Newcomers Club Of New Canaan Allocates Funds From Holiday Tour

Press release from The Newcomers Club of New Canaan:

Oct. 9, 2021

The Newcomers Club of New Canaan, in partnership with the New Canaan Community Foundation, is proud to announce new investments in the New Canaan community through a reallocation of a portion of the proceeds from the Newcomers Club’s 2019 Holiday House Tour. While maintaining strong support for the Annual Christmas Eve Caroling, The Newcomers Club is pleased to add new funding of $7,500 toward the following organizations:

• New Canaan Public Access, Inc. (NCTV79)
• Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs
• New Canaan Community Foundation’s Young Philanthropists Program
• New Canaan Chamber Music

A total of $2,500 is being invested in New Canaan Public Access, Inc. (NCTV79), New Canaan’s dedicated television station for government, community, and arts & cultural programming that can be enjoyed by all local families. NCTV79 is going through a phase of rebuilding and rebranding by adding new equipment and capabilities to capture on film the life and events happening around New Canaan.

A total of $1,250 is being invested in Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs. While located in Fairfield, CT, Saint Catherine’s has deep New Canaan roots, having been founded by local residents Jerry and Kay Luff many years ago and currently serving as home to multiple New Canaan students. Saint Catherine’s provides both life skills and traditional education to children and young adults with special needs. Saint Catherine’s is an invaluable organization for those who need their services, and one that Newcomers is proud to support.

A total of $2,500 is being invested in the New Canaan Community Foundation’s Young Philanthropists program. The Young Philanthropists is composed of local High School students looking to learn about philanthropy, gain experience in the nonprofit sector, and practice valuable leadership skills. This group learns from guest speakers, attends site visits, volunteers hands-on in the community, and manages their own grant awards cycle that involves tough decisions on how to award limited financial resources to best serve the needs of the community.

A total of $1,250 is being invested in the New Canaan Chamber Music Fund, a new local organization led by local resident and nationally renowned talent Andrew Armstrong, which works to bring high-quality music to members of our community. This grant would help the organization build capacity and establish itself for the future.

"The mission of the Newcomers Club’s biennial Holiday House Tour charity event is to give back to the community by supporting local charities and service organizations that are based in New Canaan or serve the town’s residents," said Newcomers Club President Karlie Reitano. "These new and deserving charities, that have been identified in partnership with the New Canaan Community Foundation, are the exact essence of what our Holiday House Tour is all about."

“The New Canaan Community Foundation is pleased to continue its relationship with the Newcomers Club of New Canaan, and to support the distribution of funds to these organizations that engage our community and make a difference for our town,” said Laura Dobbin, Board Chair of the New Canaan Community Foundation. “The NCCF and Newcomers share a goal of serving our town members in a positive and unifying way, and we are confident that these organizations will connect with a broad population within our town.”

This press release was produced by The Newcomers Club of New Canaan. The views expressed here are the author's own.