It's Almost "Trunk or Treat" Time in Seymour

Seymour Students Practice Emergency Preparedness

SEYMOUR -  On August 31, 2016 a presidential proclamation was issued by President Barack Obama declaring September as “National Preparedness Month."

 

Last week all Seymour Public Schools fourth grade students participated in the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s “Students Tools for Emergency Planning” program, also known as STEP. 

 

This is the 10th year Seymour students have participated in the STEP Program, which was piloted in Seymour in 2008.  Seymour Public Schools Director of Security Rich Kearns received national recognition when FEMA modeled the program nationally after the Seymour program.  The STEP Program is sponsored by FEMA and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.  Kearns has been presenting the program for the last 10 years to all fourth grade students at Bungay Elementary School and Chatfield-LoPresti Elementary School. 

 

Seymour Police Department Community-School Resource Officer John Harkins and Seymour Citizens Emergency Response Team President Robert Wilson assisted Kearns this year showing students the steps on how to prepare student's families in the event an emergency or disaster was to strike.

 

Each student was given a backpack to take home that contained items to help start building their own family emergency kit along with information to share with their families to better prepare them in the event of an emergency.  The goal of STEP Program is to provide some resources to families in the community to better prepare them for emergencies as it is found that if people are better prepared to deal with a crisis the outcomes and recovery process will be that much easier for them. 

 

Throughout September, Kearns, Seymour Fire Marshal  Tim Willis, Seymour Emergency Management Director Tom Eighmie, Seymour Police Department Community-School Resource Officer Harkins, as well as other first responders conducted emergency response drills district-wide with all students K-12.  All Star Transportation Safety Supervisor Brenda Bass and school bus safety team members also joined Kearns in conducting school bus evacuation drills  for students in the district who ride the bus to school.

 

All of these programs and drills are part of a continuous effort by Seymour Public Schools and Seymour Emergency Services Personnel working together to better prepare our schools and families in the event an emergency were to occur and to help make our schools a safer place. 

 

(This is a press release from Rich Kearns)

Need Help with Winter Heating Bills?

DERBY- Families and individuals seeking financial help to off-set their winter heating bills may apply to TEAM for assistance.

 

Families and individuals may qualify for help if they fall below these income limits: $33,880.70 for household of one, $44,305.54 for a two person household, $54,730.37 for a three person household, $65,155.00 for a four person household.

 

Applicants are deemed eligible based on review of their total household gross income, such as job earnings, unemployment compensation, social security, pension etc.; household size; and liquid assets, as shown through bank statements. If an applicant is approved for assistance, TEAM will make direct payments to their home heating provider. 

 

Both home owners and renters who are residents of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, and Woodbridge can apply for energy assistance from TEAM.

 

To schedule an appointment with TEAM Energy Assistance, please call 203-736-5420 and follow prompts for Energy Assistance, or in Milford, 203-783-3253; Woodbridge, 203-389-3429; Orange, 203-891-4787, and Bethany, 203-393-2100, ext.124.

 

TEAM Inc. is a private,501(c) 3  non-profit corporation whose mission is to strengthen our community by educating, supporting and empowering individuals and families . TEAM programs serve the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Naugatuck, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour, Waterbury and Woodbridge.

 

(This is a press release from TEAM)

TEAM, Inc. Seeking Volunteers

DERBY - TEAM Inc., is seeking volunteers to assist low-income families and individuals in filing their taxes and claiming refunds owed to them, such as federal Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit that can boost their yearly income by up to 35 percent. 

The VITA program is held at the VITA Clinic at TEAM, Inc. 30 Elizabeth St., Derby Neck Library, 307 Hawthorne Ave., and the Milford Senior Center, 9 Jepson Drive. It will operate from January to April 15, 2017. 

 

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance offers free preparation of federal and state income tax returns to low-income individuals and families. No experience is necessary.  

All volunteers will receive training appropriate for their position. Volunteers receive the materials for self-study on basic income tax law for federal and state returns.  
In addition, training sessions will take place in January 2017. 

 

To become a VITA volunteer or for more information about the program, call 203-736-5420 ext. 234 or email dstroman@teaminc.org.

