Contest Open to Create New Logo

It's time for a change! The Valley Council for Health and Human Services has launched a contest to create a new logo for the organization.

The contest rules and guidelines are available on the Valley Council's website, www.valleycouncil.org.

The contest will run through midnight on November 4. Facebook has a two-week event limit, so check back and see the end date change until it reads November 4.

Valley Officials Awarded for Making a Difference

Diane Stroman, James Fedak, Nick Gentile, Harry Burlakoff, Patricia Tarasovic

Credit: (Fred Ortoli)

The Valley Council for Health and Human Services recently held its Annual Breakfast Meeting & Community Awards Presentation at Brownson Country Club, Shelton, CT.

Each year the Valley Council recognizes individuals who make a significant contribution to the community.

VCHHS, Chair Diane Stroman & Co Chair Patricia Tarasovic, presented awards honoring Masters Table Community Meals, Harry Burlakoff, and Nick Gentile. Jimmy Tickey, Campaign Manager for Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro, representing the Third District of CT. recognized the award recipients and presented them with a special citation.

The breakfast meeting and awards presentation was sponsored by the Valley Community Foundation.  

Visit Valleycouncil.org to read more about our winners.

Valley Council to hold Annual Meeting Dec. 1

SHELTON- The Valley Council for Health & Human Services will hold its Annual Meeting and Community Awards Presentation on Tuesday, December 1, 2015.  The event will feature keynote presenter Maura Cook. The breakfast meeting and awards presentation, which is sponsored by the Valley Community Foundation, will be held from 7:45-10:15 am at Brownson Country Club in Shelton, CT.  All Valley residents and community partners are welcomed.

We’re very excited to have the opportunity for Maura Cook to present “Making Choices” an interactive exercise to help the Valley community relate to what it is like to be “ALICE” an acronym for Asset, Limited, Income, Constrained Employed which represents a study of Financial Hardship in CT., states Diane Stroman, Valley Council Chairperson. “We’re also delighted to highlight the valuable work that Valley groups and individuals are doing to improve the health and quality of life of residents.”

 

On the occasion of its Annual Meeting, the Valley Council will present three community service awards. 

 

The Agency/Program of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit agency that has made a significant and lasting contribution to the health and well being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents.  This year’s award will be presented to Master’s Table Community Meals for providing services that make significant and lasting contributions to the well being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents. Master’s Table Community Meals mission is to feed all who are hungry and offer hope for a better future.

The Lewis Savitsky Staff Excellence Award, named in honor of a long-time Valley United Way employee and community leader, is presented to individuals for excellence in their roles as employees in the nonprofit community.  This year’s honoree is Nick Gentile, Work force Specialist for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program, of The WorkPlace. He is being honored for his commitment to helping homeless, unemployed and under-employed veterans find stable housing.

The Richard O. Belden Community Service Award, named in honor of late State representative Richard O. Belden, is given to an individual or group whose efforts have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of Valley residents.  The Council will present the 2015 Belden award to Harry Burlakoff, for his tremendous work assisting countless Non-Profits in our region. Harry is a member of the Valley United Way’s Corporate Volunteer Council. 

 

A full invitation and registration information for the Valley Council Annual Meeting and Awards presentation is available online at www.valleycouncil.org or by calling the Valley United Way at (203) 926-9478.  Registrations will also be accepted at the door.  Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:45 am.  The registration fee is free for Valley Council Members, $20 per person for additional staff and $25 per person for non-council members. 

 

For more information about our Award Winners, please visit www.valleycouncil.org.

(This is a press release from the Valley Council)

Valley Council for Health & Human Services to hold annual meeting, awards presenation Dec. 2

The Valley Council for Health & Human Services will hold its annual meeting and community awards presentation on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The event will feature a keynote presentation on “Have You Met ALICE” (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), a study of financial hardship in Connecticut, presented by Richard Porth, President/CEO of United Way of Connecticut.

The breakfast meeting and awards presentation, which is sponsored by the Valley Community Foundation, will be held from 7:45-10:15 a.m. at Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby. All Valley residents and community partners are welcomed.

