John J. Patrick Jr., the chairman, president and CEO of Farmington Bank, has been named chair of the March for Babies, the March of Dimes’ largest annual event in the Hartford area.
“I am proud to join with the March of Dimes and its dedicated group of volunteers from communities across the region in support of babies and their families,” said Patrick. “Over 4,300 babies a year in Connecticut are born too soon, and that is a number we have to change. Everyone joining together on May 1 can collectively make a difference in the lives of so many. Together, we can work for stronger, healthier babies.”
In 2010, Hartford March for Babies raised more than $330,000.
A community leadership breakfast Feb. 1 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford will provide information on the march. Greater Hartford March for Babies will take place on Sunday, May 1 at Rentschler Field. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Registration is available online at www.marchofdimes.com/ct
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Gray Lodge Receives Grant
The Center for Family Life at Gray Lodge has received a $100,000 grant from Newman’s Own Foundation in support of its program and services for women, girls, and their families.
The center, located in the historic Asylum Hill neighborhood of Hartford, is the product of last summer’s affiliation between The Shelter for Women and the Village for Families & Children Inc. The facility, formerly a residential home, now offers a wide array of expanded services for the women and families within the neighborhood.
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Walmart Doubles Grant
The Connecticut Food Bank has received a $100,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to help fund the Kids’ BackPack Program, which provides healthy weekend meals for more than 1,700 students in low-income households.
Walmart doubled the $50,000 grant amount requested by the Connecticut Food Bank to support the continuation and expansion of the Kids’ BackPack Program, which began as a pilot program six years ago.
“Doubling the amount of this grant shows a further commitment from the Walmart Foundation to help fight the food-insecurity issues facing so many children in this state,” said Nancy L. Carrington, chief executive officer of Connecticut Food Bank.
Carrington says the program serves 65 schools in 15 towns including Branford, Bridgeport, Danbury, East Haven, Middletown, New Haven, Norwalk, Plainfield, Putnam, Stratford, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, West Haven and Winsted.
According to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Connecticut had one of the largest increases in food-insecure households in the country since 2007.
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Chamber Seeks Director
The North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce is seeking an executive director to lead operations for a membership comprised of more than 350 businesses in East Windsor, Suffield, Somers and Enfield.
Sandy Zukowski, the incoming president, explains the executive director is the chief executive and administrative officer of the organization, and is responsible for the coordination of organizational structure, procedures, and motivation of volunteers, budgets, maintenance of membership, staff supervision, and long range planning of the organization.
The full job description and requirements are available at www.ncccc.org .
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Credit Union Running Drives
Franklin Trust Federal Credit Union is holding two donation drives concurrently.
Nonperishable food items are being collected, which will help restock depleted local food pantries. The credit union is also seeking donations of new or used sneakers and sandals in good condition. The footwear will be shipped to Haiti and given to victims of that country’s catastrophic earthquake.
“The holiday season may be over, but real need still exists,” said Kiernan J. Dubay, Franklin Trust’s CEO.
Franklin Trust, the nation’s fourth-oldest federal credit union, has offices at 632 Franklin Ave. in Hartford and 927 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford.
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Lawyer Aids Post Library
Post University announced that Waterbury attorney Timothy C. Moynahan has donated more than 2,000 law books to the campus library. The donation doubles Post’s collection, making it the largest undergraduate legal studies library in the area.
In recognition of his donation, Post is naming the library’s law section for Moynahan.
Moynahan, of Moynahan & Minnella Attorneys at Law, is a member of Post ‘s MBA Advisory Board. He said the donation is based on his decision to move to a more electronic and paperless workplace.
