Jim Himes Shares The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Thank you to Congressman Jim Himes (CT, D) for sending this email.

Dear Friends,

As we prepare for the upcoming holiday and anticipate warm reunions with friends and families, I urge those of you who are able to join me in helping our less fortunate neighbors. I have listed below by town a number of local food banks that are in need of donations. Best wishes for a lovely holiday.

Thanks,
Jim

BRIDGEPORT

Bridgeport Rescue Mission
1088 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 333-4087
www.bridgeportrescuemission.org
Tuesday-Saturday: 8:00am-6:00pm
Donations may be brought to 1050 Fairfield Ave; accepts donations of clothing, personal hygiene items, food, and blankets to distribute to the homeless

Bridgeport Health and Social Services-Veterans Affairs Office
752 East Main Street, Room 180, Bridgeport
(203) 576-7978
http://www.bridgeportct.gov
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 9:00am-2:00pm
Accepts donations of nonperishable food and gift certificates

Calvary Saint George's Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen
755 Clinton Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 333-5116 ext. 150
www.calvarystgeorges.com
Tuesday and Thursday: 9:30-11:30am
Church accepts donations of food for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays; accepts food items including non-perishable food and baby food

Cesar Batalla Family Resource Center
606 Howard Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 579-8526
Monday-Friday: 8:00am-3:00pm
Accepts donations of clothing and nonperishable food

Dunbar School Family Resource Center
445 Union Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 332-5658
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm
Accepts donations of books and magazines, clothing, food, household goods (dishes, cookware, linens, and furniture), infant goods, office equipment/supplies, personal care supplies, school supplies and toys

Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church Food Pantry
365 East Washington Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 334-2447
Tuesday: 11:00am-12:30pm
Accepts donations of non-perishable food items

Iglesia Pentecostal El Olivar Food Pantry
1241 Barnum Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 913-1417
Tuesday and Wednesday: 9:30-11:30am
Accepts donations of non-perishable food for the food pantry

King's Pantry
30 Florence Street, Bridgeport
(203) 335-9255
Monday-Friday: 10:30am-1:30pm
Accepts donations of nonperishable food for the food pantry, and food for the soup kitchen

North End Community Council
555 Trumbull Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 690-6326
Saturday: 8:30am-12:00pm
Accepts donations of nonperishable food

Re-Entry Ministry Food Pantry
24 Holly Street, Bridgeport
(203) 368-4018
Monday: 4:00-6:00pm or call ahead
Accepts donations of nonperishable food

Roosevelt School Family Resource Center
680 Park Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 330-8181
Monday-Friday: 8:30am-4:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food for the food pantry

Salvation Army - Bridgeport Corps Community Center
30 Elm Street, Bridgeport
(203) 334-0995
www.use.salvationarmy.org
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-4:30pm
Donations of food are accepted for distribution to people in need; holiday food donations are also needed for holiday programs

Thomas Merton Center
43 Madison Avenue, Bridgeport
(203) 367-9036
www.ccfairfield.org
Tuesday and Wednesday: 10:00am-1:00pm; Friday: 11:30am-1:30pm
Accepts food for the soup kitchen and food pantry

DARIEN

Person-to-Person
1864 Post Road, Darien
(203) 655-0048
www.p2pdarien.org
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm
Thursday: 9:00am-6:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am-12:00pm
Accepts donations of non-perishable food for the food pantry, clothing that is in season and in good condition, baby clothing/diapers for the Baby Basics Program, household goods, and new toy donations for the annual Toy Store and Be A Santa programs

FAIRFIELD

Connecticut Food Bank - Fairfield Warehouse
74 Linwood Avenue, Fairfield
(203) 256-1935
www.ctfoodbank.org
Monday-Friday: 7:00am-3:00pm

Operation Hope of Fairfield, Inc.
636 Old Post Road, Fairfield
(203) 292-5588
www.operationhopect.org
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10:00am-12:00pm
Thursday: 4:00-6:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food for the food pantry and food for the soup kitchen, and turkeys and holiday gifts for the Thanksgiving and December holidays

GREENWICH

Neighbor to Neighbor
c/o Christ Church, 248 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich
(203) 622-9208
www.n-to-n.org
Monday-Friday: 8:30am-12:30pm
Accepts donations of clothing, small household goods, children's books, and baby clothing; closed holidays. Donations are used for agency programs

MONROE

Monroe Department of Social Services
980 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe
(203) 452-3770
www.monroect.org/FoodPantry
Monday: 2:00-5:00 pm
Wednesday and Friday: 9:00am -1:00pm
Donations of nonperishable food, along with condiments, paper goods and toiletries, are accepted. Also accepts animal food/supplies; infant items (clothing, diapers, formula); cell phones; office equipment/supplies; and school supplies for the Back to School Program

