Love this place, when I was in high school I volunteered here as part of my Early Childhood Development program. The staff was super friendly and I learned a lot about what they offer to help people. Little did I know that a few years later they would be helping me and my family with diapers and formula when times were tough. They also have a clothing closet, kitchen you can cook in packed with food, and many classes to help families with the struggles of everyday life.
Lovely program. Have gone there for help with meals or diapers since 04. Also since moved back to Norwich have gotten help with Xmas gifts, back to school bags, and winter coats. I just wish they offered more personal touches as the program has changed so much and everyone is very busy. If you feeling very sad and go in there is no one who can sit with you. The phone ringrings off the hook and staff can hardy keep up with the phones. Lots of "other" outside programs offered through here but if you don't daytime hours available because of work or kids in school nothing is available it seems for regular working joes and Jane's. I know piles of folks take advantage of programs all the time but no one likes new way of things being done there.
I'll never forget being in the hospital, recovering from my C-section feeling completely overwhelmed about being a new mom in a new place. In walks this young lady, who listed off all the services that Madonna Place offers and asks if I was interested. It sounded wonderful and exactly what I need, but my mom chimed in and asked the cost, (good point, mom, life is about to get a lot more expensive)...FREE!
Fast forward to my first meeting, in my house (I didn't have to go anywhere!). I immediately felt that I had someone to listen to my concerns, worries, fears, ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Since then, my weekly visit is something that baby girl and I truly look forward to. The program has given me guidance and reassurance that I am doing the right thing and my, now, toddler is on the right track. And every week my family ask what did you learn this week, what did your home visitor have to say about our girl? It also serves as a catalyst for discussion on how to best raise our child.
I sincerely believe that the services Madonna Place offer are extremely valuable. It helps new moms become aware of developmental milestones, find approaches to deal with those difficult times that come with raising a child, offers pointers for good nutrition, safety and so much more. It educates families and in doing so can help PREVENT issues such as neglect, abuse, obesity and accidents.
I have worked with Madonna Place for many years as a colleague in another non-profit working with children and families. In this past year I have been given the opportunity to volunteer at Madonna Place and see the Mission of the organization in action. The things the Madonna Place's skilled employees are able to do to support and strengthen families in SECT are critical, including the Fatherhood Initiative. I could not more highly recommend this agency to the community. I consider myself very lucky to have the chance to volunteer there.
I have worked at Madonna Place for 6 years. I love watching children increase their positive attachment with their parents. Staff are able to share various child development tools to support parents and their children. Supporting a family who may be struggling with a lot of stress and helping them utilize tools to strengthen their parenting skills is a beautiful sight.
We first became acquainted with Madonna Place in 2004. Over these 10 years we have come to witness the critical role that they play in the community. We have seen how they help to prevent child abuse and neglect through educating parents with their Family School Connection and the Families First - Nurturing Families Program. They also have a Family Support Center where parents can come and prepare a meal and obtain basic supplies if needed. Madonna Place is a vital organization serving the community to help ensure proper child development. It's a privilege and honor to partner with them.
I have been associated with Madonna Place, Inc. for the past two years and continue to be impressed with the critical services the agency provides at risk children and families in eastern CT. The staff are highly committed to the mission of preventing child abuse and neglect and are able to provide a full range of direct services to 2600 caregivers and children (2013 to 2014) on limited and diminishing funding. Staff commit their personal time and money to support essential programs such as; The Family School Connection, The Fatherhood Initiative, Families First, Great Beginnings, A Family Support Center, and the Triple P Parenting Program. As a board member I can testify that this is funding well invested. These services enable parents to successfully parent and children the opportunity to thrive, creating stronger families and communities. I highly endorse Madonna Place!
Great Organization! I have worked with Madonna Place for over 15years. Every person coming through their doors is treated with respect and dignity. The organization is staffed with dedicated and compassionate people who truly care about the success of families in our area. I work with nonprofit as an external auditor and I am always amazed with how much Madonna Place can accomplish with so little.
