Thank you to our amazing community for making our 2nd Annual Celebrity Breakfast a success.
We are extremely grateful for your involvement with our event and your interest in learning more about Hall Neighborhood House. By your generous donations, sponsorships, and attendance, you are helping us serve and meet the needs of thousands of families on the Lower East Side of Bridgeport.
As you heard, we are beginning a new chapter on an original, innovative STEM program that has the power to impact over 19,000 youth in Bridgeport. With your help and participation, we can continue to create significant first-rate programs like the Alan Wallack STEM Learning Center.
We truly appreciate everyone who gave so generously. If you didn’t get a chance to make a donation, I invite you to do so now at hallneighborhoodhouse.org/donate, and we also ask that you share the work we are doing here on the East Side with your friends and family.
I know you Join me in extending a special thank you to Coach Anthony Latina, Coach Jay Young, and Mr. Terry O’Connor for their exciting and illuminating conversation. Great job, gentlemen, and thank you!
Last month, Congressionally Directed Spending Grants were announced—and I am thrilled to announce that Hall will be receiving $4.5 million to support the expansion of our programs and facilities here on the East Side of Bridgeport.
This grant will make a massive difference for our neighbors, and it shows the faith our community leaders and legislators have in our programs. As a supporter of our mission, I know you share that faith, too.
I am so grateful for your belief in the power of this community. You continually show up and help us improve community health, support families, and educate the next generation.
Together, our future is limitless. Thank you.
With gratitude,
Bob Dzurenda
Executive Director
Investing in community
Hall Neighborhood House is the recipient of a $4.5M Congressionally Directed Spending Grant! These funds will allow us to expand our footprint, upgrade our facilities, and meet important needs for our childcare, youth, and senior programs.
Serving more children
This month, we opened two new early childhood classrooms, increasing our capacity by 24 children! We are so excited to be able to provide high-quality, affordable childcare to even more children and families in our community.
Early childhood education sets the foundation for a lifetime of learning, and we continue to look for ways to provide access to affordable care to more families in Bridgeport!
Sacred Heart obstacle course
We had such a special visit from Sacred Heart University students who built an innovative obstacle course in our gym! Our students had so much fun racing through the course.
Congratulations, Felicia! Welcome, Dianne!
We are excited to congratulate Felicia Anthony as she transitions to her new role as our Classroom Coordinator, and welcome Dianne Lillicraf, our new Health Services Manager. As we expand our services, they will help ensure we are meeting all of our neighbors’ needs.
Supporting senior mental health
Hall Neighborhood House is partnering with Southwest Community Health to provide group and individual counseling sessions for seniors! We are proud to break down the stigma around mental health care and provide access to dedicated, professional support right here at Hall.
September is a time of big changes and new beginnings. After a summer of learning and growth, students are back in school—confident that the community is there to help them through any challenges that arise.
Thank you for being part of our mission at this critical time so we can provide academic programs, developmental support, and amazing STEM education to kids in Bridgeport.
And students aren’t the only neighbors we serve. Seniors in our community are finding connection and friendship, neighbors of all ages have increased access to health care, and we provide critical support for families raising children on the East Side.
Thank you for being part of our story. We’re making a difference, together.
Bob Dzurenda
Executive Director
Rock Climbing
At the end of July, our students took an unforgettable field trip to a local rock climbing spot! They learned all about safety and the different roles climbers can have, then they got a chance to try out some routes.
This trip was a fun bonding experience that allowed our students to step out of their comfort zones and try something new.
Let’s Play Pool
Many of our seniors visit Hall Neighborhood House every day for social gatherings, meals, and other forms of support. They also love playing games.
This month, we upgraded their game room with some new pool tables! We’re proud to provide opportunities for seniors in our community to have fun, unwind, and get competitive.
Building Improvements
We’ve been busy renovating Hall Neighborhood House to make it safer, more functional, and more beautiful for all. Some of the recent initiatives include installing a new HVAC system, painting our classrooms, renovating and modernizing several restrooms, refinishing the floors, installing a new gate, and trimming our trees! And this fall, we’re starting a big project to renovate the lower level!
Back to School
Students are officially back in the classroom! This summer, we hired two certified teachers thanks to the support of The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. All summer long, they helped students complete math and reading workbooks to ensure that they were ready to go back to school this fall with all the skills they need to be successful learners.
Thank You, Sacred Heart University students!
We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with Sacred Heart University. Recently, student volunteers helped us clean out our storage space so we can use it more effectively.
Celebrating our summer graduates
At our preschool graduation ceremony last month, we sent 75 5-year-olds off to kindergarten with confidence, enthusiasm, and new backpacks filled with supplies! We loved celebrating with these young learners after a summer full of education and fun!