NEW CANAAN

Town of New Canaan and St. Mark's Church Parish House
Church House Foyer-111 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan
(203)966-4515
www.stmarksnewcanaan.org/outreach
Monday-Friday: 8:30am-4:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations, toiletries, and paper goods

NORWALK

Christian Community Action
98 South Main Street, Norwalk
(203) 899-2485
www.ccanorwalk.org
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-12:00pm
Accepts donations of nonperishable food, winter clothes, children's books, toys, and household goods for use in agency programs

Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project
16 River Street, Norwalk
(203) 855-9535
www.mfap.com
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm
Accepts baby clothing and diapers, baby formula, office equipment and supplies, personal care supplies, recreational equipment, and school supplies for agency programs

Norwalk Emergency Shelter Manna House of Hospitality
4 Merritt Street, Norwalk
(203) 866-1057
www.norwalkemergencyshelter.org
Monday-Sunday: 6:00am-12:00pm, 2:00pm-9pm
Accepts donations of food for the food pantry and soup kitchen, and clothing and furniture, office equipment, personal care items, school supplies, and toy donations

St. Philip Parish Food Pantry
25 France St, Norwalk
(203) 847-4549
http://stphilipnorwalk.org/
Monday-Saturday: 8:00am-8:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations for the food pantry

St. Vincent De Paul Society at St. Thomas Apostle Church
203 East Avenue (rear of church), Norwalk
(203) 866-1644
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:00am-12:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations, baby food, diapers (but not baby clothes), household cleaning supplies, personal care supplies such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper

Salvation Army—Norwalk Corps Community Center
14 Byington Place, Norwalk
(203) 866-2125
www.use.salvationarmy.org
Monday-Friday: 10:00am-2:00pm
Donations of food are needed for the food pantry and for holiday food baskets

REDDING

Town of Redding Department of Social Services
Community Center, 37 Lonetown Road, Redding
(203) 938-3580
www.townofreddingct.org
Monday-Thursday: 8:30am-5:30pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations for the food pantry

RIDGEFIELD

Town of Ridgefield Department of Social Services
Town Hall, 400 Main Street, Ridgefield
(203) 431-2777
www.ridgefieldct.org/content/46/84/default.aspx
Monday-Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm
Social Service Department accepts nonperishable food donations for the emergency food pantry, as well as personal care items and household goods

SHELTON

Area Congregations Together Spooner House & Valley Food Bank
30 Todd Road, Shelton
(203) 225-0453
www.actspooner.org
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-5:00pm
Accepts donations of diapers, infant formula and personal care supplies to support agency programs

STAMFORD

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County
461 Glenbrook Rd, Stamford
(203) 358-8898
www.foodbanklfc.org
Monday-Friday: 8:00am-4:00pm
Accepts donations of non-perishable and perishable food for the pantry

Wilson Memorial Church of God in Christ
164 Richmond Hill Avenue, Stamford
(203) 554-9807
www.164wilsonfoodpantry.org
Call to arrange time for drop-off
Accepts donations of non-perishable and perishable food for the pantry

Faith Tabernacle Church Food Pantry
29 Grove Street, Stamford
(203) 348-8755 ext. 14
Call to set up a drop off time
Accepts nonperishable food for the food pantry

Haitian-American Catholic Center
93 Hope Street, Stamford
(203) 406-0343
www.ci.stamford.ct.us/content/25/50/260/95932/95984
Call to arrange time for drop-off.

New Covenant House of Hospitality
90 Fairfield Avenue, Stamford
(203) 964-8228
Monday-Saturday: 10:00am-6:00pm;
Sunday: 10:00am-2:00pm
Accepts donations of non-perishable and perishable food for the pantry

Salvation Army - Stamford Corps Community Center
198 Selleck Street, Stamford
(203) 359-2320
www.use.salvationarmy.org
Monday-Friday: 10:00am-3:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations for the food pantry

Zion Lutheran Church Food Pantry
132 Glenbrook Road, Stamford
(203) 327-7751
zionlutheran-stamford.org
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-1:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations for the food pantry

TRUMBULL

Trumbull Department of Social Services Center
23 Priscilla Place, Trumbull
(203) 452-5198
www.trumbull-ct.gov/content/550/8679/
Monday-Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm
Accepts nonperishable food donations for the food pantry

WESTON

Town of Weston Social Services Department
Town Hall Annex, 24 School Road, Weston
(203) 222-2663
www.westonct.gov/townhall/27652/28677/29470
Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm
Accepts food donations to be distributed to Weston residents in need

WESTPORT

Town of Westport Department of Human Services
Town Hall, Room 200, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport
(203) 341-1050
www.westportct.gov
Monday-Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm
Assists residents of Westport with emergency food

WILTON

Town of Wilton Social Services Department
Comstock Community Center, 180 School Road, Wilton
(203) 834-6238
www.wiltonct.org
Call to set up drop-off time.
Accepts donations of nonperishable food, personal care items and school supplies

Almost went out in Agoy Pants....

