United Way of Western Connecticut Honors Hometown Heroes at 2nd Annual Benefit Dinner

 United Way of Western Connecticut (UWWC) hosted its second annual Hometown Heroes Benefit Dinner at the Ethan Allen Hotel in Danbury on Saturday, March 7, 2015. The sold out event honored local businesses and community individuals who distinguish themselves through philanthropy and volunteerism, and make a difference in the lives of others.

This year’s award recipients included:

-        Corporate Philanthropy Award presented to Praxair, Inc. in recognition of their commitment to making giving back to the community a priority for their company

-        Corporate Volunteer Award presented to Pitney Bowes in honor of their leadership in promoting volunteerism as a part of their corporate culture

-        Small Business Hero Award presented to Dawn Blom of Dawn’s Pizzazz Artistic Group and Day Spa (aka DPZ Group) in recognition of their leadership, commitment and generosity within the greater Danbury community

-        Lifetime Hero Award presented to Dr. James W. Schmotter for his seven years of service on our UWWC Board and long-term presence on our Northern Fairfield County Community Council, as well as to honor his upcoming retirement after more than ten years as President of Western Connecticut State University

Fourteen individuals from within UWWC’s service area were also recognized for giving back to their local towns. These Hometown Hero honorees were:

• Bethel:  Lt. Cmdr. Mark Dwinells and Master Sgt. Joe Meehan
• Bridgewater:  Rev. Peter Hammond
• Brookfield: Marianne Seeber
• Danbury: Bill Beattie
• Kent: The Davis Family
• New Fairfield: Lori Vengalli
• New Milford:  Dr. Evan Hack and Dr. Diane D’Isidori
• Newtown: Bob Geckle
• Redding: Peggy Palmer
• Ridgefield: Valerie Jensen

Blessing Offor, who appeared on the 2014 season of NBC’s The Voice, was this year’s keynote speaker and performer. His inspiring story combined with his musical talents were a highlight of the evening.

Proceeds from this event will benefit UWWC’s work in support of ALICE families throughout Northern Fairfield and Southern Litchfield Counties.  A United Way acronym, ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These individuals and families are employed – often with more than one job – yet struggle to make ends meet. They live paycheck to paycheck and are forced to make hard choices regarding their healthcare, childcare, transportation, and housing needs. ALICE families often earn too much to qualify for social services. 

UWWC provides support through financial coaching, access to food banks, and availability of early childhood literacy programs, among others.