Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors, The Guilford Foundation Donate Over $2K To Support Student Meals

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors and The Guilford Foundation recently donated $2,717 to Guilford Public Schools to help cover school meals for students whose families face financial hardship.

The check was presented to Superintendent Dr. Paul Freeman and Director of Dining Services Janet Calabro. The contribution included individual donations from organization members and other community members, along with up to $500 in matching funds from Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors and up to $1,000 from The Guilford Foundation.

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State and federal programs provide free or reduced-price meals to eligible students, but some Guilford families experiencing financial challenges do not qualify. The donation will help the district support students whose families struggle to cover meal costs.

"We are a nonprofit department that runs independently of the Board of Education budget, and we have families yearly who cannot afford their school meals," Calabro said when the fundraiser was launched, according to a news release. "It is challenging to navigate, so any help is wonderful."

Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors has offered social activities, events and community service opportunities for more than 50 years. The organization welcomes newcomers and longtime residents of Guilford and neighboring shoreline towns.

"Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors is proud to be both a social and civic organization, and this project gave members an opportunity to come together around a tangible need affecting local families. The response from members and the broader community demonstrated how much Guilford residents care about helping their neighbors," added Maria Calamito, philanthropic chair for Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors.

In addition to providing matching funds, The Guilford Foundation helped expand the campaign's reach and provided a way for the broader community to contribute.

"Some of the most meaningful community partnerships start with a simple conversation about a need and what we can do together to address it," said TGF Executive Director Liza Janssen Petra. "Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors brings together people who want to be connected to this community, not only socially, but through service. They identified a need, rallied their members and invited the broader community to participate. TGF was pleased to help amplify that effort."

Guilford Newcomers & Neighbors has expanded beyond its original focus on welcoming newcomers to offer social activities and programs for residents while continuing its civic involvement and community service efforts.

"This is what local philanthropy can look like," Petra added. "An organization sees a need, people come together around it, and a relatively simple idea becomes meaningful support for local families."

More information is available at guilfordfoundation.org and guilfordnewcomers.com.