Why do we women check our arses in the mirror? (And why don't MORE women do so, have you noticed the rear views lately?) Sometimes it's to see if your pants look good or like a pair of water balloons are trapped in sausage cases. Other times it's to make sure your child hasn't smeared chocolate on your behind without your knowing it. This morning? Whatever the reason, it saved me. In some odd dressing malfuncton, my workout pants were on inside out. Not a good look but would have been worth a good laugh at kick boxing....

Billy Blanks pushes martial arts to help kids with autism

Even better? For National Autism Association - a leader in helping families.
Damn tired of "awareness" vanilla (even fancy French Vanilla from some)
for autism. Need action. And Billy Blanks pretty well personifies action!

Read more:From Tampa HERE.

BAM POW!

Costume Change the Tubes Fee Waybill

Blogging from phone?

Finally I'll blog more often. Happy Hallowine!

Happy Halloween

42 years young! Wanda the witch lives at my parents house.

Yeah, I copped a feel. ;)

PREDATOR??

Ha ha!, we're at Planet Hollywood in Vegas. Every room has a theme and memorabilia from a movie. Did we get Love Story? No. Did we get Good Fellas? No. Did we get An Officer and a Gentleman? No. WE GOT PREDATOR. There's a giant claw in the glass table, a hat in a case on the wall and THAT fella stares at us from over the bed. If it had been Nightmare on Elm Street I'd have checked the freak OUT of the hotel......

Pretty cool here in Vegas. Bright, noisy, shiny --- different.

And we're Off to the Els4Autism event!

And I'll have a special post to share when I return. It has to with something I wrote in my book that is finally going to come true!

Mark and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary today. When I married Mark, little did I know I'd be finding my way toward a new family - my friends in the autism world. You mean the world to me and my girls. Thank you.

Our folks are in the background. The highlight of the reception was when my FIL played the spoons as my Uncle Jerry (whom I adore) played the trumpet. It was so much fun. I miss Mike Stag very much. My Grandmother was alive. I miss her too.

(PS) I didn't know what gluten free meant when I cut into that cake.... Le sigh.

Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism, she writes for Autism File Magazine, HuffPo, TodayMoms and elsewhere. Her book All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa is now available in paperback with bonus content, recipes and a book club/academic guide.

Author Kim Stagliano All I Can Handle 10/17 by The Organic View | Blog Talk Radio

Author Kim Stagliano All I Can Handle 10/17 by The Organic View | Blog Talk Radio

Today at 4pm!

An Evening with Kim Stagliano

Family Autism Center will be hosting an evening with Kim Stagliano
on Wednesday, October 26th from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at
789 Clapboardtree Street in Westwood, MA.

Kim Stagliano is the mother of three daughters who have autism, the
managing editor of Age of Autism (the nation’s first daily web
newspaper about the autism epidemic), a contributor for The
Huffington Post, The Debutante Ball, The Dallas Morning News
Moms Blog and has appeared on Good Morning America (with her
kids!), ABC News, Fox News, in The Chicago Tribune, The National
Catholic Register, and on blogs around the world.

Most recently, she is the author of All I Can Handle: I’m No Mother
Theresa (A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism). Please join us
for a night of stories, both Kim’s and yours – we would love for you to
come and share your own thoughts on living with autism! Kim’s book
will be available for purchase. If you are interested in attending,
please contact Betsy Roche at eroche@sncarc.org to RSVP.
We look forward to seeing you on the 26th!

The Carousel

If you know our family, you know that we love carousels, merry-go-rounds, flying horses. One of my favorite Reading Rainbow episodes featured a beautiful book called The Carousel by Liz Rosenberg. It's about two girls whose Mom has died and how a carousel in the park near their home brings them closer to her on a stormy night. I fell in love with the story from the first viewing. I hope you do too:

20 Years of Marriage

If you've read my book, yeah, that pink one, you know that the closest I've come to divorcing Mark took place both on and because of a golf course. He was playing way too much for a Dad of three young kids with autism. I was getting angrier by the second and one day? KABLOOEY! I lost it on him at the golf club.

