WOW!  Tonight brought one thousand surprises to Open Your Heart, Help the Community, Inc.  We are very grateful to Representative Vinny Candelora for suggesting Open Your Heart, Help the Community, Inc. as charity worthy of a donation from the New Haven County Marshal’s Association.

On Monday, March 26th, the members of the New Haven County Marshal’s Association hosted a dinner at La Luna Restaurant in Branford where they generously acknowledged the hard work of four local charities with monetary donations.  The four charities chosen were based on the suggestions of State Representatives and were each presented with a check from the New Haven County Marshal’s Association by CT Senator Edward Meyer.

It was a great night filled with giving and appreciation for the work these non-profits do, and of course a delicious buffet style meal from La Luna!

The four organizations supported were:

The Branford Food Council, Inc.: this non-profit, all volunteer organization has been delivering food to over two hundred families in the Branford area for over 30 years.  The Council obtains food at a discount from the Connecticut Food Bank, private collections, and with direct retail purchases with funds donated by the community.

Guilford Interfaith Ministries: this all volunteer organization works to provide food, medical equipment, and friendships to Guilford residents who are homebound, elderly, or have special needs. Through its “Meals on Wheels” program, Guilford Interfaith Ministries delivers provides approximately 70-90 meals on wheels every day.  This group also provides “Friendly Visiting,” a program that matches volunteers with people wishing to enhance their life through weekly “friendly visits” and delivers used medical equipment to those in needs for a nominal fee through its “Charlie’s Closet” program.

Friends of Hammonasset: this non-profit, all volunteer organization works to preserve the Hammonasset State park’s wildlife and natural resources and educate the public on environmental issues.  If you’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying a walk through the nature park, a visit to Meigs Point Nature Center, or a day at the clean beach, thank this group!

And …fortunately…US!  Open Your Heart, Help the Community, Inc.: a non-profit, all volunteer organization, Open Your Heart, Help the Community, Inc. is dedicated to helping CT Shoreline families and individuals who are in need due to unforeseen circumstances (such as medical, financial, or catastrophic events).  Based in North Branford, CT, this group promotes community service by inviting community members to volunteer to make the greater community a better place.

What was truly touching was that the members of the New Haven County Marshal’s Association really took a genuine interest in learning more about the organizations and people they were helping.  Beyond their generous financial contributions, many of them offered to volunteer their own time to help with future projects of the organizations.  The mix of financial support and physical support will surely help these non-profits reach their goals of helping people and improving our own local community.

We look forward to seeing some of the Marshal’s working on our current project, the Caruso/Bode home renovation, and of course at a big dinner once the project is finished!

Be sure to check out the pictures from the event in our Photo Albums!