As a Madonna Place staff member, I've been fortunate to have a direct role in fulfilling the agency's mission of strengthening families and preventing child abuse. I've been involved with many community agencies in the past, but Madonna Place is unique in how it welcomes families with respect and dignity. From the moment a family walks threw the door they are made to feel welcome with a smile and prompt attention to their questions. Staff actively listen to the family's concerns and provide individualized support to address their unique needs. It's location in the heart of downtown Norwich provides easy accessibility to families that utilize our services on a weekly basis. I'm proud to be part of an organization that values families and actually stays true to it's mission of strengthening families in a non-bureaucratic and family-friendly manner. There's no secret to our success. We are people helping people.
I have been affiliated with Madonna Place for more than 9 years as a board member and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. The management and staff of the agency are exceptional people who deliver much needed services to southeastern Connecticut. The agency's mission to provide services which strengthen families, promote health and help to prevent child abuse and neglect have directly impacted thousands of individuals over many years. As a board member, I know first hand that Madonna Place has been an excellent steward of the resources available to them. I would recommend to anyone to learn more about this agency and become passionate about their mission!
I have been a part of Madonna Place for close to one year now and I am so thankful to have learned about their mission and to be able to participate. This organization offers many avenues for families, mothers, fathers, children, grandparents and friends to help find their way to a positive future. There is always a helpful hand at the other end of the phone line or at the desk when you walk in. The special programs they have provide support of fathers, mothers and children who may need a little extra asisstance through home visits, education, food, drop-in center, diapers, clothing, community resources and general family oriented assistance. All programs are aimed at providing a better world for our children. I encourage anyone to look into Madonna Place and call for assistance or donate to help out this valuable resource for south eastern CT.
I recently became involved with Madonna Place. The home visiting model is unique and offers a variety of options to strengthen families. There is also a drop in family support center with a variety of programs and services. There is a culture that respects families and helps them to be healthy and prevents child abuse. It is a very nurturing, supportive environment to help families to improve their lives.
Non-Profit.... It means that there isn’t a huge surplus of money coming into an organization. However the real "Profit" of Madonna Place, is Human evolution. For mothers and fathers who are struggling with life, this organization provides; Help, Relief, Support, Nurturing, Kindness, Love and most of all.... Hope. Some agencies just do "what is required" by their grants and funding sources. Madonna Place goes far and beyond the scope of their contracts to sincerely bring much needed help and crucial life assistance to (voiceless) people who desperately need it. Madonna Place is constantly looking to improve their own surrounding community as well as reach out to most of Connecticut. I am pleasantly surprised and filled with tremendous joy every day I work here with the magnificently important labor that they do. I have been in the social work field for over 12 years now and I have only come across a handful of agencies that truly care for and appreciate their clients and the people in their community as much as they do. It has only been a few months since I’ve been here, but I have worked with Madonna Place over the years and it has always been an extraordinarily productive delight. Some social help is given out of contracts and agreements. The truly miraculous help that Madonna Place provides is out of compassion, desire and Love. I hope that this organization continues to thrive and do the amazing work they have been doing from the moment they opened their doors. Social work is not about getting “junkies” off the street or “hiding” homeless people away in some dark, lonely shelter. It’s about giving people the hope and desire to improve their lives, thereby improving all of society. The real social work is done out of kindness and love for our fellow Human Beings. Cheers to Madonna Place… Cheers indeed.
I have been part of the Madonna Place team since December 2013. Prior to working here, I have always admired Madonna Place and what the agency stood for. Now that I am a part of the Madonna Place team, I couldn't be happier. I am impressed by all the hardworking and truly dedicated staff that we have here. I can truly say that the staff here go above and beyond the call of duty to be there and support the people within our community.
Hey... I just signed up to be involved in a fun event with great friends for this Saturday!!! Playing dodge all to help the children!!!
Thanks so much fit giving me an opportunity to help the little ones- while bringing me together with my friends in support of this great cause!
Thank you Madonna Place, Inc. -very much!
Best regards, Natalie
my husband and I took the parenting class with Jessica and Lorraina, theyre so helpful, this is very educational and we made some people mad at us by sharing stuff for safety we learned from them lol. They fed us dinner every class which was totally unexpected, and we bonded with a few of our classmates, it is very helpful to share your experiences and help out other people, and recieve help yourselves instead of sitting there like you were forced to go, I recommend this to everyone even grandparents thanx Jessica and Lorraina!