 

TEAM Inc. is a private, 501(c)3 non-profit corporation whose mission is to strengthen our community by educating, supporting and empowering individuals and families. 

TEAM programs impact the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Naugatuck, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour, Waterbury, and Woodbridge.

 

(This is a press release from TEAM) 

Mortgage-Free Home Available for Veteran or Military Family in Shelton

Operation Homefront, the San Antonio-based national non-profit that builds strong, stable, and secure military families, is seeking applications for the Homes on the Homefront program.

 

A mortgage-free home is available in Shelton, Connecticut, for a military family who is possibly transitioning out of the military or transferring to this area. The following home is currently available:

 

Shelton: http://www. homesonthehomefront.org/ CurrentHomes/ShowSingle?Id=809

This 1,643 square-feet, multi-level townhouse features three bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms. The kitchen, dining, living room, and a half bath are on the main floor of the townhome. There are wood floors in the living room of the main floor and a beautiful fireplace. The finished basement has a family room and utility room where the laundry and mechanics are located. The second floor has two bedrooms and a full bath and the attic has a finished third bedroom with all with wood type flooring. There is an attached one-car garage, a balcony in the front, and a covered patio in the back. Shelton is located about an hour south of Hartford and just under an hour northeast of Norwalk. 

 

Deadline to apply is October 15, 2016.

 

Operation Homefront created the Homes on the Homefront program with the assistance of corporate partners to award mortgage-free homes to our nation’s veterans and military families. So far, Operation Homefront has awarded more than 550 homes to military families nationwide. In 2015, Operation Homefront awarded 92 homes and deeded 102.

 

All active-duty military, National Guard, Reservists, wounded warriors, and veterans, who aren’t already homeowners, have an honorable discharge or retirement, and none of the adults that will be residing in the home have a felony on their record, are eligible to apply for these homes.

 

To view more information about our program or to apply for a home, please visit www.homesonthehomefront.org.

 

About Operation Homefront: A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.  

 

About Chase: Chase is committed to serving the unique needs of America’s military, veterans and their families through employment, housing, small business, and financial capability programs. Since 2011, the firm has hired more than 10,000 veterans and provided more than 830 mortgage-free homes to military families in partnership with Operation Homefront and other non-profit organizations. To learn more about Chase’s military and veterans affairs programs, visit ChaseMilitary.com.

 

(This is a press release from Operation Homefront)

Paranormal Activity Happening at Seymour Public Library

TEAM, Inc. to Celebrate 51st Anniversary

DERBY- TEAM Inc. will host their 51^{st d} Annual Meeting to be held Thursday, October 13, 2016, beginning at 5:00 P.M. at the La Sala Banquet Hall, 73 High Street, Derby. 

 

The agency will be making several community award presentations at the meeting:

The Lillian Chrostowski Award will be presented to community volunteer, Anastasia Timpko, a local social service professional whose outstanding work has had a profound and positive effect on our community.

The Heritage Award in recognition of an individual or organization who was involved with TEAM at different periods of the agencies history and provide support and leadership will be presented to Mayor Mark Lauretti and the City of Shelton for their support to ensure low income residents of not only Shelton but, of the Lower Naugatuck Valley have access to quality services.

Partnership Awards in recognition of a business, organization or agency partner whose outstanding support and collaboration has assisted TEAM in advancing its agency mission will be awarded to Griffin Hospital and the TEAM Meet Santa Day Committee (John Harwood, David Rose, Huntington Branch Library, Shelton EMS, and the Huntington Fire Co. #3)

The Chairman’s Award will be presented to John “Jack” Walsh, President/CEO of the Valley United Way who has made a broad, profound impact on the quality of human services in the Lower Naugatuck Valley.   

The guest speaker for the event is Mr. David Addams, Executive Director of the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend TEAM’s Annual Meeting.  Cost is $35.00 for the dinner event.  Reservations are required and may be made by contacting Trish Wigglesworth at 736-5420, ext. 221 or twigglesworth@teaminc.org. by October 7.

 

^{(This is a press release from TEAM)}