The Wilton Woman’s Club has a long history of raising money to give to deserving and underfunded nonprofit organizations. This year, the club raised $21,000 at its 8th Annual Fashion for FUNdraising event on April 2, and last week donated that money to three very worthy groups:  Person-to-Person, Circle of Care, and the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County.

Each organization directly helps people in Wilton who are facing difficult times in their lives.

  • Among its many programs, Person-to-Person runs a food pantry and a clothing center for people who cannot afford these necessities.
  • Circle of Care provides many services to families of children who have been diagnosed with cancer–for example, its Emergency Funds program helps families who cannot pay mortgage or utility bills because of the medical costs they face.
  • The Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County helps children with mental and behavioral health needs to achieve emotional stability and academic success, and to lead happy and productive lives.

Circle of Care founders Liz Salguero and Dawn Ladenheim, and Person-to-Person executive director Ceci Maher were on hand to accept their Woman’s Club donation. Salguero explained that funds for Circle of Care will be used for their Emergency Funds program. “Seventy percent of families caring for a child with cancer experience a financial crisis at some point during care. We paid out over $90,000 in direct assistance in Connecticut last year, and could donate more than twice that without making a dent in the need,” she said.

Person-to-Person will be using the funds for their Food Pantry program. Last year, Maher pointed out, the group spent over $20,000 on shelf-stable milk alone, helping families who do not have the ability otherwise to provide meals that give their children enough calcium and other nutrients needed to grow up healthy.

The checks were presented by Laura Kirkpatrick, Ronni Sayewitz, and Kristen Schestag, who ran the silent auction and baskets at Fashion for FUNdraising.

“There is no way we could have done it (raised these funds) without these three,” said Club philanthropy chair Pat Hoeg. “They did a fantastic job and put in an enormous amount of time and effort.”

To learn more about the Wilton Woman’s Club, please visit their website or Facebook page. New member registration starts June 1, and the first meeting with new members will take place September 1.