employed for twenty-one years. In 1996, the Smiths decided to adopt a child from China and worked closely with Catholic Family Services, an organization that United Way supports, to make it happen. Al says that all of his volunteer work is dedicated to his daughter, his gift, who he received through a long and vigorous process.
Learn more about Al

Pat Sweet - Alexis de Tocqueville Society Member
Pat Sweet became an Alexis de Tocqueville Society member because it "made sense" to her, as she has always had a passion for giving. "I care about what happens to the future of our world," said Pat. "I don't think we can tolerate a society in which there are people who are not given the chance to be fully included. If we [Connecticut] continue to have the largest achievement gap in the country, in 10-15 years the price for that will be huge. If things do not change, in that short amount of time we will have already kept a huge percentage of the population out of the workforce."
Learn more about Pat

Sherese Ward - Grant Review Participant
Living and working in Greater New Haven her entire life has provided Sherese Ward with the opportunities to learn that caring about others is what really matters. She has always been passionate about volunteering and is currently on the Board for the YMCA, the Board of Higher Heights, a grant reviewer for the Community Foundation, and is working towards creating a young African American professionals group.
Learn more about Sherese