The Community Fund of Darien’s 44th Annual Volunteer Celebration

April 28, 2023

Since 1979, The Community Fund of Darien has been honoring dedicated volunteers who have generously contributed their time and talent to make a difference at the annual Volunteer Celebration.

Each year, local nonprofit organizations and the general public are invited to nominate individuals for recognition. This year, The Community Fund of Darien honored 86 of Darien’s extraordinary volunteers from 18 different nonprofit organizations. The entire community was invited to celebrate Darien’s unsung heroes on Tuesday, April 25 at the Darien Community Association. Town of Darien First Selectman, Monica McNally, gave a proclamation memorializing the Annual Darien Volunteer Recognition Day. Guests celebrated the honored volunteers and enjoyed light refreshments. The event was sponsored by Brown Harris Stevens, Cross Private Client Insurance, and the Darien Community Association.

Honorees, who must be Darien residents, were awarded in the following categories by their organizations: Outstanding Adult Volunteer (19 - 64 years), Outstanding Emerging Volunteer (18 years and younger), Outstanding Volunteer Duo, and Outstanding Volunteer Team.

This year’s volunteer award honorees:

Outstanding Adult Volunteer

Carolyn Cavolo, Darien Arts Center

Erin Eblen, The Tiny Miracles Foundation

Sharon Foster Schoen, The Den for Grieving Kids

Jen Hyde, The Den for Grieving Kids

Armel Jacobs, Coalition of Families for Inclusion

Rosemary Jordan, At Home In Darien

Erin Lumpkin, The Darien YMCA

Michelle Maschoff, Person to Person

Maeve McGovern, The Mather Homestead

Dave Miller, The Mather Homestead

Rob Minicucci, Domus Kids

John O’Brien, The Darien Land Trust

Robert Pascal, The Museum of Darien

Andrew Schau, Building One Community

Vibha Singh, Family Centers

Anne Thomas, A Better Chance

Diane Urban, Coalition of Families for Inclusion

Vail Weymann Vasisht, The Darien Foundation

Li Yang, Darien Book Aid

Outstanding Emerging Volunteer

Braden Schenck, The Darien YMCA

Spencer Segura Jr., Person to Person

Outstanding Volunteer Duo

Susan Barr and Melissa Williams, The Mather Homestead

Kate and Will Massey, Kids In Crisis

Outstanding Volunteer Team

The DCA Thrift Shop Team

Diane Barston, George Biolsi, Katie Bloomer, Elmerina Brooks, Caroline Burke, Karen Bryne, Kathy Cahill, Pauline Campbell, Michael Chiodo, Brian Clevenger, Brenda Crane, Patricia Cunningham, Dylan Danile, Dot Discko, Jennifer Durkin, Wanda Forlivio, Cecil Flynn, Judith Gilroy, Susan Hamill, Norene Hartog, Sue Hayes, Neil Hershkowitz, Nathalie Hincapie, Myrna Hollinger, Amy Hoyt, Joan Jaworoski, Emily Karagiannis, Ulla Kremer, Sue Kunze, Kate Larson, Susan McCardell, Karen Miranda, Joyce Muir, Abby Ortiz, Isabella Pllumbi, Anna Resnansky, Sarah Ritchey, Anne Ross, Mary Sankey, Kesiah Scully, Kathy Shea, Carol Sikora, Flora Smeaton, Ingrid Teschner, Lisa Thoren, Madeleine Treesh, Martina Tucker, Joanne Verderosa, Lily Rose Vosari, Lisa Williams, and Li Yang

The Community Fund of Darien’s Designed to Dine Committee

Katie Benson, Teresa Jandziol, Claire Johnson, Brandi Maniscalco, Jenn Moller, Neenu Sharma, Christine Talwalker, Jenny Tarleton, and Colleen Thompson

Pictured: Annual Volunteer Celebration Sponsors and Speakers. (left to right) Ned Saunders of Brown Harris Steven, Kristina Gregory of Cross Private Client Insurance, Janet King, Executive Director of The Community Fund of Darien, Amy Bell, Executive Director of the Darien Community Association, and Monica McNally, Town of Darien First Selectman

Please visit communityfunddarien.org.