The 2013 Annual Volunteer Reception was recently hosted by the Voluntary Action Center of the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County. This event recognizes the wonderful volunteers who give their time, talents and treasures to serve in non-profit organizations and programs in Coastal Fairfield County.

Among the volunteers honored on behalf of Operation Hope were Lisa Bond, Signe Wennberg-Merritt, Marco Congello, and Paul Ruscito.

Lisa Bond received this award for her leadership and dedication to Operation Hope’s Annual Tag Sale, and her family was recognized for the Sunday dinners they make for Operation Hope’s community kitchen throughout the year as members First Church cooking ministry.

Three members of Fairfield Ludlowe High School were honored as members of the Operation Hope Club: Mrs. Signe Wennberg-Merritt, Operation Hope Club Advisor/FLHS Faculty, Marco Congello, Co-President Operation Hope Club, and Paul Ruscito, Co-President of the Operation Hope Club of FLHS. Mrs. Signe Wennberg-Merritt, Marco Congello and Paul Ruscito were honored for their work in the “Meals in the Making” program where they make and serve dinner the third Thursday of the month at Operation Hope’s community kitchen. Paul’s family also makes and serves dinner for the community kitchen several times a year.

Pictured below – Erica Simpson, Volunteer Engagement Manager for United Way, Lisa Bond, Operation Hope Volunteer, and Fairfield’s First Selectman, Michael Tetreau.

Pictured below – Erica Simpson, United Way, Mrs. Signe Wennberg – Merritt, Operation Hope Club Advisor/Faculty member at FLHS, Operation Hope Club Co-Presidents, Marco Congello and Paul Ruscito, First Selectman Michael Tetreau, and Operation Hope’s Executive Director, Carla Miklos.

Join the celebration as we honor the Mitchell family, of Mitchells Family of Stores, for their meaningful contributions to Operation Hope and our community at the Annual Evening of Hope Gala on Thursday, May 16th at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut. Get your tickets today!

The Evening of Hope Gala begins at 6:30PM and will include a cocktail reception, dinner, silent and live auction. The Gala committee and sponsors, including Fairfield Magazine, have a fabulous evening planned for all! For tickets, information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Paula Morthanos at pmorthanos@operationhopect.org or at (203) 292-5588 or click the “Buy Tickets” button on our homepage.

Come join us on Thursday, May 30th for a night of music at Fairfield Theater Company’s StageOne featuring Band Together. Enjoy this fun, talented and local band that shares a passion for music and charity as they host a Funk Jam concert to benefit 5 local charities: Operation Hope (Help for the Homeless); Connecticut Burn Care Foundation (Children’s Camp); WPKN (Publicly Funded Radio); A Hand for a Paw (Ending Animal suffering in Bridgeport): and Fairfield Theater Company (Live Cultural Exchange). Band Together’s founders, Jerry Vigorito and Rob Fried, have once again teamed up with Fairfield Theater Company to host this benefit and help Operation Hope through their music.

Tickets include a festive pre-party beginning at 6:30PM followed by the 7:30PM concert. Tickets are $29 each and FTC members save $5 per ticket.

For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit Fairfield Theater Company

A Place at the Table, a new documentary film that highlights the epidemic of hunger in America, is Westport Cinema Initiative’s latest presentation on Sunday, April 28th at 4PM at the Westport Town Hall auditorium (110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport, CT), followed by a panel discussion. A portion or the proceeds will be donated to Westport’s Homes for Hope, and attendees are encouraged to bring donations of nutritious non-perishable food to the screening to restock the community Food Pantry. The film features insights from leading hunger experts and is presented in partnership with Saugatuck Congregational Church and Staples High School Green Club’s “Green Day.”

Tickets are $10/person – available at the door or at westportcinema.org and facebook.com/westportcinema For more information, contact Westport Cinema Initiative at (203) 434-2908.

Join the celebration as we honor the Mitchell family, of Mitchells Family of Stores, for their meaningful contributions to Operation Hope and our community at the Annual Evening of Hope Gala on Thursday, May 16th at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Connecticut.

The Evening of Hope Gala begins at 6:30PM and will include a cocktail reception, dinner, silent and live auction. The Gala committee and sponsors, including Fairfield Magazine, have a fabulous evening planned for all! For tickets, information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Paula Morthanos at pmorthanos@operationhopect.org or at (203) 292-5588.