A full invitation and registration information for the Valley Council Annual Meeting and Awards presentation is available online at www.valleycouncil.org or by calling the Valley United Way at 203-926-9478. Registrations will also be accepted at the door. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:45 a.m. The registration fee is $20 per person for Valley Council member agency representatives and $25 per person for other community attendees.

The Valley Council also will present three community service awards:

— The Agency/Program of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit agency that has made a significant and lasting contribution to the health and well being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents. This year’s award will be presented to the Valley United Way Youth Leadership Program for providing services that make significant and lasting contributions to the well being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents. The program is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

— The Lewis Savitsky Staff Excellence Award, named in honor of a long-time Valley United Way employee and community leader, is presented to individuals for excellence in their roles as employees in the nonprofit community. This year’s honoree is Richard Knoll, president and CEO of TEAM Inc, for his lifelong and dedicated work to address the needs of the region’s low income families with meals, rent, utilities, childcare and senior services.

— The Richard O. Belden Community Service Award, named in honor of late State representative Richard O. Belden, is given to an individual or group whose efforts have made a significant
contribution to improving the quality of life of Valley residents. The Council will present the 2014 Belden award to Attorney Dominick J. Thomas Jr. of Cohen and Thomas for his tremendous work supporting numerous organizations through his professional and philanthropic service. For more than three decades Non-Profits have benefited from Dominick’s generosity providing pro-bono legal services.

The above information was provided in a press release from the Valley Council for Health & Human Services.

Valley Council presents annual awards at Derby event

Fred Ortoli Photo

Pictured from left: Pamela Mautte (Valley Council Chair), Cathleen Kellet (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Mary Swansiger (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Maggie Sessa (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Kevin Hale (Chief of Police, Ansonia Police Department), James Queen (Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley), Donna Skurat (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Pat Lesiw (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Eleanor Kurdy (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Rev. Russell Lesiw (Valley Parish Nurse Program), Diane Stroman (Valley Council Vice-Chair).  



DERBY - The Valley Council for Health & Human Services honored community service providers for their positive impact on the Valley at its Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation Dec. 3.
The event, sponsored by the Valley Community Foundation, was held at Grassy Hill Lodge.  

Kevin Counihan, CEO of Access Health CT, the state’s healthcare exchange, gave a keynote presentation about Connecticut’s progress in implementing healthcare reform.  This presentation was followed by the presentation of community service awards.

Pamela Mautte, Chair of the Valley Council and Director of the Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council at BHCare, introduced the three awardees.   
The Lewis Savitsky Staff Excellence Award, named in honor of a long-time Valley United Way employee and community leader, recognizes outstanding achievement among nonprofit employees.  

The 2013 award was given to James Queen, Director of Operations for the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.
Queen first became involved with the Club at the age of nine.  He began his career in 1983 as a part-time games room and front desk worker, rising quickly into leadership roles.  As Mautte recounted in her introduction, “For over three decades, James has been a dependable, exceptional leader whose work has changed the lives of countless young people.” 

The Agency/Program of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit agency or program that has made a lasting contribution to the health and well-being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents.  This year’s award was presented to the Valley Parish Nurse Program, based at Griffin Hospital.

The program, which has served the Valley community for 24 years, includes an extremely dedicated group of volunteer nurses and Health Care Cabinet teams that work tirelessly for the well-being of local parishioners.
Through their one-on-one services and group programs, parish nurses provide vital education, support, and service referrals that improve the health of Valley citizens of all ages.  As one observer commented, “you can find parish nurses working everywhere, in libraries, shelters, schools, all over the Valley community.” 

The Richard O. Belden Community Service Award, named in honor of late State representative Richard O. Belden, is given to an individual or group whose efforts have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of Valley residents. 
Bertha Belden accompanied the Valley Council Chair, Pamela Mautte, and incoming Vice-Chair, Diane Stroman, in presenting the award honoring the legacy of community service of her late husband.  
The Council presented the 2013 Belden award to the Ansonia Police Department and its Chief of Police, Kevin Hale, for their outstanding collaborative work to improve the safety and well-being of Valley residents. 