So imagine my surprise, er, chagrin, well let's call it UTTER HORROR when we learned that since Mark and his partner Don raised over $10,000 for the Els4Autism Golf Challenge that he had won a trip to Las Vegas for the next event. During the weekend of our wedding anniversary. Quoting from my book and Depeche Mode, "I think that God's got a sick sense of humor."

Hell yes.

We leave on the 21st thanks to my Mom and some amazing helpers. More to follow!

Paperback Release Day All I Can Handle I'm No Mother Teresa A Life Raising Three Daughters with Autism.

Hi, friends, time to get back to blogging. I've been cheating on the blog with FB and Twitter and honestly, bloggy deserves better!

Today is my paperback release day! I've added content and even some GFCF recipes (Food TV will not be calling anytime soon, trust me.) Buy it at Amazon or local stores.

School year is going great for all three girls. Gianna is in high school with Mia. (Yikes.) Bella is tall and growing taller every day.

Big news for Mark and me???? (Dear God no, it's NOT another baby, get the salt and throw it over your shoulder!) We're going to Las Vegas for an Els4Autism event and to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I'll have a a great blog post when I return, I promise. Thanks to the legion of helpers including my Mom and Dad so we can get away for the first time in almost 10 years.

Let's Hope Irene Goes Away!

Stay safe everyone.

Autism Kick with Tae Bo Fitness Creator Billy Blanks - Tampa, FL

Autism Kick with Tae Bo Fitness Creator Billy Blanks - Tampa, FL


Support National Autism Association this Fall in Tampa with Billy Blanks!

How one mom -- with three autistic daughters -- finds hope and happiness

How one mom -- with three autistic daughters -- finds hope and happiness

Autism Affection and Auntie Asunta by Kim Stagliano

One of my favorite aunts (pronounced aw’nt, in proper Massachusetts style please) died this week at 93 years of age. She was my father’s older sister – one of ten in a large half Irish, half Italian family from Boston. My Dad, Richard, 89 on August 4^th, is still vigorous and dare I say it, alert and agile. He played 18 holes of golf this summer with my husband Mark who later confessed to my Mom and me, “I was just praying we didn’t end up with a Weekend at Bernie’s scenario.”

My aunt’s birth name was Asunta. But everyone called her Gertrude. How anyone thought Gertrude was a cuter nickname than Asunta is beyond me, but in 1918, perhaps Gert was the au courant version of today’s, “Madison”?

Auntie and I shared a special bond, acknowledged with a nod, a brief conversation and a twinkle in her Irish eyes.

In 2008, my cousin Roger threw auntie a surprise 90^th birthday party at a yacht club on the South Shore of Massachusetts. We all questioned the advisability of surprising a 90 year old, but my cousin Tommy the priest (every Irish Italian family has one) had RSVP’d “yes” so Roger must have figured he was covered should the unthinkable happen. And we all hoped the luck of the Irish would stick for auntie, who was born on St. Paddy’s day.

Roger invited my family, including my daughters Mia, Gianna and Bella, who have autism. I was so pleased that they were included in a joyful family celebration! Why? You’d be surprised how frequently children with autism are left out of events across the nation, by family (loosely used as in, “that stinking pack of skunks is a family”) who can not be bothered to respect and include their a-typical nieces, nephews, cousins, etc. They deserve the malocchio.

We had a glorious time. Cousin Tommy blessed my girls and prayed for their healing. Cousins and aunts and friends of the family danced with the girls and welcomed them. They asked me pertinent questions about their autism that I was happy to answer. They cared. They were engaged with the girls.

They acted like family.

A few months later, auntie was visiting my parents, so we had a chance to talk one on one. She, like most people who meet my children, was taken aback at their level of impairment and their beauty. (The other night, a friend of a friend was over for dinner, and he cried a bit when he watched the girls, shaken by what autism has done to them. That happens frequently.)

My aunt lost a son in a tragedy many years ago, my cousin Stephen who was as handsome as Richard Gere. I said to her, “We’ve both grieved for our children, auntie. We have that in common.” She nodded her head and answered, “But we survived, Kim. We’re fighters. And you’re a wonderful Mom to your girls.” I was so glad we shared that moment.

My parents visited with auntie the day before she died. She took my Mom’s hand and said, “Take care of my Roger.” Auntie was 93, you can guess Roger’s age. Someday I’ll be saying, “Take care of my Mia, Gianna and Bella.

The name Asunta means ascension, as in the ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven. Motherhood and a mother’s love never ends. Not for auntie Asunta. Not for me. Not for you.

Yesterday was auntie’s funeral. The girls and I were there to pay our respects. And to look out for cousin Roger.

As my Gianna says, “We’re a family.”

Amen.