International Youth Day
Although every day is a celebration of our amazing youth at Hall Neighborhood House, we were delighted to recognize International Youth Day and the role the next generation plays in our future on August 12! It was an important reminder that kids should have a say in their futures—and that intergenerational cooperation is the way forward for our world.
Hall Neighborhood House plays an important role in the lives of many of our neighbors. And our commitment to them is simple: we’ll be there for them. We’ll meet their needs—even as those needs shift and change.
Last Summer, that meant increasing academic support at our Summer Camp. It meant expanding our Senior Center. And this summer, it meant celebrating the grand opening of our brand new dental clinic!
This new addition to Community Health at Hall will provide dental care to neighbors of all ages, adding to the menu of health services available right here at Hall.
We are able to continue to meet these needs thanks to your support. Thank you for being an integral part of our story.
With gratitude,
Bob Dzurenda
Executive Director
A Bountiful Harvest
Our students have taken amazing care of our garden this summer! The garden provides opportunities to get up close with nature, learn about where food comes from, and try new fruits and vegetables.
Our raised beds, a generous gift from the Trumbull Rotary, allow seniors and other neighbors with reduced mobility to get involved in the community garden, too.
Dental Clinic
We were delighted to cut the ribbon on our new dental clinic in July. We look forward to ensuring that community members of all ages have bright smiles for years to come.
We are all so excited to add oral health care to our full suite of medical services available at Community Health at Hall! Physicals, vaccinations, teeth cleanings, and more are all available on-site at Hall Neighborhood House.
Thank you, University of Bridgeport students
We were grateful to host volunteers from the University of Bridgeport School of Nursing this month. These future nurses worked with our youth, promoting healthy habits and providing routine medical care.
Thank you for partnering with us to provide community health care!
Broadway Method Academy
Hall Neighborhood House students learned about the theatre during a visit from Broadway Method Academy. It was awesome to watch their creativity and confidence bloom as they danced and performed together!
Thank you, Broadway Method Academy!
International meals
Each week during the summer, our students are trying foods from a new country, using the exposure to new cuisine to learn about different cultures across the globe. Thanks to some amazing local restaurants, our students have tried foods from Nigeria, Jamaica, India, and more!
Mystic Aquarium
Students enjoyed an unforgettable visit to the Mystic Aquarium! They learned about countless aquatic animals—from sharks to starfish—and the role we all have to play in conservation.
It’s been a month of growth here at Hall Neighborhood House—from our beautiful garden to potted plants in our early childhood classrooms to each and every person we serve. We love watching people learn, grow, and discover here at Hall!
As we look ahead to this summer, we are excited for even more learning. Our youth summer camp includes a robust tutoring program, seniors are continuing to enjoy exercise classes, and our entire community is invited to learn from Coach Jim Calhoun at Breakfast of Champions!
We also hope you’ll come out and celebrate with us at our annual Family Festival, featuring free activities for neighbors of all ages.
Thank you for your partnership. We couldn’t do this without you—and we can’t wait to see you soon!
Bob Dzurenda
Executive Director
Family Festival
All members of our community are invited to our Family Festival! Bring a friend and join us for food, friendship, and celebration. There will be games, a petting zoo, food trucks, bouncy houses, and more! This event is free and fun for the whole family. Join us!
Saturday, June 18
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Hall Neighborhood House
52 George E. Pipkin’s Way
Bridgeport, CT
Dental Clinic Underway
We are making progress on the Hall Neighborhood House dental clinic! The clinic will allow us to meet even more of our neighbors’ needs.
Soon, children, families, and seniors who are part of Hall Neighborhood House programs will also be able to visit us for cleanings and dental checkups, adding to our robust health services!
Breakfast of Champions
Join the Hall Neighborhood House community and Naismith Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun for breakfast and a conversation moderated by award-winning sportswriter Ivan Maisel!
Calhoun is well-versed with hard work, overcoming challenges, and achieving success. During his 26 seasons as head coach of the UConn men’s basketball team, Calhoun led the Huskies to a 625-243 record, three NCAA national championships, and seven Big East tournament championships—and his lessons learned along the way are inspiring and illuminating.
Each year, the Trumbull Rotary Club helps us plant and maintain our beautiful gardens! Our raised beds, generously donated by the Rotary, are easy to access for seniors and kids. Members of our community are able to grow and enjoy flowers, fruits, and vegetables from our garden—right here on the East Side of Bridgeport. We are excited to share our bountiful harvest in the coming months.
Springtime Growth
Students in Room 206 are learning about life through a variety of hands-on activities—like growing plants and hatching butterflies!
We love that children at Hall Neighborhood House are able to participate in such fun, engaging activities each and every day!
Senior Exercise
Our senior exercise program—created by Johns Hopkins and facilitated by students in Sacred Heart University’s Physical Therapy doctorate program—continues to provide fun and exciting ways to help seniors stay healthy. Seniors are tracking their fitness progress all year long!
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