Valley Celebrates 10th Annual Monkey Love Valentine Drive





Pictured from left to right:

Ross James and Jennifer Sneider of J Cuts, Shelton; Nicole Polifka of Bright Horizons, Shelton; David Morgan and Amy LaChomia of TEAM, Inc., Derby and Ansonia.

 

SHELTON- Stuffed monkeys swung in to Shelton for the tenth annual “Monkey Love Valentine Drive,” an annual effort to collect stuffed animals for children in need.

During the past ten years, over 10,327 stuffed monkeys have been collected and distributed to children in need of  smiles and a new friend to warm their hearts.

Jennifer Sneider, the owner of J-Cuts barber shop located at 505 Howe Ave. in downtown Shelton, organizes the drive every year.  She is always amazed by the outpouring of kindness from the community.

“Every year more and more people join in,” says Sneider. “Now that this collection is well established, monkeys find their way to J-Cuts throughout the year. When people see stuffed monkeys for sale, they think of children in need.”

 

J-Cuts became the main drop off location after taking the drive over from the owners of Luther’s Garage, which is now closed.

“This is my sixth year being involved,” says Sneider. “We have so much fun.  My customers, co-workers and family all love to get involved!  We decorate the barber shop in anticipation of a whole bunch of monkeys moving in for a little while.  It is an amazing feeling to know each and every one of these monkeys will find comfort in the arms of a child in need and children will find comfort in these monkeys.”

Additional collection locations this year included Minuteman Press of 427 Howe Ave., Suite 2 and the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, 10 Progress Drive, 2nd Floor, both of Shelton, along with Barb’s Corner Consignment of 25 West Main Street, Ansonia.

Minuteman Press also donated posters.

Mary Finnegan and Lenny Marconi held their Sixth Annual Monkey Love Sunday Jan. 31 at Off the Hook Bar & Grill on Ferry Boulevard in Stratford.

 

As a member of the online meet-up group, Party Express, Marconi decided to invite everyone to Off the Hook each year for a monkey drop off party. Between donations from this group and many loyal customers of Off the Hook, over 100 stuffed monkeys were collected again. Off the Hook holds a Monkey Love Sunday celebration each year on the Sunday before Super Bowl. Next year, they hope to have other area pubs in Stratford join in.



Mary Finnegan, bartender at Off the Hook in Stratford coordinates Monkey Love Sunday the Sunday before Super Bowl each year

For the third year in a row, the Milford Fire Department dropped off donations along with Bright Horizons child care center of 3 Corporate Drive, Shelton and United Methodist Women of the First United Methodist Church, 47 Franklin St. in Ansonia.

The United Methodist Women, led by Barbara Tchakirides, crocheted 12 adorable and colorful stuffed monkeys. “We enjoyed crocheting these monkeys knowing they would warm the hearts of children in need on Valentine’s Day,” says Tchakirides.

This annual community event benefits abused and neglected children, impoverished, adopted and sick children, as well as children who may feel a little left out when a younger sibling is born and children treated for cancer or other illnesses at local hospitals.

 

The 9th Annual Monkey Love Valentine Drive, held in 2015, collected and distributed over 1,880 stuffed monkeys to area organizations to give to children in need.

Children benefited by the drive this year are serviced by the Lower Naugatuck Valley (Shelton) Boys & Girls Club, Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in New Haven, TEAM Inc. in Derby and Ansonia, BHcare’s Center for Domestic Violence Services in Ansonia, Griffin Hospital of Derby and the Department of Children & Families in Milford.

Coordinators also shared 26 of the stuffed monkeys as “26 Random Acts of Kindness.”

For information on holding a collection of your own next year, beginning Jan. 1, 2017, call J-Cuts, 203-924-4107.

J-Cuts also holds an Annual Back-To-School Book Bag & School Supply Drive which begins July 1.

  
(This is a press release from J-Cuts)

Ansonia Ice Skating Rink Opens Saturday, Feb. 13

ANSONIA = The City has rescheduled the opening of the new ice skating rink at Nolan Field,
located at 350 Wakelee Ave., to Saturday, Feb. 13. The rink will be open to Ansonia residents and their guests from 4 to 9 p.m.

Festivities will include a performance by special guest figure skater and Lake Placid Gold Medalist Marisa Panuczak, a sophomore at Notre Dame High School, along with a bonfire, hot chocolate and music.

