Community Services Council of Woodbury Inc
Dear neighbors and friends of the Community Services Council of Woodbury,
Compassion, respect, dignity, grace, integrity, fulfilling the fundamental needs of our fellow Woodburians… just a few of the foundational tenets of Community Services Council of Woodbury Inc. instilled by Bob during his long and fruitful tenure.
As Bob Taylor deservedly enters a much earned retirement, there are times in one’s life where one is called to fill the shoes of a predecessor who has put everything he has into the success of an entity.
The Board of Directors of Community Services Council of Woodbury bestowed upon me the seemingly impossible task of becoming the successor to Bob. With that, I also inherited (joined!) an incredible team of like-minded individuals who are selfless and caring beyond measure. The passing of the torch from Bob to me is without question one of the greatest honors in my life.
Our community is so much stronger because of our volunteers and so many community partners in our shared mission of compassion at the Community Services Council have come together to meet the fundamental needs of the more than 150 families we serve. Our Woodbury Food Bank continues to keep pace with the rise in food insecurity through a comprehensive nutritional assistance program that guarantees weekly access, freedom of choice and healthful options. Your food and financial donations enable our Food Bank to provide the full range of nonperishable, produce, meat, bakery, dairy and household goods – more important than ever at a time when surging food costs strain household budgets. The dramatic increase in home heating bills this year will place unprecedented pressure on the Community Service Council’s energy assistance program, but with your unfailing support we are committed to provide the necessary help with oil and electricity expenses to ensure that every neighbor in need can keep their homes warm this winter. For families facing the aftershocks of unemployment, illness and personal loss, the CSCW crisis assistance program extends a critical lifeline of help with housing, transportation and other basic obligations to restore their financial stability and empower them to move forward. Are you part of a community group? Inquire about participating in our Woodbury Food Bank “Adopt-A-Shelf” program!
These shall continue and be built upon. As more community partners are added to our mission, as more new people – young and not so young – offer their time, talents and abilities to CSCW, and as the generosity of so many grows, CSCW will sustain as a most important safe place in our community!
As Bob eloquently said, “while we take great joy from our mission to care for the most vulnerable among us, we also recognize that none of the essential work we carry on would be possible without the passionate support and engagement of our community. We celebrate our shared commitment to spread the light of compassion in countless ways… the brother and sister who visit our food bank each week to drop off their food donations… the local homeowners who share eggs from their chickens and abundance of produce from their harvests… the two children who visited us with their mom after raising donations from their toy sale… the many volunteers who prepare the orders, receive the deliveries, stock the shelves, hold the food drives, serve our families and keep our Food Bank replenished and strong.”
In service and gratitude,
Jeff McKenna,
CSCW president
The true strength of the community of Woodbury takes many forms—from the vibrancy of our local businesses, to the commitment of our civic and faith organizations and the dedication of citizen volunteers in local government. The purest reflection of our community’s vitality can be found in the simple act of extending a helping hand and open heart to a neighbor in need. That act is the gift we bring to life every day through the work of the Community Services Council of Woodbury, Inc.
Over the past three decades since its founding by the faith communities of Woodbury, the Community Services Council has become the catalyst and tangible expression of our community’s financial generosity and personal compassion for its most vulnerable members. Our goal is to provide the necessary bridge that enables our clients to preserve the well-being of their families and restore their financial security through access to food, fuel and crisis assistance.
Your generosity and the selfless dedication of our many volunteers have ensured that low-income households in our community will always have a place to turn for help in meeting their fundamental necessities. We provide families headed by parents working long hours to make ends meet with a critical safety net that allows them to give their children a good home and education. We offer senior citizens on fixed incomes the supplementary fuel assistance they need to cope with the rising cost of maintaining their homes. We reach out to neighbors who face illness, disability and personal tragedy, providing support to help them on the road to healing and recovery. We come to the aid of individuals and families who face the sudden loss of income from unemployment, extending short-term assistance that enables them to get back on their feet and return to the workforce.
