Corbin Cares, in partnership with The Darien Foundation, launches phase two
Meals sourced from local businesses will be distributed in support of essential workers through the holiday season.
While a vaccine is on the horizon and conditions related to the pandemic are expected to improve, the reality is that our current “new normal” will likely continue to be challenging over the next few months.
Knowing that so many essential workers continue to step up for our community on a daily basis, Corbin Cares, an initiative of The Corbin District, has again partnered with The Darien Foundation to fund locally sourced family meals for essential workers including EMS Post 53, the Darien Police Department, the Darien Volunteer Fire Departments, employees of the Town of Darien, as well as Darien Public School teachers and staff. Funds raised from this initiative will also position Corbin Cares to provide meals for other Darien residents and neighbors as the need arises over the coming, uncertain winter months.
Said Corbin Cares architect, David Genovese: “Together with The Darien Foundation, we expanded upon the concept to benefit all essential workers in our town. We are hopeful that the community will join us in expressing gratitude to these wonderful people, particularly during the holidays.”
As with the first phase of Corbin Cares in March, meals will be sourced from local businesses such as Ten Twenty Post, Four Forks, Bodega Taco Bar, Michael Joseph Catering and Parlor Pizza.
The idea for this second phase was sparked by a local ‘Dads in Darien’ group, started by Greg Habay. This group of 50 fathers, who have similarly aged children and who meet regularly, had an idea centered around providing meals for teachers. Said Habay: “Even during Covid we found ways to discuss important and meaningful ideas – one of which was to find a way to thank all the people working so hard to support our community during this challenging time, in particular, teachers and the rest of the public school staff. The next step was to find a local person who already had the infrastructure in place to help make this happen – that was David Genovese.”
Said Genovese: “We are proud to launch phase two of our effort, particularly as we enter the holiday season. When Greg approached us about collaborating, we immediately jumped on board.” Genovese reached out to The Darien Foundation, which quickly assembled a task force, helmed by Board Member Robin Nelson, to move the idea forward.
Nelson, also a representative for the Council of Darien School Parents (CDSP) on behalf of Middlesex Middle School, and her team felt that the proposal could be an opportunity to augment and support the members of our community who have been supporting Darien through these difficult months.
Said Nelson: “We believe that it is so important to support the Darien public school teachers and staff, but also that this terrific idea could be expanded to all of Darien’s essential workers, including first responders, emergency services and other staff members in town.”
The initiative will also offer incremental revenue to local restaurants and businesses that are also impacted by the pandemic. Said David Nelson of Ten Twenty Post, “Ten Twenty Post is committed to continuing our relationship with this incredible community of Darien in all ways possible. We are grateful for all of the opportunities provided by The Darien Foundation and Corbin Cares to serve members of our community that are unable to come through our doors and to share a bit of the warmth that we feel daily at Ten Twenty Post. Whether we are feeding our community’s need for sustenance with food, or offering hospitality, we are so incredibly grateful to have weathered the past to get to a better future.”
Meal delivery and food donations will begin in early December. Said Genovese, whose team will be responsible for the logistics associated with the effort: “We are pushing to launch the initiative shortly after Thanksgiving. We are grateful for the opportunity to initiate phase two of Corbin Cares, particularly as we enter the holiday season.”
Lisa Elwell, a Darien resident, will be instrumental in bringing this effort to fruition. Elwell, who joined Baywater in 2015, was the quarterback who managed the logistics of coordinating the preparation and delivery of nearly 12,000 meals over the first months of the COVID-19 crisis. Benefitting from the first phase of Corbin Cares were local residents who were in need, Darien seniors given that the Darien Senior Center was closed, people supported by regional nonprofits such as Inspirica and Open Door Shelter, as well as frontline workers at Stamford Hospital and Norwalk Hospital.
Said Habay, “When ideas like this quickly develop into a more impactful initiative as this one has, it makes me feel very proud to be a part of the Darien community.”
Donations to phase 2 of Corbin Cares may be made via this special link on The Darien Foundation’s website with 100% of these contributions going to Corbin Cares: https://darienfoundation.org/corbin-cares/
The Darien Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and all donations are fully tax-deductible under applicable laws.