First-Ever Naugatuck Valley Home Show Coming Soon!

SHELTON - Spataro Construction and Shelton Courtyard by Marriott are proud to announce the first annual Naugatuck Valley Home Show.

The event, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 6 at Courtyard by Marriott, 780 Bridgeport Ave., features home improvement companies servicing Fairfield and New Haven Counties.

 

Thinking of starting a new project on your home this Spring? You’ll find exactly what you’re looking for to satisfy your Remodeling, repair, and other needs at the show. Many local companies will be on hand to display their products and services for interested homeowners to browse. The show will feature a range of services including lawn care, electrical, oil delivery and many more.
 

The initial vendor list for the 2016 Naugatuck Valley Home Show includes:
 

● All Fenced In,  Seymour

● All Terrain Operations, Shelton
 

● CTEC Solar, Bloomfield

● Connecticut Basement Systems, Seymour
 

● Decorating Den, Oxford
 

● Home Depot, Derby
 

● InstaPlumbing, Wolcott
 

● Mavilla Landscaping, Shelton

● Spataro Construction,  Derby

● Standard Oil, Bridgeport

● Standard Security Systems, Bridgeport

● State Farm Insurance, Shelton
 

● Wills Electrical Services, Shelton
 

● Winter Bros Waste Systems, Danbury
 

Admission is free, with kid-friendly events and activities taking place throughout the day. Visit our Kids Corner with activities from The Giggling Pig, Kidnetic Clubhouse, and Pinwheel Studios. Attendees can enter to win an Apple iPad Air as well as other prizes and giveaways from local companies including Valley Lighting, Doorbell Barbers, Grow, Common Bond Market and more. Beverages and light snacks will be provided as well from the Courtyard by Marriott and The Happy Cupcake.

 

To learn more, visit www.nvhomeshow.com

 

Celebrate First Saturday at Lizzie's Corner

Goodwill Seeking New Site

  

Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut is in search of a new location for its Naugatuck donation station.  The donation station, which has been located at 195 Water Street for more than fifteen years, closed on January 29 because the property was sold.

 

This location in Naugatuck served over 12,000 local donors in 2015 alone, providing them with a convenient and trusted source for their gently used donations. The next closest donation station to this site is in Waterbury.

 

“The donation station is extremely important to this community, and we are asking local property owners to help find an alternative location,” said Vickie L. Volpano, President & CEO, Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut.  “The donations are critical to our success, as the revenue generated funds our mission – to help people find jobs.”

 

Any local property owners that would like additional information please reach out to Ken Bennett, Vice President of Retail at kbennett@gwct.org or 203.581.5357.

 

About Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut:

Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut is a non-profit organization that provides employment and supportive services to people with disabilities and other challenges to employment. Through programs that offer people the opportunity to develop the life-changing skills they need to obtain and keep a job, Goodwill helps the individuals it serves gain hope, dignity, and financial independence.

(This is a press release from Goodwill)

Irving School to Host 'No One Eats Alone' Event

DERBY- Lunch can be the longest part of the school day for some youth who feel alone and socially isolated at their school.

Irving School and Beyond Differences announces the launch of No One Eats Alone Day at Irving School at 2 p.m. Feb. 10.

With social isolation and bullying now seen as chronic problems in our schools, this initiative will seek to reverse these trends by asking students to engage in a simple act of kindness at lunch – making sure that no one is eating alone.

“Today we are holding No One Eats Alone Day here at Irving School,” said Principal Jennifer Olson. 

“Our third, fourth, and fifth graders will learn about social isolation, and during their lunch they will do activities to encourage students to sit with others and engage in conversation. Students will see the 'Be the One' video from Beyond Differences. I want to thank Beyond Differences and their partners for their tireless efforts to tackle an issue which has been ignored for too long.”

Beyond Differences is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending social isolation in schools across the country.

“We believe that No One Eats Alone Day will be a game changer for Derby children," said Beyond Differences President Laura Talmus.

“A student being isolated at lunch signals the beginning of many problems which have come to plague our schools – with the most shocking examples being bullying and violence," she said.

"We want to reverse these frightening trends by asking students to engage in a simple act of kindness at lunch – making sure that no one is eating alone. Beyond Differences is proud to announce the No One Eats Alone Initiative.”

(This is a press release from Derby Public Schools)

It's Time to Stuff Your Face with Paczkis (Poonch-keys)