Thank You for a Successful 2023 Spring Breakfast

At the RVNAhealth Spring Breakfast, the early bird was treated to quiche, coffee, convivial conversation, and possibly even a trip to Africa.  

It’s amazing what 400 people can accomplish before 9:00am on a Friday morning. In 90 minutes on April 28th, the annual RVNAhealth Spring Breakfast raised $138,000 to support our programs and mission. And there were a lot of happy prize winners!

With lots of spring in their step, area business professionals, physicians, veterans, RVNAhealth supporters and staff filled the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury at 7:30am.  Government officials from several communities were also in attendance, including the First Selectmen from Washington Depot (James L. Brinton), Bethel (Dan Carter), Warren (Gregory LaCava), Sherman (Don Lowe), Ridgefield (Rudy Marconi), Roxbury (Patrick Roy) as well as Danbury Mayor Dean Esposito, State Representative Farley Santos, and State Senator Julie Kushner.

A highlight of the morning was hearing firsthand the critical role RVNAhealth plays in the community, offering an enhanced continuum of care and meeting the needs of patients from birth to end-of-life.  Impact speaker, Anita Wolter McElroy, could not have been more powerful, as she shared her heartfelt story as a dedicated and loving daughter, trying to find the best of care for her aging parents. She found it in RVNAhealth, where her family’s medical, physical, and emotional needs are being met under one umbrella – always carefully organized, orchestrated, and well communicated. Referring to RVNAhealth as “the glue,” she shared, “It’s not just the services they offer, but how they provide those services.”

Many, many thanks to all of our event sponsors; our gracious table hosts and guests; the local businesses who donated more than 60 raffle items; our friends at Rodier Flowers; our special speaker, Anita Wolter McElroy; our brilliant auctioneer, Allison Stockel; our extraordinary event chairpersons, Andrea Gartner and Cathy Moore, and our fabulous committee who all brought an early Friday morning to life for RVNAhealth.

If you missed the Spring Breakfast and still want to show your support, please click here to make a donation.

Thank you to Deborah O’Brien for these wonderful photos!

 

 

RVNAhealth Spring Breakfast: Community Coming Together to Care for Neighbors

 

RVNAhealth will host its 22nd Annual Spring Breakfast on Friday, April 28 at The Amber Room in Danbury. This event, co-chaired by Andrea Gartner and Cathy Moore, attracts more than 400 local residents, business owners, and community leaders in the greater Danbury area. The early morning program (7:30am – 9:00am) consists of a delicious breakfast, inspirational speaker, lively auction and raffle prizes all in support of RVNAhealth. This is a major fundraiser which helps sustain RVNAhealth’s home health and hospice care, and the vital programs we bring to our communities, including well-child services, immunization clinics, support groups, wellness programs on nutrition and disease prevention, and help for the homebound.

The agency would like to thank its sponsors, including

  • Diamond Sponsors: Larry and Nancy Bossidy, Mutual of America, Eileen and Jay Walker
  • Gold Sponsors: Adam Broderick Salon & Spa, Lori Berisford and Elaine Cox, BMW of Ridgefield, Fairfield County Bank, Liz and Steven Goldstone, Valerie Jensen, Rodier Flowers
  • Silver Sponsors: Elizabeth Murray Ellis, HamletHub, Kane Funeral Home, Meadow Ridge, Glori and Adam Norwitt
  • Bronze Sponsors: All American Waste, Base Technologies, Inc., The Chefs’ Warehouse, Chipman Mazzucco Emerson, LLC, Cohen and Wolf, P.C., Cramer & Anderson, LLP, Harriton & Furrer, LLP, Christopher and Mary Joyce, Dean and Theresa Miller, Annette and Dan O’Brien, On the Mend Medial Supplies & Equipment, Saint Joseph Parenting Center, Union Savings Bank, Upnext Leadership Coaching and The Watermark at East Hill

You may purchase a sponsorship or table online or contact Connie Marsala, Development Manager, at cmarsala@rvnahealth.org or at 203.438.5555, x1018.

 

Gather Your Friends and Join RVNAhealth’s Annual Spring Breakfast!

Click here to Sponsor a Table or Make a Donation
RVNAhealth will host its 22nd Annual Spring Breakfast on Friday, April 28 from 7:30am-9:00am at The Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury. The Board of Directors, Spring Breakfast Committee, and friends of the organization look forward to celebrating the meaningful work of RVNAhealth and the continuum of care the agency provides throughout 35+ communities. Each year, the Spring Breakfast brings together 400 local business leaders, medical professionals, community groups, and RVNAhealth supporters to welcome spring and raise funds critical to patient care and program support. Funds raised allow RVNAhealth to care for patients and clients regardless of age, diagnosis, or financial circumstances and make a lasting impact on the lives of those served. It’s truly an inspiring morning and a great way to start the day! This year’s impact speaker is a business leader who has worked with RVNAhealth to provide care for her elderly parents. She will describe how the integrated continuum of RVNAhealth services supported her family, even as their needs changed, and she will offer useful insights for others who may be caring for aging loved ones. You are invited to become a sponsor or host a table at this year’s event, which will include a delicious breakfast, live auction with travel and entertainment packages, and a raffle with over 40 prizes. You may purchase sponsorships or tables online at RVNAhealth.org or contact Connie Marsala, Development Manager, at 203.438.5555, x1018 or cmarsala@rvnahealth.org.

Now is a Great Time to Join our Governor Society!

RVNAhealth’s Governor Society is a membership program for business and community partners who invest $1,000 or more each year in the health and well-being of their community. Governor Society support funds our Community Health & Wellness programs, such as our Chronic Care program for low-income individuals, community education, blood pressure clinics, vaccinations, and our Well-Child Clinics for underinsured children. Contributions may also support Hospice care, enabling us to provide bereavement support, music therapy, and even pet therapy – services not covered by insurance.

