It’s been another busy month here at Hall Neighborhood House!
One of the highlights was hosting Senator Richard Blumenthal for a visit and tour of our facilities. We showed him our best-in-class preschool programs and shared how we work to enhance quality of life for seniors in the community. His visit was even featured on News 12—so make sure to take a look at the segment!
We have also been busy providing hundreds of COVID-19 vaccinations each day through our partnership with Optimus Health, expanding caregiver support programs, and preparing for youth summer camp.
Thank you for being part of the Hall Neighborhood House community!
Dance and yoga for preschoolers
Thanks to support from the Kirby Foundation, we recently began leading weekly yoga and dance classes for our preschoolers. Every week, these young leaders have an opportunity to express themselves through movement—and get a bit of energy out in the middle of the day! We love seeing how excited they are to play and learn together, and we are so grateful to add this special activity to their schedules.
Welcoming spring with a new garden
The Trumbull Rotary graciously provided us with four new raised garden beds and came to Hall Neighborhood House to install them. Raised beds are accessible to those with limited mobility, so we are very excited that our children and seniors will have the opportunity to garden together! The beds are also equipped with an innovative underground watering system.
Thank you to Trumbull Rotary for installing the beds, and thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for donating mulch for around the gardens!
Cooking classes with BarTaco
Our community partners at BarTaco taught students how to make a variety of nutritious, delicious recipes—including brown rice bowls and tacos. The cooking classes emphasized skills like reading recipes, making meals, and fueling our bodies with healthy foods. Thank you to Chef Luis Nunez, Christopher Messina, and Scott Lawton, BarTaco CEO and Cofounder!
Expanding senior spaces
Our seniors have a passion for play—and nothing brings out their competitiveness like an afternoon of BINGO. We’ve added a senior game room downstairs at Hall Neighborhood House—a place where seniors can play games, do activities, or just enjoy spending time together. We continue to be on the lookout for ways we can add new services and opportunities to benefit our neighbors.
Vaccinating our community
We are proud to be a COVID-19 vaccination center for Bridgeport, and we have been working hard to expand community access to the vaccine. We are now able to administer over 250 vaccines a day on-site, in partnership with Optimus Health! We continue to do our part to help keep our neighbors safe and healthy.
More support for caregivers
We now offer individual and group counseling for caregivers of seniors to help caregivers navigate available resources, guide decisions, and offer support during difficult times. Individual sessions can be scheduled at your convenience, and group sessions meet 2-4 times a year.
More support for caregivers
We now offer individual and group counseling for caregivers of seniors to help caregivers navigate available resources, guide decisions, and offer support during difficult times. Individual sessions can be scheduled at your convenience, and group sessions meet 2-4 times a year.
We are in a season of preparation here at Hall Neighborhood House—preparing students for college, preparing children for kindergarten, preparing for new initiatives, and preparing to welcome back seniors in a few short weeks.
With the future in mind, we recently completed several renovation projects, including updating our lobby, building out a new behavioral health room in our community health center, and redesigning our senior center. We are also working on our lower-level game room so that students have even more space to play and learn.
We are so excited for all that is ahead—and can’t wait to share some of our February highlights with you!
Thank you for your support and encouragement of Hall Neighborhood House!
With gratitude,
Bob Dzurenda
Career Academy for high school students
Hall Neighborhood House’s Career Academy teaches area high school students how to build a resume, interview for jobs, develop computer skills, complete college applications, and access financial aid. The program also includes mentoring from current college students and the opportunity to connect with other students pursuing their next steps. Best of all, this helpful course is free for high schoolers—and it’s a great way for young people to prepare for their futures!
A new generator—and a COVID-19 vaccine update
In February, our friends at Mennillo Plumbing and WC McBride Electric helped us install a new generator in our Community Health Center, enabling us to keep COVID-19 vaccines on-site. In addition, our bilingual staff is here to help community members navigate the online portals and sign up for appointments—and every person who receives their first shot at Hall Neighborhood House is automatically registered to receive their second dose.
Celebrating Black History Month
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Our preschoolers and students celebrated Black History Month by creating art and participating in fun, engaging activities in their classrooms. We love seeing teachers and students work together to honor this important month—and we love having their colorful, creative works of art decorating the halls of Hall Neighborhood House!
Together for Bridgeport
Today and tomorrow, students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade will be participating in Together for Bridgeport—a brand new collaborative art project led by Hall Neighborhood House staff. This free art program gives students the opportunity to learn new art techniques, develop their creativity, and make something beautiful together. We can’t wait to share the finished product with you!
Re-opening the Senior Center
With more and more of our seniors receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, we are taking steps to re-open our Senior Center! We just finished renovations on the space, and beginning later this month, we will welcome small groups of vaccinated seniors for socially distant activities like bingo and other games. This has been a long, challenging, isolating winter, and we are so excited to be able to gather safely in just a few weeks!
Dental Clinic
We have completed the first phase of construction on our new dental clinic! As Dr. Peter Ferrara of Ferrara Dental shared, “Oral health is essential for our overall wellbeing. To stay as healthy as possible, children and families in Bridgeport should have easy, convenient access to dental care. It’s great that Hall Neighborhood House is working to meet this need.” You can help us take the next steps toward opening this key service by supporting our healthcare expansion campaign!
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