I have been on the Madonna Place Board for two years. I am continually impressed by the staff and leaderships' drive to improve the services they provide to at risk families. Whether it be strategic planning, training, marketing, results based accountability, or facilities refinement, I have witnessed Madonna Place taking all necessary steps to be here to improve families and protect children of eastern Connecticut .
My association with Madonna Place began as a donor in 2004 and grew as I became a board member in 2005, where I still serve today. Through these several years, I have seen a passionate and dedicated management team and staff consistently delivering on the agency mission to strengthen families, promote health and to prevent child abuse and neglect in our community. Successful Madonna Place programs include the Fatherhood Initiative dedicated to helping fathers become more involved in their children’s lives, not only financially, but also emotionally and Families First, focused on parent education for first time parents to provide skills to avoid abusive or neglectful situations.
These and other Madonna Place offerings have provided outcome value for our community since 1987 and should continue into the future as long as there is a need.
Madonna Place provides the community with a much needed service. Their various programs and services work together to support and strengthen the family unit. The Fatherhood program provides much needed support and development of key skills to be a good dad. The nurturing family connections provides a support mechanism for first time parents. As a volunteer of the program above I got to experience how this service helped to provide a support line to parents of various social and economic demographics. In addition this organization helps fill some basic needs such as diapers and formula to families in need.
I have been a board member since 2003 and have seen first hand the benefits provided to our community by the services provided by the Madonna Place programs. The Fatherhood Initiative has assisted countless dads become engaged & strengthen their parenting skills; Families First assists first time parents through the challenging times while fostering the vital bond between parent and child; and the Drop in Center provides a safe place to socialize, obtain information and provide respite care for children, just to name a few of the important programs. I would highly recommend this Agency to any family in need of their services.
I became a board member at Madonna Place, in January of 2010, after learning about the difference this organization makes in the lives of children, and parents in our community. As a Champion of children, an educator, and an individual who believes in making a difference in my community, I am impressed with the impact this organization has on the lives of real people.
I have had the privilage of volunteering and bringing Mad Science programs to some of the children's programs here at Madoona Place. As a board member I have had the opportunity to see that the people working for this organization are not just showing up for work, but are driven by a passion, and a purpose. I am honored to be a part of this organization, and believe that it is organizations like this that are the foundation of change in our society.
I joined Madonnas Place three years ago when i had my first son. I had recently moved to CT and had no family in the area. The program not only helped me learn about parenting but helped me in a critical time of my life. It was difficult for me to be a new mom without the support of my family around me. Now that i have been a mom for a few years now there are always more challenges and questions ahead. This program has helped me greatly. They also have wonderful activies for the kids to do all the time. Both of my children love interaction with thier peers. Since they are too young for school and are not enrolled in day care they really dont get out to much to see other kids thier age. Having said that i have met a few moms in the process as well. Overall i love this program and i recommend it to ANY new mom.
I learned about the Madonna Place and how it helps the community a few years ago. I thought it was a great place for children and families to grow together. I actually benefited from the agency when I became a 1st time mom 19 months ago. Its pretty scary to bring a child up in this world and I had someone call me once a week to check up in me through one of the programs run through Madonna Place. She was a mother herself and she gave me tips and insight based on her own life with children that I used to help me get through my first couple of months as a new mom. The other program that I am extremely happy with is the Fatherhood Initiative Program. Having never been part of the program I know what it stands for and how many fathers it has helped. I wish there were more programs out there who give so much hope to the community as Madonna Place does.
I've been involved With the madonna place over a year now and they constantly give me motivation and all the help i need to be a better person and father! They have assisted me eith transportation and clothing as well as food.The workers at the madonna place are truly caring individuals and continue to try and help me find work and support my children...Thanks to Patrick and Gabe and the rest of the staff there....I appreciate you all thank you. Chris Casey
I have been involved with Madonna Place for over 10 years. I started as a Board member and when my time ended on the board I became involved with their fundraising efforts. My passion for and belief in this organization is strong. When there was another opening on the Board, I became a member again. Over the years I have seen growth and success in Madonna Place. I have met Jacquie, who came to Madonna Place drug addicted. She since has raised 2 well educated daughters and is an Alderman on the town council. I have met some of the Dads who because of Madonna Place, took responsibility for child support payments and were able to have fruitful relationships with their children. This organization makes a difference in our community. Area children and parents would suffer without them.