The HeART of Hope event on February 15th was filled with delicious appetizers, a fabulous wine tasting from Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market and a special art exhibit featuring American realist painter, Colleen Browning. HeART of Hope guests enjoyed an intimate evening in the beautiful Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University. A special thank you to our volunteers and generous local sponsors for making this an evening to remember!

Enjoying the evening, are Event Co-Chairs, Teresa O’Reilly (left) and Lisa Doocy (right), along with Gwen Burroughs (center), Operation Hope’s Development Administrator. See the “PHOTOS” section of the OH homepage (lower right corner) for more pictures from the evening. All photos courtesy of Jackie Janosko.

Thank you to the Korean American Drycleaners Association of Connecticut (KADA) and Mr Myong Yong Lee of Superior Cleaners in Fairfield for a successful Dry Cleaners’ Clothing Sale to benefit Operation Hope. Through the generous donations of KADA, CT members in our area, shoppers could select among over 1,000 cleaned and pressed clothing items that were left behind at various local dry cleaners’ stores.

This first-ever fashion hunt was a fun for everyone! Thank you to the many Operation Hope volunteers for making it happen. Pictured here are Patty Ford, Volunteer; Carla Miklos, OH Executive Director; Myong Lee, President of KADA, CT; Alexandra Waizenegger, Volunteer; Sharon Rehme, Volunteer; Gerry Monahan, Volunteer.

Join us for a special Valentine celebration on Friday, February 15th from 5:30-8PM at the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University in Fairfield CT. Guests will enjoy a private viewing of American realist painter, Colleen Browning’s artwork along with a fabulous wine tasting hosted by Harry’s Wine & Liquor Market in Fairfield. Tickets are $65 per person and $100 per couple. Please contact Operation Hope at (203) 292-5588 to purchase tickets for this intimate evening. Directions are provided below.

DIRECTIONS:
The Bellarmine Museum of Art is located on the lower lever of Bellarmine Hall on the Fairfield University campus. Patrons using GPS for directions, should enter the following address, which will bring you to Fairfield University’s Barlow Road entrance: 200 Barlow Road, Fairfield, CT, 06824

Enter through the stone gates, keep left at the fork and proceed on Bellarmine Road. Take the second left onto O’Neil Way. At the top of the hill take a sharp right and proceed toward Bellarmine Hall. Parking is available behind the museum and in front of Bellarmine Hall.

CT Turnpike (I-95) from New York: Exit 22, left on Round Hill Rd. Follow to second stop sign, turn right on Barlow Rd. Follow 1/2 block to University entrance on left through stone gates. Follow directions above.

CT Turnpike (I-95) from New Haven: Exit 22, right on North Benson Rd. Follow to first stop light, turn left on Barlow Rd. Follow 1/2 block to University entrance on right through stone gates. Follow directions above.

Merritt Parkway (Rt. 15) from New York: Exit 44, left at end of ramp, right on Black Rock Tpke. Follow 2 mi., turn right on Stillson Rd (Rt. 135 South). At second light, bear left onto North Benson Rd. At second light, turn right on Barlow Rd. Follow 1/2 block to University entrance on right through stone gates. Follow directions above.

Merritt Parkway (Rt. 15) from New Haven: Exit 44, at end of ramp make a left. At first light make left onto Black Rock Turnpike. Follow directions above.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Operation Hope’s retiring board members: Charlie MacDonald, past Chair; James Prosnit, past First Chair; Tara Cook-Littman; Heather Crepeau and Gregory French. We are grateful for your many years of participation and support. Thank you for volunteering your time and giving so much to Operation Hope and the local community!

Don’t miss the opportunity to shop from 700 clothing items that are cleaned, pressed and ready to wear courtesy of the Korean American Drycleaners Association of Connecticut (KADA). Join the fashion hunt on Wednesday, January 30 from 3-7PM and Thursday, January 31 from 10AM-6PM at Operation Hope’s offices at 636 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT. The entry fee is only $1 and you’ll find that all garments are reasonably priced with volume discounts offered too!

Many thanks to KADA and Mr. Myong Yong Lee, owner of Superior Cleaners in Fairfield and KADA president for this generous donation of drycleaned items that were never picked up. We appreciate all of their support along with the Operation Hope volunteers that will make this event possible.