NORWALK—For nine of the ten years Knights of Columbus St. Matthew Council #14360 has been in existence they have assisted or sponsored various events for the Family & Children’s Agency (FCA) in Norwalk, which has included the Agency’s annual Foster Care picnic and outings to Bluefish games as well as a day of painting with teens and seniors.
This year, the council donated funds from various fundraisers to sponsor and take part in the FCA Child & Family Development Summer outing on August 10, 2017 at Fodor Farm. “Their dedication to helping the community through service and charity has been evident over the past nine years. Each year, the Knights want to address the project with the most need and this year they provided a wonderful summer event for FCA families. This event was a great way to bring families together to find support, reduce isolation and celebrate their accomplishments in FCA’s programs,” said Mayx Holmes, FCA Manager of Community Engagement
The weather was perfect for a day which included arts and crafts, petting zoo, mud and face painting and great lunch and of course ice cream which was donated by Saugatuck Sweets of Westport and Fairfield. The children and the parents really enjoyed the outing as it was a chance for all the families to bond with each other and the staff at the FCA. Some of the St. Matthew Knights and a few of their family members ran the grill and helped FCA staff with preparing the salad and cutting up watermelon for the families. In addition, the Knights and their families assisted with directing traffic in the parking lot, raffle and arts and crafts.
“The FCA does a great job in supporting those of all ages from young children to seniors. It has been a joy to work with the great staff at FCA over the last 9 years and we look forward to many years to come,” said Past Grand Knight and council liaison to the FCA, George Ribellino, Jr.
FCA’s Child & Family Development programs provides positive parent support and programs to families and their young children. These program focuses on the critical early years of a child’s life, birth to age 5, to support strong foundations for future success. FCA’s staff educate and equip new and growing families with resources that help them build a strong family foundations.
These programs are designed to work with at-risk families to prevent abuse and neglect in the home. [BB1] Ribellino went on to say, “this is our first year working with the folks from the Child & Family Development program and we are looking forward to sponsoring and assisting with next year’s event”
FCA is a nonprofit organization that offers services to all ages, from children to seniors, to build strength and help provide their needs. FCA serves Fairfield County and the surrounding areas. Go to FamilyandChildrensAgency.org.
The goal of the Knights of Columbus Council at Saint Matthew Church in Norwalk is to perform acts of charity, providing those in need with a range of support from financial to tactical help in dealing with a wide variety of challenges. For more information, visit saintmatthewknights.com.
