WESTPORT Nonprofits and Charities

I have volunteered for SimplySmiles 5 times at their location in South Dakota and every time has been an incredible experience. From construction projects to support the community members, to running summer camps to support the growth and safety of the children in the community, everything they do is focused on building a wholistic and sustainable improvement to the community. The SimplySmiles group treats everyone with the utmost respect and even offers scholarship options to support the long term growth of individuals in the community.

CAG plays a vital role in increasing awareness of the need for gifted education in the state of Connecticut. It provides resources to teachers and parents, and advocates for gifted services in a state that currently does not mandate them.

Experience Camps is an amazing organization that makes a real difference in the lives of grieving kids!

I am a Nurse Navigator for the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center at Bridgeport Hospital. When patients are first diagnosed with breast cancer they are raw from the whirlwind of testing, biopsies surgeries and ultimately chemotherapy or radiation. Part of our navigation is to offer them comfort and stabiltiy during this journey as well as getting them into their treatment course. When I offer them financial assistance from the BCEAF in the form of bill payment or food assistance they feel so comforted in the fact that someone "out there" is thinking about them and wants to help. <br>The help they receive is so vital to them as many are losing time at work and don't know how they will juggle the demands of chemotherapy with their daily living expenses. <br>It is truly a "bright spot "in their treatment course that puts a smile on their faces. <br>Thank You to the BCEAF for helping my patients continue to heal with hope for the future.

My experience with TAILS has been absolutely wonderful. The staff was extremely kind and personable. They definitely put in the effort to make sure my daughter and I, volunteers, had a wonderful experience. I would recommend volunteering at this organization for any pet lovers who want to make a difference, as the staff has done through their genuine care and empathy towards animals.

BeHASSTic is a great non-profit organization with unique and effective education opportunities. As the Grand Prize winner of the Girls’ Computer Science Competition in 2023, coding was a fun experience that inspired me to further explore the field of computer science. I really enjoyed sharing my computer science journey with everyone in my video, and I hope to inspire other girls to code. BeHASSTic gave me this wonderful opportunity to pursue computer science. The organization also offers a variety of classes to help kids learn. Many thanks to BeHASSTic’s team for operating this amazing program!

Super rude and irresponsible. Seems like a puppy mill masquerading as a rescue. Avoid at all costs.

As a mom and a kid&rsquo;s book writer, I have volunteered for lots of non-profits over the years. None of my volunteering experiences have had such a powerful effect on me as Hole in the Wall Camps. I have volunteered as a &ldquo;Family Pal&rdquo; at Family weekends for kids with sickle cell and hemophilia; I volunteered at a special events gala and had the thrill of seeing Paul Newman dress up as Little Orphan Annie, but perhaps my most profound experience was when I volunteered at one of their Hospital Outreach programs in Orlando, Florida. My first impression of the program was, hey this isn&rsquo;t that much different from volunteer work I did at the Audubon Society. I read a book; we worked with the kids on an art project and created puppets for a Puppet Show. What immediately struck me however, was not only the positive, contagious energy of the staff, but the way they treated the kids with such, respect, love, and caring. Some of the kids were dragging IV Poles with them, some wore scarves around their heads, doctors and nurses came in frequently to poke or prick them, but the Hole in the Wall staff was on a mission &ndash; a mission to have fun, and to put on the wackiest puppet show in the history of the Florida Children&rsquo;s Hospital. As not all children had the energy to get out of bed and join us in the program room, I took the art project to the bedside of &ldquo;Diego&rdquo;, a frail boy who looked to be about nine or ten. Diego was surrounded by toys his grandfather had recently brought him- Transformers, Nintendo games, comic books- how was I supposed to compete with this armed only with a box of crayons and a paper bag? I was surprised when Diego pushed aside the Transformers and began drawing on the paper bag. His owl was almost complete when a nurse arrived, announcing it was time for his treatment. A few hours later, staff kids and volunteers were ready to perform the puppet show extravaganza of the century! The Hole in the Wall staff asked if Diego was coming, but his parents and nurses doubted it. They had tried for days to get him out of bed, but he had no interest, his counts were down, they didn&rsquo;t think he would have the energy. Then a trumpet (actually a kazoo) sounded, announcing the start of the show. I heard a noise and turned around- there was Diego walking into the room, puppet proudly held in his hand. Not being one to normally quote commercials but&hellip;. Cost of ticket to Orlando $350, cost of lunch in hospital cafeteria $6.75, watching the smile spread over Diego&rsquo;s face at the end of the show??? Priceless!! Thank you Association of Hole in the Wall Camps for being the &ldquo;Transformer&rdquo; in so many lives.

Much has changed at Paul Newman's charity, none for the good. Paul ran it "hands on," after his family the charity was Paul's life's love. After his death an interloper, Robert Forrester hijacked the company, changing everything to his benefit making himself the director and minimizing or eliminating input from the Newman family. Forrester even discussed or actually eliminated funding for the Scott Newman Foundation that Paul started in honor of his son Scott who died from an overdose.

We adopted the most loving and wonderful dog. He is so sweet and everyone asks where we got him, we always send people to Tiny Paws.

I have been involved with this program one way or another since I was a child. My mother (Lyn McNaught) spent over 30 years as executive director of this program at the New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, CT. I worked there as a counselor as a teenager and Horizons was in integral part of my life until my mother retired. She has gone on to serve on the board of Horizons National as Horizons now has programs all over the United States. <br> <br>I have seen first hand how this program helps inner city children. It is an opportunity for them to get out of their environment and spend 6 weeks in the summer learning and interacting with others. The academic program is outstanding and children enter school in the fall ahead of their peers (or all caught up if they were behind). They also have the opportunity to swim and do outdoor activities. The friendships they ofen make there can last a lifetime. It is truly unlike any "camp" experience that a child can have.

China Care Foundation has a clear mission to help disabled Chinese orphans receive life-saving surgeries. One of my best friend's, Alice Chen, inspired me to get involved with China Care. After volunteering in one of the China Care children's homes, she began her freshman year at NYU. We were roommates that year. Together, with three others, we founded the NYU China Care club, a university club dedicated to raising funds and love for the children of China Care Foundation. Being involved with the organization has given me a new perspective on what it means to care for others. Through raising funds for dozens of disabled children, I have had the opportunity to touch the lives of so many. For this, I am truly blessed.