Wheeler Clinic recently held its annual meeting of corporators with community members, state legislators, advocates, staff and trustees at The Lyceum in Hartford, where it highlighted the progress and growth of the organization with a special focus on creating and celebrating partnerships that enhance services for children, adults and families. In addition, the clinic honored two organizations and two individuals for their outstanding support of behavioral healthcare in the state.
Wheeler Clinic presented Fostering Positive Change Advocacy Awards to outstanding supporters of behavioral health care at the local and state level. This year’s recipients were:
• The Aetna Foundation, which has supported important issues facing America, including neighborhood revitalization, arts, education, cultural competency, and health care;
• Thomas A. Kirk Jr., commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services;
• Jorge L. Rivera, J.D., executive director of Mi CASA Family Service and Educational Center, and;
• Michael P. Starkowski, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services.
The clinic’s board of Trustees elected new officers, among them Jeffrey Louriero, president of Louriero Engineering Associates as board chair and Steven LeFebvre as vice chair. The clinic also recognized retiring trustees Jane Boyle, Michael Callahan, Veronica Hunter, Janis Neri and Aaron Sarra.
With a one-in-seven chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some time in a woman’s life, knowledge of early detection measures, treatment options and risk factors are essential. Taking the first step to heighten breast cancer awareness through the American Cancer Society’s premiere breast cancer walking event, Munson’s Chocolates has signed on as a cause marketing partner of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
For the second year, Munson’s Chocolates have agreed to build breast cancer awareness into their retail and online marketing initiatives. Munson’s has developed a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer product in honor of the Making Strides in Connecticut. The product includes miniature heart shaped, milk chocolate, wrapped in pink foil and packaged in a cello-bag with the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer logo sticker and a pink bow. The product retails for $9.25.
The Avon Historical Society received a $6,500 grant by the FSB Foundation, the charitable arm of Farmington Savings Bank, for lead paint abatement on the exterior of the Pine Grove Schoolhouse located at the corner of Harris Road and West Avon Road. In 2008, the historical society paid for a lead paint inspection and abatement design review of the schoolhouse and now, with the grant from the FSB Foundation, professional abatement began in August.
Newman`s Own Foundation is helping to significantly increase the amount of money teachers at Hartford Public Schools will have to purchase much-needed classroom supplies this fall with their TeacherDollars cards. This is the second year in a row that Westport-based Newman`s Own Foundation has made a $25,000 donation to the TeacherDollars Program, which donates special-purpose debit cards to teachers in schools that have demonstrated marked improvement in the academic achievement of their students. This year, over 400 teachers at 13 Hartford schools will receive specially-funded debit cards. In addition to the Newman`s Own Foundation grant to the TeacherDollars program, Newman’s Own Inc. will provide winning teachers with 50 cases of popcorn and 525 cases of lemonade juice boxes for their students.
