Helping People With Developmental Disabilities in Connecticut

There was time to squeeze in one more 2015 Charter our Community project, before winter set in. So, to close out a successful year of events where we helped people make their homes safer and healthier, we decided to try something a bit different.

Employees from Charter’s corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut teamed up with volunteers from the Stamford Police Association. In partnership with Rebuilding Together Hartford, the two groups got together to help perform critical repairs at an Always Reaching for Independence (ARI) community residence for nine residents with developmental disabilities in Stamford.

ARI operates several of these residences in Fairfield County, Connecticut. ARI’s mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities and their families by enabling them to achieve their fullest potential at home, at work and in the community.

The work that was completed included painting, installation of handrails and stair treads, replacing kitchen hardware and adding insulation.

Susan Bretthauer, a captain with the Stamford Police Department remarked about the importance of giving back to the community, “You want to build partnerships because once you build partnerships, then there’s a trust level. You might need the police for something. We might need a community member for something.”

Susanne Kuligowski, ARI President and CEO, chimed in with this about the Charter our Community impact on the residents, “You can hear them saying, ‘Wow, that looks really great.’ We have to put all of our resources into our programs and services to support the individuals [residents], and so doing things that are really critical to make a home feel like a home… it’s like magic. It’s just transformed.”

Charter our Community looks to continue this magic well into 2016 and beyond. Be sure to help us reach out goal of improving 25,000 homes by 2020!

 

Charter our Community and Rebuilding Together volunteers share some laughs during a break

Charter our Community volunteers pose before getting to work

Charter employee Joanne preps walls for painting

Rebuilding Together Volunteer Vince and ARI Manager of Development & Recreation Gerard repair cabinets

Stamford Police Association volunteers do some prep work before replacing a window

Stamford Police Association volunteers work on window installation

Stamford Police Association Volunteers paint a stairwell

Charter Communications employee Sukhdev paints some indoor trim

(L-R) Charter our Community volunteers Paulo and Manny put a final coat of paint on the office wall

A Stamford Police Association Volunteer paints some trim

Stamford Police Department Chaplain Rev. John paints the office wall

Stamford Police Association volunteers repair the outside stairs

Charter our Community volunteers repair kitchen cabinets