In addition to the Police Department’s role in crime prevention and emergency assistance, the award presentation highlighted the ways that Hale and his fellow officers have reached out to nonprofit agencies and schools to create partnerships that improve citizen safety. 
One example cited is when Hale proactively approached The Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services to implement an innovative program to identify individuals who may be at high risk for domestic violence and refer them to safety planning services. 
This program’s successful implementation has become a statewide model, with over 24 police departments now using the Lethality Assessment Program.

About the Valley Council

The Valley Council for Health and Human Services, established in 1993, is a partnership network of over 35 non-profit community health and human service organizations working to improve the quality of life of residents in the Lower Naugatuck Valley.
Through its monthly membership meetings, task forces, and committees, the Council acts as an important mechanism for fostering collaborative efforts among local service providers, thereby improving service delivery systems and strategic planning for the Valley region. 

This post is taken from a press release from the Valley Council for Health and Human Services. 


Congratulations to all of the award recipients!

Valley service providers recognized

Pictured from left: Victor Pittman, vice-chair, Valley Council, Rita R. Fazzino, John McGann, Naomi Wallace, John Saccu, Pamela Mautte, chair, Valley Council, at the Council's annual meeting.  Contributed photo by Fred Ortoli


DERBY - The Valley Council for Health and Human Services honored several community service providers for their positive impact on the Valley community at its Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation.
The event, sponsored by the Valley Community Foundation, was held this week at Grassy Hill Lodge.

Pamela Mautte, Chair of the Valley Council and Director of the Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council at BHCare, presented awards to three individuals and an agency.   

The Lewis Savitsky Staff Excellence Award, named in honor of a long-time Valley United Way employee and community leader, recognizes outstanding achievement among nonprofit employees.  The 2012 awardee is Rita R. Fazzino, Housing Code Officer and Registered Sanitarian at the Naugatuck Valley Health District. 
As Mautte said in her introduction, “Rita is exactly the kind of person the Savitsky Award is designed for—someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the daily lives of Valley citizens.” 

The Agency/Program of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit agency or program that has made a lasting contribution to the health and well-being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents.
This year’s award was presented to the Derby Bureau of Youth Services for its significant impact on young people over the few years since its inception. 
Mautte highlighted the efforts of the Derby Youth Services Bureau, led by Director John Saccu, to create a regional Juvenile Review Board and many other positive youth development programs. 

The Richard O. Belden Community Service Award, named in honor of late state Rep. Richard O. Belden, is given to an individual or group whose efforts have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of Valley residents.  
The Council presented the 2012 Belden award to Naomi Wallace, who is also recipient of a 2011 Gold Seal Award from the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce.  

In addition to her recent work as Director of Children’s Programs at Tinney Community Center in Ansonia, Wallace has served numerous segments of the Valley community through her work with many nonprofit agencies and community groups.

Mautte presented a Chairperson’s Award to outgoing Council Vice-Chair, John McGann, in appreciation for his service to the Council and his significant contributions to the Valley community.  She said, “For over two decades, John has worked with great dedication to improve the mental health and well-being of Valley residents in his role as a clinician and then, until recently, as Clinical Director at Catholic Charities’ Ansonia office.” 

The above was taken from a release from Heidi Zavatone-Veth, coordinator, Valley Council for Health and Human Services.

Valley Council to present awards at annual meeting

Keynote speaker to focus on nurturing youth development

DERBY - The Valley Council for Health & Human Services will hold its Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation Dec. 4.

Duffey

The event will feature a keynote presentation, “What Kids Need to Succeed: Inspiration for the Valley Community” by Tim M. Duffey, M.Ed., a nationally recognized expert on mobilizing communities to nurture positive youth development with an assets-based approach.

The Valley Community Foundation is sponsoring the breakfast meeting and awards presentation. The event will be held from 7:30-10 a.m. at Grassy Hill Lodge, 77 Sodom Lane. 

Duffey currently serves as President and Training Manager of Vision Training Associates, an authorized provider of training services for the Search Institute, a leader in national and international efforts to train communities in positive youth development methods. 
Duffey has extensive experience serving as a public speaker, trainer, and training program designer for organizations and communities interesting in creating community change to improve the lives of young people.

