Newsletter Volume 3 • Number 36
Greenwich charities “are going to feel it,” warns United Way CEO
Local nonprofits are putting on a brave front as they face the haphazard ravages of DOGE cutting resources for organizations that help the most vulnerable, our survey of agencies and groups has found.
With 28% of Greenwich’s population either below or barely above the poverty line, the barrage of executive orders has cast into question nonprofits’ ability to provide food, medical assistance, legal representation, emergency shelter, and addiction services. The indiscriminate edicts also may affect programs to support the arts, scientific research, and recreation offered to all of us.
At a meeting that the United Way convened with the town’s major nonprofits last week, participants described serious concerns about whether they could continue to rely on the federal government as a partner, but emphasized their determination to keep going. David Rabin, CEO of Greenwich United Way, predicted that nonprofits relying on federal funds “are going to feel it.”
“The rug has been pulled out from under us”
Jewish Family Services of Greenwich has already laid off 13 staff members after receiving a federal stop work order a few weeks ago. One of only three official refugee resettlement agencies in CT, they were in the midst of resettling 32 legally approved Central and South American refugees.
“It has literally been panic and crisis and soul crushing texts where you find out vulnerable clients you signed a contract to serve are being left out in the cold,” said CEO Rachel Kornfeld.
The families were staying at a hotel nearby awaiting help to enroll children in school, and apply for food and medical assistance, when the funding was pulled. Private money bridged the gap, or the families would have been out on the street. They had fled war and persecution, Kornfeld said, fulfilled every step required of them for U.S. asylum, lived in refugee camps for years, believed in the American dream, and now they faced homelessness and hunger.
JFS is now holding an emergency fundraiser to replace $1 million of lost federal money. Donate here.
A feeling of whiplash
For Greenwich’s Kids in Crisis, which offers round-the-clock emergency shelter, counseling and support for children and families experiencing crises, the chaotic orders from D.C. are exhausting. “The struggle is, I get an email, then another thatcancels the first, saying there’s been a restraining order,” said executive director Shari Shapiro. “What happens if you hire staff today and then have to let them go in a month? We have a mission and we need to keep carrying on that mission.”
Some groups are afraid to talk
Many Greenwich nonprofits we contacted would only speak off the record. Groups funding breast cancer research, providing assistance for victims of domestic violence, and running a food pantry declined comment, expressing concern that they might become targets of partisan attack that would endanger their funding.
Other nonprofit leaders tried to stay positive. “We know these are uncertain times,” said John Hamilton of Liberation Programs, “and we’re in the business of instilling hope for those we serve, so we have to lead by example.” The budget for the organization, which helps treat and prevent substance abuse and mental health disorders, relies on federal programs for six percent of its funding.
Secondary effects of White House actions are also a concern
Neighbor to Neighbor, a Greenwich staple for 50 years, runs a food pantry for low-income residents, and board president Karen Royce worries how they will cope if nutrition assistance or Medicaid are cut. “Our clients will take a big hit,” she said. The Republican budget resolution that passed the House this week slashed both benefits.
Even if funding continues for some, the money may not go as far if prices keep rising. At Pacific House, which runs the largest homeless shelter for men in Stamford, President and CEO Carmen Colón said the cost of steel, cement and other building materials is skyrocketing, which will hurt her organization’s efforts to build housing for clients. “I’m very nervous about what is going on with the federal government,” she worried.
CT Democrats offer aid, Republicans vote no
The Connecticut General Assembly held an emergency vote this week to provide funding to nonprofits hurt by these policies, including JFS and Kids in Crisis. Democratic Reps. Steve Meskers and Hector Arzeno voted to support our nonprofits, while Senator Fazio and Rep. Courpas voted against them.
From flooding to more trees, neighborhood associations look to the town for help
Second article in our series about matters of greatest importance to our neighborhood associations. See the first one here.
For Ted Walworth, president of the Northeast Greenwich Association, the town’s plans to replace a small bridge on busy North Street have been all consuming. Neighbors worked hard to ensure closures and traffic snarls would be as brief as possible. They still want to see a detailed traffic study so everyone can anticipate how bad the inconvenience will be.
Now, Walworth says, it’s time to address the waters that flow down West Brothers Brook beneath that bridge, which is in a flood zone. “We’re in one of the Northeast’s largest bog areas. We can’t change Mother Nature, but we can mitigate it.” The town has pinpointed projects along the brook that could help, but the price tag is in the tens of millions of dollars.
In Old Greenwich, residents are also interested in flood mitigation, said the neighborhood association’s vice president, Victoria Martin Young. The elementary school, which will soon be renovated, sits in a flood zone, and sewage has repeatedly overflowed there. Binney Park was underwater after a major storm last August. In 2022, Pemberwick residents asked the town to help reduce flood risk there in the wake of Hurricane Ida, which brought stormwater down from above Pemberwick Park, a surprise that is becoming less surprising due to climate change.
The Old Greenwich Association is closely watching what happens to its retail district, since a large group of Sound Beach shops were recently sold to a new owner. The area was recently given a “village district overlay” designation by the Planning & Zoning Commission, which will require a town architectural review before changes can occur. “People are worried about the possibility of many levels of office or apartments going up,” said Young.
The Byram Neighborhood Association wants to open up and enhance the riverfront along South Water Street. “We encourage the development and preservation of waterfront uses such as marinas and docking facilities,” said BNA chairperson Liz Eckert. Riverside residents are strongly interested in improving the aesthetics of their downtown area, said Riverside Association president Kristin Luntz. “We have been advocating with the town for more tree planting along Route 1.”
What we’re reading
Republicans are slashing and burning our government programs to help pay for the billionaire tax cut. To get you to look the other way, they say they are rooting out “waste.” In fact, what they are attacking are the agencies that prevent listeria outbreaks, make sure our water is safe to drink, prevent infectious diseases from spreading, and make air travel safe.
The Ink writes, “people tend not to realize just how much their government does to make their lives better…. This is the PR problem faced by good government: When things work so well that we get used to them, we stop appreciating how lucky we are that they’re there at all.”
Action Calendar
March 5. Ask.
Hear from our state representatives about their legislative priorities, and get your questions answered. 7:00-8:00 p.m., Greenwich Town Hall.
March 24. Learn.
Community conversation with State Treasurer Erick Russell, moderated by Rachel Khanna. 6:30-8:00 p.m., YWCA Greenwich, 259 East Putnam Ave. RSVP here.
| Volume 3, Number 36 • February 27, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |