Community Access

American Job Centers in New Haven, Meriden, Middletown will reopen for in-person appointments as needed beginning Wednesday, July 15. Phone and video conferencing contacts, plus online workshops, orientations, skills training and job postings will continue on the workforcealliance.biz website.



Newly unemployed or underemployed job seekers are encouraged to visit workforcealliance.biz to complete orientation, then check your email for next steps leading to free 1-on-1 career planning, job training job development and support services. Existing American Job Center customers should contact their Job Seeker Consultant for scheduling.



Workforce Alliance has continued to bring its most popular workshops online and there are new opportunities for job seekers to access training in a variety of in-demand industries.



Workforce Alliance continues to partner with local companies to prescreen and refer candidates to immediate hiring opportunities in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, supermarkets and other industries on workforcealliance.biz/recruiting-and-hiring.



More information is available on workforcealliance.biz

Learn More About New England Assistive Technology and the
Upcoming (FREE) Virtual AAC Summer Bash Event!
Nicole Feeney, Director of Assistive Technology Services NEAT Center
& Elena Fader, Assistive Technology Specialist

Senator Richard Blumenthal Weekly Update - these are some of the topics we discussed:
Covid-19 in CT
Stimulus Checks and investigation into how over a billion dollars went to people who have passed away!
Russia investigation into bounty on heads of US Military
CT Travel Advisory

The New Britain Museum of American Art interview with Director and CEO, Min Jung Kim
Doors are opening soon and there is a special for front line heroes too! www.nbmaa.org

Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt
Find and enjoy Connecticut Grown products from farms, farmers’ markets, and local businesses across the state, and discover on-farm activities for all.
www.ctgrown.gov

Listen to Renee chat with May Barneby, CEO of Girl Scouts CT about exciting camping news!
Girl Scout Summer Day Camp

· Four of Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s Day Camps will be open this summer – Opening Day is July 6

o Camp Aspetuck (Weston), Camp An-Se-Ox (Oxford), Camp Merrie-Wood (Manchester), and Laurel Day Camp (Lebanon) will all be open.

o Camps Katoya (Milford) and Carlson (Bristol) will be closed for this summer. The temporary closure helps to best focus staff, programming, and resources while adhering to the safety guidelines for summer youth camps in Connecticut.

· Residential camp programs (Camp Laurel Residential) will remain closed this summer. The decision was made on May 29 following guidance issued by the State of Connecticut and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing Day Camps and restricting overnight camping.

· All girls ages 5-17 are invited to attend camp! Financial Aid is also available when completing the camp registration form.

· At Girl Scouts Day Camps, girls discover new skills, find their voices, make new friends, and take part in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

· For more information, visit www.gsofct.org/camp.



Camp Cleanliness

· All Girl Scout camps have been thoroughly cleaned and new signage has been added featuring safety tips from the CDC and State of Connecticut guidelines.

o Camps will continue to be cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected daily and between activities.

· Families received safety guidelines, including information on daily procedures for health screenings, temperature checks, hand washing, and mask usage.



Social Distancing at Camp

· To help with social distancing, girls attending camp will be placed in groups of eight with one counselor. Each group of eight is referred to as a “small camp.”

· Girls can still have fun at camp! Activities will include crafts, outdoor living skills, badge work, environmental education, and small group games.



Girl Scouts of Connecticut Facts and Mission:

· Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

· The Connecticut council serves over 25,000 girls and more than 12,000 adults, making it the largest leadership development program for girls in the state.

· Girls can join Girl Scouting through a variety of pathways including troops, groups, travel, events, and as individuals. To learn more about Girl Scouting, visit gsofct.org.

Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competitions for over 12,000 athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and Unified Sports® partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities who are the athletes’ teammates).

In addition to its traditional sports programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, the Special Olympics Unified Sports® program brings athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together to play sports, gain physical fitness and develop friendships. Special Olympics Unified Sports® is offered in communities across the state, for individuals of all ages.

Special Olympics Unified Sports® is also offered in 95% of public high schools across the state, through Special Olympics Connecticut’s partnership with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), as well as middle and elementary schools. The program provides students at every level opportunities to play sports and helps to create a more positive and inclusive school climate.

Connecticut athletes also have opportunities to compete globally - at Special Olympics’ USA and World Games.

Special Olympics is sports and so much more. It is a movement that transforms lives by inspiring inclusion, understanding and respect for people of all abilities, both on the playing field and in communities across the state and around the world.

Special Olympics also promotes a healthy lifestyle by offering free health screenings at events, and providing participants with the education and resources to improve their sports performance and enhance their overall health and fitness.

There are opportunities for everyone to be part of Special Olympics Connecticut and enjoy a meaningful and rewarding experience - as an athlete, Unified Sports® partner, coach, volunteer, supporter or fan.

Special Olympics – in Connecticut and around the world - is about revealing the champion in all of us.

Birdies for Charity interview with FoodShare
Jason Jakubowski, President & CEO
Founded in 1982, Foodshare is the regional food bank serving Connecticut’s Hartford and Tolland counties, where 118,000 people struggle with hunger. Foodshare is a member of the national organization Feeding America, along with more than 200 other food banks nationally. In partnership with the food industry, donors, community leaders and volunteers, Foodshare works to maximize access to nutritious food and other resources that support food security. And, because hunger is more than food, Foodshare collaborates with anti-hunger organizations, policy makers, and the broader community to build effective solutions to end hunger.

CT Update with Attorney General William Tong
Food insecurities, Executive Orders, Opioid Crisis, Scams, Price Gouging, CT Courts and more.

The Beth-El Center's mission is to extend dignity and respect to all individuals and families while connecting them to housing, food and services within their communities.

Our vision is to create a community where everyone is home and all are fed!

Beth-El Center is a 501c3, nonprofit organization that has two programs: a 34 bed homeless shelter and a food service program.