The Community Services Council of Woodbury operates as an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit agency governed by a board of directors that includes clergy from participating faith communities, four elected officers, and representatives of the town government and community.
Our Services
The Community Services Council works closely with the Social Services Department of the Town of Woodbury to address the needs of low-income households in our community. The following services are offered through the Council to individuals and families who have been authorized as clients following income screening by the Social Services director:
The Woodbury Food Bank provides weekly access for all authorized clients to shop for staple goods including canned soups, vegetables, fruits, meats and tuna; boxed pastas, rice and potatoes; spaghetti sauce; juice bottles and boxes; bread, muffin, brownie, cake and pancake mixes; cooking oils; coffees and teas, paper goods, laundry and dish detergents; personal care items, and pet foods. This program serves both to support proper nutrition and to enable client families to conserve scarce financial resources for other household necessities.
The Community Services Council’s Supplementary Energy Assistance Program offers additional support to meet urgent heating oil, gas and electricity needs that are not met through assistance available through the state of Connecticut and energy providers.
The Community Services Council’s Crisis Assistance Program enables authorized clients to request short-term financial help with critical emergency needs, including housing, medical, utility and transportation obligations. Major assistance requests must receive approval from the CSCW president and two directors comprising a case review committee.
The Community Services Council’s Holiday Program seeks to brighten the holiday season for client families by providing holiday dinners with all the trimmings through the Food Bank; coordinating donor sponsorships of holiday crisis assistance through the Adopt-a-Family program; and providing each client family with gift cards for holiday shopping.
We encourage individuals and families facing economic hardship to contact the Town of Woodbury Social Services Director at (203) 263-4117 to inquire about requirements to qualify for assistance available through the Community Services Council, the state of Connecticut, federal government programs, and assistance from utility providers. Information on the programs of the Community Services Council may be obtained from CSCW President Jeff McKenna at community.services.council@gmail.com or (203) 263-3869.
Our goal is to provide every client with the fundamental service of empowerment—that is, assistance provided with profound respect for the individuals and families we serve, enabling them to move forward confidently in assuming personal responsibility for their future well-being.
How You Can Help
The many families whose lives have been changed for the better by the work of the Community Services Council of Woodbury over the past three decades recognize that we serve only as the channel and expression of your generosity. Ours is truly a mission in which all of us claim ownership. Here are ways in which each member of this community we cherish can take a stake in our shared mission:
Donate food and staple goods: Your donations to the weekly collections and major food drives coordinated by our faith communities, civic and youth organizations, postal carriers, schools and first responders help to keep our Food Bank well supplied. Donations may be dropped off at sites provided at most local churches, as well as designated areas at the Woodbury LaBonne’s entrance and in the Woodbury Public Library. Deliveries are also accepted at the Woodbury Food Bank, located at the rear of the building shared by the Newtown Savings Bank Woodbury branch (take the driveway leading to the back lot behind the LaBonne’s shopping plaza), from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Volunteer your time and talents: We welcome your precious time and strong arms to pick up food drive donations, sort goods and restock our shelves, and we value your willingness to be “on call” to help out periodically with specific projects ranging from fund-raising events to program support tasks. If you’re interested, contact us and we’ll send you a volunteer form. Members of local faith communities also may contact the coordinator for Food Bank volunteers for their own congregation.
Please continue your generous financial support: The Community Services Council relies exclusively on financial donations to carry out our mission of compassionate intervention. At a time of heightened economic strain felt throughout our community, your tax-deductible gift makes it possible for us to keep pace with the rising expenses of maintaining Food Bank services, providing energy security to client families in need, and offering emergency assistance to families in times of crisis.
For more information, please contact CSCW president Jeff McKenna by email at community.services.council@gmail.com, by telephone at the CSCW office, (203) 263-3869
Woodbury Community Services Council
P O Box 585, Woodbury CT 06798
Contacts / Officers
Jeff McKenna
President
203.263.3869
Email: Community.services.council@gmail.com
Marla Martin
Vice President
Janice Scruggs
Treasurer
Kathrine Rutledge
Secretary