Innovative Initative Focuses on Improving Equity and Quality of Life in Danbury
DANBURY, CT -- On Monday, May 20, 2019, Danbury community leaders will convene at City Hall to officially launch DanburyWORKS.
WHAT: DanburyWORKS Launch Event
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WHEN: Monday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
WHERE: Danbury City Hall, 155 Deer Hill Avenue, Danbury, CT
ON-SITE CONTACT: Sandra Ferreira, Director, DanburyWORKS, 203-297-6283
SPEAKERS:
- Mayor Mark Boughton
- Kimberly Morgan, CEO of United Way of Western Connecticut
- Michelle James, Executive Director, Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut
BACKGROUND: DanburyWORKS brings together 14 community partners and city residents to focus on improving equity and the quality of life in the City of Danbury.
Its work emphasizes:
- building an infrastructure that supports and builds trust
- creating more affordable licensed childcare, with a focus on infant and toddler care
- helping people navigate English as a Second Language (ESL) pathways so they can become fluent in English and improve their employability and financial stability
This collaborative is supported by the Boston Federal Reserve’s Working Cities Challenge Grant, a highly competitive grant for $450,000 that was awarded to the city last year.
Sandra Ferreira, Director of DanburyWORKS, sees this launch as the starting point for a new way of working in the city that will improve the lives of all residents. “When people trust each other and work together to improve life conditions in the city, everybody wins,” she said. “This event signals the start of something important—bringing major Danbury entities together to work in new ways for the benefit of our citizens.”
Kim Morgan, CEO of United Way of Western Connecticut, echoes her sentiments, “Under the umbrella of DanburyWorks, people are coordinating their efforts to address the challenges of Danbury’s residents. By working together—and by listening directly to residents—we know we can improve the quality of life for people who are struggling.”
Community leaders meet with representatives from the Boston Federal Reserve after being awarded the Working Cities Challenge grant in 2018. Funding from that grant is supporting the DanburyWORKS initiative, which is being officially launched on May 20.
About DanburyWORKS
DanburyWORKS is a collaborative focused on making Danbury a place where all families can thrive. Its mission is to improve equity and quality of life in Danbury. Partners include community residents, the City of Danbury (including the Danbury Library, Danbury Police Department, and Danbury Fire Department), Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut, Danbury Chamber of Commerce, Danbury Public Schools and WERACE, EdAdvance, Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Families Network of Western Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Northeastern Workforce Development Board, Positive Discipline of Western CT, the Regional YMCA, Salvation Army, and the United Way of Western Connecticut.
About United Way of Western Connecticut
United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) improves the lives of hard-working, struggling households by mobilizing the resources of local communities to create lasting change. We help residents across Northern Fairfield County, Southern Litchfield County and the City of Stamford by focusing on the vital building blocks for a good life: Education, Financial Stability and Health. We are committed to ensuring that every child enters school ready to learn, every family is financially stable, and every community we serve is healthy and strong. We are particularly focused on a population that United Way identifies as ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) in our communities. A United Way report published in September 2018 revealed that in Connecticut, more than 1 in 3 households has earnings above the Federal Poverty Level, but below a basic cost-of-living threshold. Combined with those who are struggling below poverty level, 40% of all households in the state are experiencing financial hardship. By leveraging the collective power of the community, we are focused on creating an environment where individuals and families are self-sufficient and can achieve financial independence..
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Contact:
Sandra Ferreira
United Way of Western Connecticut
203-297-6283
sandra.ferreira@uwwesternct.org
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