In partnership with the Center for Family Justice, Grace Farms volunteers assembled and delivered hundreds of care packages
Grace Farms welcomed more than 200 people to participate in Gifting for Good, its annual event to give back to others during the holiday season. This signature event has supported six local nonprofit organizations since it began in 2016. With the help of Grace Farms’ neighbors in New Canaan and beyond, volunteers assembled toiletry kits, teen care kits, and household kits for families displaced from their homes. This year, Grace Farms Foundation partnered with the Center for Family Justice, a nonprofit organization based in Bridgeport that provides support and services to women, men, and children who are impacted by domestic violence. The community event took place on Friday, December 9.
Volunteers from the community, left, and members from our Grace Farms team behind the table on the right, helped put the kits together. Photo by Grace Farms Foundation
“As we all know from living through the uncertainty and trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is so important to come together as a community in times of crisis,” said Meg Walsh, Partnership Advisor, Grace Farms Foundation. “Through Gifting for Good, our volunteers continue to work together to support our neighbors, preparing packages that meet basic shared human needs and seek to bring a little joy to children and families experiencing hardship this holiday season.”
“We’re so grateful for the love and care that went into making the care kits, household kits, and toiletry kits for our clients. Thank you so much for the kindness you’ve all displayed with this project.” said Debra A. Greenwood, our CEO/President of the Center for Family Justice.
Gifting for Good is a main highlight of Grace Farms’ community-based programming, which also includes its nonprofit Space Grant program, free eductional programming year-round, and the Relief Fund for Connecticut, which sourced and delivered 2 million PPE and tens of thousands of healthy nutritious meals during the early days of the pandemic, and continues to provide hundreds of meals each week to community partners. For the past several years, Gifting for Good has partnered with mission-aligned organizations for this annual event, including Filling in the Blanks, Neighbors Link, and The Yerwood Center at The Boys and Girls Club in Stamford.
The community comes together for Gifting for Good at Grace Farms. Photo by Grace Farms Foundation
Gifting for Good is a part of Grace Farms’ Season of Light holiday programming. Throughout the remainder of the month, visitors are invited to enjoy Songs of the Season, curated by Grace Farms’ Musical Advisor Marcus G. Miller, and performed by local musicians in the Sanctuary. They also may also select a card from the Giving Tree, and provide gifts for recently resettled refugee children and child survivors of human trafficking, distributed in partnership with Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI).
(Feature photo by Dean Kaufman)