Governor Society membership options include event and program sponsorships, targeted gifts by service area, or unrestricted contributions to areas of greatest need.  The benefits to Governor Society Members are many, including recognition on our website, brand exposure in event materials, publicity, exclusive access to special events, and concierge services.  In customizing their philanthropic support over a 12-month period, our Governor Society members can target their giving to strengthen their communities in a way that is both meaningful to them and beneficial to their business or organizations.

For more information on RVNAhealth’s Governor Society or other ways to support RVNAhealth, contact Jennifer Christensen at jchristensen@rvnahealth.org or call 203-438-5555, x1052.

Other ways to support RVNAhealth:

Every gift—no matter the size—has a meaningful impact on our work and the communities we serve. There are many ways for businesses to support RVNAhealth:

  • Donate to RVNAhealth’s Annual Fund
  • Choose to become an event sponsor 
  • Advertise in event program books
  • Make an in-kind donation of gift certificates, event tickets, or unique experiences or services for our event auctions and raffles
  • Partner with RVNAhealth to present on a health and wellness related topic
  • Sponsor a community health and wellness program
  • Encourage your staff to volunteer with RVNAhealth

Upcoming ‘Save the Dates’:

  • March 25 – Wellness Fair, East Ridge Middle School, Ridgefield
  • April 28 – Spring Breakfast, Amber Room, Danbury
  • September 30 – Autumn Dinner, Silver Spring Country Club, Ridgefield

Thank You to the Ridgefield Chorale!

RVNAhealth would like to extend a tremendous congratulations and thank you to the Ridgefield Chorale for their Sunday night Holiday Pops concert performance, hosted at the Ridgefield Playhouse!

With over 300 tickets sold — and on an appropriately snowy evening — attendees were treated to an array of holiday vocal and musical talent. Thanks to the virtuosity of the Chorale and the tremendous generosity of concert underwriters (the Kinne family, Blandine Lewine, Stephen and Patricia Ross, the Stockel family, and McLaughlin & Stern), the concert raised $5,500 for RVNAhealth’s Well-Child program. This money will fund much needed annual physicals and immunizations for uninsured children in our local area. Thank you for giving the gift of health to the children and families we serve!

The Ridgefield Chorale, led by Artistic Director, Daniela Sikora, includes four RVNAhealth employees: Jennifer Christensen, Nora Cascella, Tammy Strom, and Lynn Schneider. Thank you all for sharing your gift of holiday music with concert attendees and RVNAhealth’s Well-Child program!

Eye Spy a New Billboard…Thank You Fairfield County Bank!

Thank you to Fairfield County Bank for generously donating their billboard space on I95N Exit 15 to RVNAhealth from November through January!  The Bank has been a loyal supporter of RVNAhealth for more than 25 years.  Use of this billboard is another example of the many ways in which the Bank partners with RVNAhealth to support and help expand our services in the region.

As Theresa Santoro, RVNAhealth President & CEO explains, “RVNAhealth’s growth and innovation have been due, in no small part, to the support received throughout the years from Fairfield County Bank, its employees, and its board members. From banking, insurance, and investments to guidance, advice, and support across countless volunteer hours, the impact Fairfield County Bank has had on RVNAhealth has been immeasurable.  They are a true friend and partner of our agency and we are immensely grateful for their unwavering commitment to the health and wellness of our communities and the many lives we serve.”

An Autumn Dinner to Remember

On September 24th RVNAhealth hosted its annual Autumn Dinner at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury. Friends, supporters, clients, and clinical staff came together to celebrate the agency’s work providing exceptional health and wellness care for individuals of all ages.

Guest speaker, Joseph Pastore, shared his personal experience with the care his family received from RVNAhealth when their twins were born, one with a life-threating health concern. Twenty years later, he called upon RVNAhealth again when he suffered a stroke at age 53. Mr. Pastore has spent the past two years working with the RVNAhealth Rehab team and has successfully regained his strength and mobility.

President & CEO, Theresa Santoro, spoke about the increase in demand for home health and hospice care following the peak of COVID-19. “We surpassed quite a milestone this year, caring for more than 5,000 patients in their homes. That’s three times our patient count of 5 years ago.”

RVNAhealth cares for people across all stages of life in 35+ Connecticut communities, from first-time mothers and uninsured children to older patients with varying medical needs and people needing end-of-life care.

Mrs. Santoro noted the challenge of meeting the increasingly complex needs of patients in the context of the work force shortage. “RVNAhealth must remain a competitive and appealing employer through innovation and technology, education, and skills training.”

The evening featured a bourbon tasting sponsored by Ancona’s Wines & Liquors, live music by singer/songwriter, Nick DePuy, and autumnal centerpieces donated by Mary Jones at Rodier Flowers. Popular entertainer, Tom Pesce, led the guests through a spirited live auction and paddle raise to fund the RVNAhealth mission.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and RVNAhealth staff, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Joseph Pastore for serving as the evening’s guest speaker, our sponsors and advertisers for supporting the agency, and every member of the Autumn Dinner committee for their time, enthusiasm, hard work and dedication in planning and organizing this memorable event.

 

The Precious Gift of Education

The gift of education is a profound one. An investment in an individual that rewards their potential; offers enlightenment; and has the power to influence the course of their life. Every year, select RVNAhealth staff members are fortunate to receive such a gift  — through scholarships offered by Fairfield County Bank and the Couri Family Foundation, both longtime donors and believers in RVNAhealth.Continue reading