Champions
Congressional Leaders Focus on Importance of Healthy Babies
Over 65 area business and civic leaders, government representatives, and community leaders gathered at the Oronoque Country Club for the “Giving Babies a Healthy Start: A Congressional Dialogue” breakfast on Monday, December 14th. The breakfast was a culmination of a regional effort by the United Ways of Greater New Haven, Coastal Fairfield County, and Western CT to collect half a million diapers for lower income families, and to raise the awareness level of the challenges facing them in caring for their babies. The breakfast celebrated the success of the Healthy Baby Diaper Drives that took place across 33 towns throughout the months of September, October and November; recognized the many companies, civic organizations, schools, and municipalities that ran diaper drives; and announced the next steps to this important work.
Pictured from the event are: Joanne Goldblum, The Diaper Bank President and Founder; Irene Cornish, Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Co-Chairs and Interim Superintendent, Stratford Public Schools; Jack Healy, President & CEO of United Way of Greater New Haven; Congressman Jim Himes; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro; Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., President & CEO of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County; and Janice Gruendel, Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education.
The following organizations were recognized for their efforts to improve conditions for babies.
Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Champions
These corporate partners of United Way have brought a deeper level of engagement to their employees with United Way’s work. They brought excitement and a spirit of camaraderie to their company by not just holding a diaper drive, but by embracing the issue and raising awareness of the challenges lower-income families face. The overwhelming feedback from these Corporate Champion was that when their colleagues learned that food stamps and WIC funding did not cover diapers, the responding response was, How can I help?!
| Alcoa Ashcroft AT & T
Bank of America
Bigelow Tea
Brescome Barton, Inc.
Bridgeport Hospital
Chase Bank
|
Covidien |
ITT Flygt Knights of Columbus MCubed Oce People’s United Bank Petra Construction Quinnipiac University ReMax- The Wright Choice |
Santa Energy Sikorsky Aircraft Southern CT Gas Stop & Shop Town Fair Tire VINE Webster Bank Yale New Haven Hospital Yale University |
Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Community Leaders
These groups which included nonprofit partners, municipalities, social service departments, schools and civic groups demonstrated the meaning of leadership during the Healthy Baby Diaper Drive. Driven by the desire to change conditions for babies throughout our region, their passion and dedication raised tremendous awareness of the issues in their communities.
| Town of North Haven- Community Services and Recreation Department Departments of Health, Human, and Social Services in our 33 town region ACES Gerald B. Rosenbert and Cheryl Wiesenfeld-Tocqueville Society Wilton Library Stratford Public Schools Stratfield School- Kids Care Club |
A Child’s Place Old Hill Children’s Day School Westport-Weston Co-Op Children’s Community Development Center Harding High School- Community Service Club Ludlowe High School- Community Service Club University of New Haven, Kaplan Hall Yale University |
Healthy Baby Diaper Drive Innovators
The caring power of people from all walks of life has been astounding. Excitement about the Healthy Baby Diaper Drive led to creative and innovative ways of supporting the effort. These groups found unique ways of engaging employees, community organizations, and the public at large and creating groups of people who became passionate about the issue of healthy babies.
| Wiggin & Dana Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP |
Murtha Cullina LeClair Ryan |
Carmody & Torrance Touch A Truck |
Cox Radio-Star 99.9 Duane and Lee Bollert |
Healthy Baby Diaper Drive System Changers
There are individuals and organizations that always rise to the top in leading efforts of importance. These people are not only champions and innovators, they are leaders who take the charge of creating change and making a situation better for those in need. Through these people and their passion, we not only see our local communities improve, but we also see positive change at a national level.
Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
Congressman Chris Murphy
Congressman Jim Himes
The Diaper Bank
