I had the pleasure of visiting and touring Ann’s Place, a non-profit organization which helps cancer patients and families in a non-medical environment. Located in Danbury, visitors come from a radius of an hour to attend activities at the 17,000 square foot yet home-like facility. With an average of 20 activities per week, depending on the schedule, the facility is open to people of any age and any cancer. We were kindly greeted and welcomed by Lori Zezza, the Assoc. Director of Events & Publicity. Accompanying us on the tour was Anthony Zeolla, the President and CEO of Ann’s Place. He shared many interesting facts with us, such as donations from the public that have been keeping Ann’s Place going. Although one would not think much about the history of the couch in the main sitting area, Mr. Zeolla told us that the couch was actually a donation, along with most of the furniture in the home.
During our tour, we enjoyed the chapel with four clear stained glass windows. Each ornate window represented one season: winter, spring, summer, and fall and was designed with characteristics of the season it represented. The stairs led to a large room, which we were told was mainly used for events. Lining the walls of the room were 24 black and white portraits of cancer survivors. After taking an elevator downstairs, we explored the long and narrow art room with a corresponding table. Next to the art room was the children’s room which included numerous toys and books for children to enjoy while their parents sought support upstairs. Our tour wrapped with the memorial bricks outside leading into the garden. It was a great opportunity to tour Ann’s Place.