An “06880” reader writes:
Like many Westport residents, my family donates to many charities — everything from cancer research to United Way.
In the past, we have given school supplies to the Bridgeport and Norwalk districts.
This year I decided to donate school supplies closer to home: Westport.
I posted on Facebook’s Westport Front Porch page. I knew that was risky, because comments there take strange twists and turns.
Every student needs a backpack.
But I asked if anyone had information for someone from the school district I could contact, to determine the needs before I purchased the items.
It took all of 10 minutes for the comments to start.
The first was a helpful one, about the Westport Domestic Violence Task Force collection of school items for families that are victims of abuse.
While I thought this was a worthwhile cause, and said I was more than willing to donate to it as well, I still wanted to donate supplies to the town.
That was met with comments saying I was misguided, and no one in Westport is in need of help.
I started to respond to the naivete of that statement. Four percent of the town lives below the poverty line. But I decided to delete both my response and the entire post, to avoid any more comments.
Our children had friends who went to school here. Their families struggled with decisions like whether to pay for school supplies or other bills. They chose to live in Westport to provide an exceptional education for their children.
They did this despite knowing it may cause issues for their children based on where they live, in what, sadly, some would call “undesirable” areas of Westport.
I reached out to a friend on a town board, who directed me to the Department of Human Services. I spoke to youth and family specialist Annette D’Augelli.
She confirmed what I already suspected: Many families here need help. She said that the town gives out gift cards and donated school supplies each August to help these families.
It astounds me that some residents are so naive that they do not understand that many families struggle. No one knows what their neighbors may be going through.
I think it is important to not only call out the good work that the town does on behalf of the less fortunate families in the town, but to remind everyone that we have residents who may need help.
Treating your neighbors with understanding, acceptance and kindness will always be important.
(Westport’s Department of Human Services is collecting school supplies of all types — backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, crayons, lunch boxes, 3×3 sticky note pads, 3-ring binders, graphing calculators — along with Walmart gift cards. They can be dropped off in Room 200 at Town Hall.
(Donations can also be made online. Click here; scroll down, then click on the blue box “Family to Family.” That brings you to the donation page, where you select the fund (Family to Family) and seasonal program (Back to School).
(Questions? Contact Annette D’Augelli: 203-341-1050.)
Great work and great research thanks
The entire staff at Westport’s Department of Human Services should be applauded for their tireless, supportive, respectful, and mostly silent support of people here in Westport. There is more need here in Westport than most people know. We are lucky that we have a Town that takes care of our residents as well as we do. We are also lucky that we have Elaine Daignault and her staff to deliver the care that people need.
It was 15 or 20 years ago when we were driving through our Westport neighborhood with our 12-year-old niece was visiting from Virginia. She was awed by the big (now described as “average size”) houses that lined the streets. “Wow,” she said, “These people must have a lot of kids!” We laughed at first. And then we tried explain why the houses were so large.
Nice piece from the writer who was looking to get supplies for those in need in Westport Schools. I bet if you reached out to some of the teachers, they would have some stories to share about the less fortunate in Westport.
Here is a good link to understand who may be in the Westport Community who would benefit from those supplies, they are called the ALICE folks.
It’s those folks who work but they live just below the federal poverty level.
https://alice.ctunitedway.org/meet-alice-2/#:~:text=The%20cost%20of%20basics%20increased,rural%2C%20suburban%20and%20urban%20communities.
Until we live in their shoes, we will never know how they feel.
But thanks to the writer that was looking to make a difference and bring it to your readers attention in the Westport Community, I applaud you.
Thank you so much for sharing. Going to donate right now!
Thank you !!!! As someone who grew up in Westport and has been in and out of town my entire life, it’s saddens me that some people are so unenlightened. I hope it’s the minority of Westport citizens. Clearly there is need here and even more in our surrounding communities. I’m grateful for this as I will be bringing things to City Hall today. Thanks for taking the time to educate everyone.
Great article so glad to see empathy and feelings for others
So many people live in their own perfect world and probably most likely will never understand the struggles of others ( sadly their kids learn the same) it’s the people that see and feel the real world and take action to make the world better that contribute the most to society to help make it better.
The kids of parents in the homes with hope programs also need supplies for school too.
Thank you to everyone that cares and helps others.