Jennifer L. DeWitt, Executive Director of the Central Naugatuck Valley Regional Action Council, highlighted the role of Duffey’s inspiring presentations and training in helping to create the award-winning youth development efforts of the City of Waterbury. 

“Tim Duffey and the Search Institute understand that in order to prevent risk-taking behaviors and their associated consequences, we have to build strong communities of care that speak the language of assets, value all youth, and work together to create opportunities for young people to thrive and be successful in life,” DeWitt said. 

The Valley Council also will present community service awards.  The Agency/Program of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit agency that has made a significant and lasting contribution to the health and well-being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents.

This year’s award will be presented to the Derby Bureau of Youth Services for its outstanding efforts to address the needs of the city’s young people.

The Lewis Savitsky Staff Excellence Award, named in honor of a long-time Valley United Way employee and community leader, is presented to individuals for outstanding achievement as employees in the non-profit community. 

This year’s honoree is Rita L. Fazzino, a Sanitarian and Housing Code Enforcement officer at the Naugatuck Valley Health District, for her tireless efforts to protect the health of Valley citizens. 

  

The Richard O. Belden Community Service Award, named in honor of late state Rep. Richard O. Belden, is given to an individual or group whose efforts have made a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of Valley residents. 

The Council will present the Belden award to Naomi Wallace, for her many years of generous dedication to improving the lives of Valley residents.  

In addition, this year the Council will present a special Chairperson’s award to John McGann, who until recently served as Clinical Director at Catholic Charities in Ansonia and Milford, for his committed leadership and service to the Valley Council and his many years of work to nurture the mental health and overall well-being of Valley citizens.   

An invitation and registration information for the Valley Council Annual Meeting and Awards presentation is available online at www.valleycouncil.org or by calling Valley United Way, 203-926-9478.  

Registrations will be accepted at the door.  Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. The registration fee is $20 a person for Valley Council member agency representatives and $25 a person for other attendees.

Agencies to develop community-improvement plan

Goal is to promote physical and mental health in Valley

The Valley Council for Health & Human Services, a partnership network of health and human service providers serving residents of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and the Naugatuck Valley Health District are sponsoring a participatory planning process to develop an action plan to improve physical and mental health in the Valley community. 

Support for this planning process is being provided by the Naugatuck Valley Health District and a grant from the Valley Community Foundation given to the Valley Council to fund community action planning to promote health. 

This process follows an extensive effort by the Valley Council member agencies to conduct an assessment of quality-of-life in the Valley, which resulted in the 2010 Valley CARES Quality of Life Report (available at the Valley Council website: www.valleycouncil.org).

 As Pamela Mautte, Director of the Greater Valley Substance Abuse Action Council and Current Chair of the Valley Council for Health & Human Services, said, “The Valley has been recognized as a model in our state of effective collaboration among non-profit agencies and other community partners to collect data on our community that can motivate real action for change.” 

The Valley Council’s member agencies, including the Naugatuck Valley Health District and Griffin Hospital, are continuing to coordinate efforts to shape future community assessment updates as well as community-wide planning efforts to improve health and well-being in the Valley. 

Karen N. Spargo, Director of Health at the NVHD, highlighted the importance of community participation in the planning process.
 “Our goal is to involve a broad set of stakeholders and interested community members in a participatory process,” she said.  “Our hope is to develop a solid community health improvement plan that sets priorities, coordinates the use of resources, and develops projects and programs that better enable our residents to improve their health and well-being.” 

The planning process will involve reviewing the key areas of strength and need in the community, as they have been identified in the Valley CARES Quality of Life Report, the Community Health Profile and other recent community health assessments.

The process will begin with two large group meetings with a broad range of community representatives to identify priority areas for action and specific objectives for each area.
The first meeting is scheduled for June 26.  Following these initial meetings, smaller sub-groups will meet to develop work plans for specific objectives.
The goal is to complete the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) by the close of 2012 and to begin implementing its elements and strategies as part of a community partnership to improve health.

Persons interested in participating in the planning process should contact Karen Spargo, 203-881-2288 or Heidi Zavatone-Veth, 203-926-9478. 

The above information was provided by Heidi Zavatone-Veth.