June 2021 NH News
NHA Names New Director of Housing Operations
Anna T. Keegan is an accomplished attorney with over eight years of experience in housing law. Prior to joining the Norwalk Housing Authority, Ms. Keegan worked for the City of Norwalk, first as Civil Rights & Fair Rent Investigator, and later as Acting Director of the Human Relations & Fair Rent Department, in which role she continued to fulfill all previous duties reporting to the Fair Rent and Human Relations Commissions, as well as taking on the roles of City ADA Coordinator, and Affirmative Action Officer. Before coming to Norwalk, Ms. Keegan worked in employment law with the Law Offices of William Palmieri and did pro-bono work in civil rights law with the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, assisting in cases on a wide variety of civil rights issues. Ms. Keegan is a licensed member of the Connecticut Bar, and previously served as the Human Rights Chair on the Young Lawyers Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association. She holds a BA in philosophy from Louisiana State University and earned her juris doctorate degree at the Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude.
Residents Ages 16 and up Register NOW for your COVID-19 Vaccine appointment and transportation!
All CT individuals 16 years of age or older are now eligible and qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine. Several scheduling options are available.
Don't Let Transportation Stop You From Getting the Vaccine!
Schedule by Phone with the Connecticut Vaccine Appointment Assist Line
Residents can call 877-918-2224, seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for appointments AND get connected with a ride to and from your appointment throughout the state of Connecticut. The Vaccine Appointment Assist Line is open 7 days a week from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Dial 877-918-2224 to speak with a Vaccine Appointment Specialist who can help you schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment and access transportation assistance. The Vaccine Appointment Assist Line can also provide assistance to those who face language and technology barriers and those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Schedule Online
Appointments can also be made online. To register online and make an appointment, fill out the State of CT online form: https://dphsubmissions.ct.gov/OnlineVaccine
Assistance for Seniors (55 and older)
The City of Norwalk has partnered with the Senior Services Coordinating Council and the Norwalk Senior Center to launch phone assistance lines for Norwalk seniors seeking information regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
Seniors may call:
- Senior Services Coordinating Council (203) 434-1876, or
- Norwalk Senior Center at (203) 847-3115 (English) or (203) 299-1500 (Español).
Drive Thru Food Distribution Every Wednesday
New Location: Veteran's Park, 42 Seaview Avenue
New Hours: 8:30 AM - 11:30AM
Please do not arrive before 7:30 AM
Please remain in your vehicles and open the trunk when it's your turn in line.
Food Is Distributed While Supplies Last
~ Limited Walk-Ups Welcome
If you're unable to get food, please visit any of the pantries: NorwalkCT.org/1834/Food-Access
Unemployed? Looking to learn a new trade or advance your existing employment? CT Pathways and Health Career Academy Programs may be the answer!
Two programs are available that may provide free training for certain credit and noncredit programs at Norwalk Community College, and free training for certificate programs in the health care field:
- Norwalk Community College SNAP Employment and Training Program
- Health Career Academy (offered through The Workplace)
Online summer classes will be available.
Norwalk Community College SNAP Employment and Training Program
If you are receiving SNAP (food stamp) benefits and not receiving money from Temporary Family Assistance (TANF), and if you are a United States citizen, you may be eligible to receive a scholarship to participate in SNAP Employment & Training for certain credit and non credit programs offered at Norwalk Community College (NCC). Some noncredit programs include computer repair, group exercise instructor, security officer, homemaker companion and many more. Some credit certificates include Culinary Arts, Early Childhood education, Medical Office Specialist and more.
For more information, visit Norwalk.edu/extended-studies/snap or contact Jenine Carlson at NCC, Email, 203-857-7059.
Health Career Academy
Are you interested in a new career in the growing health care field? Learn about FREE training at Southwestern CT Health CareeRx Academy. Offered through the WorkPlace, some training opportunities include C.N.A., Pharmacy Tech, Patient Care Tech, Medical Billing and Coding, and more. Eligibility requirements are based on family income or those that have been unemployed. For more information or to sign up for a free virtual information session, visit their website: Workplace.org/health-career-academy, or contact Adrene Corey, 203-930-1637, Email
Smilow Life Center's New Financial Opportunity Center Serving Residents
Open Doors has launched a new Financial Opportunity Center at the Smilow Life Center, 55 Chestnut Street, Norwalk. The Financial Opportunity Center serves local residents from low-to-moderate income households with financial counseling, employment services and income support.
Financial Coaching: Set and reach financial goals through strategies to improve credit, develop budgets, and work toward a state of financial wellness and security
Employment Services: Find or retain employment, or improve job skills to advance your career
Income Support: Access resources for assistance through one-on-one assessment to determine eligibility for benefits, and get connected to local providers
In addition, entry level computer courses will soon be offered at the Smilow Life Center.
Call to schedule an appointment, 203-866-1057.
Make Summer a Season of Learning
Just because school ends for summer break, the reading doesn't have to! In fact, lazy summer days are the perfect time for students to relax with great books and ensure that they maintain the reading skills which they worked hard to build all year long. According to the U.S. Department of Education, children lose as much as 25% of their reading skills during the summertime. Fortunately, learning never has to stop. Children who read throughout the summer gain skills and can start the new school year with a better understanding of language and the world around them, and discover the joy of reading. The more they like to read, the more they will read. Many of the skills that are critical for growing strong readers and writers are also core skills in the study of science and math. Predicting, understanding cause and effect, understanding sequence, acquiring a rich vocabulary, building background knowledge, and developing the ability to read and write informational text are some of the skills we're looking at in the Literacy in the Sciences Need some reading inspiration? Here are interesting websites https://storylineonline.net, https://www.funbrain.com,
and https://www.readingrockets.org/extras/stem. Students love these sites!
Summer Slide
What exactly does the term "summer slide" mean? Unfortunately, it's not a playground equipment that you can buy for your students' or own kids' enjoyment during summer. Summer slide refers to the loss of academic skills - especially math and literacy skills - that occurs during summer break. We hear again and again how kids are encouraged to read a lot of books or engage in summer activities linked to reading during summer. However, Math and Science should also be given the attention they deserve. According to studies, Math skills tend to decline more during summer, since kids tend to be more likely occupied with reading tasks. Science is also pushed aside with video games and other areas of interests being pursued more. Luckily, there are many Math and Science activities that can be done over the summer break to make sure kids do more than the usual reading of books. Take a few minutes to search the Internet for some STEM ideas you can use during the summer to keep your children interested and engaged in learning.
Here are some activity sites that you can use to help prevent summer slide in children:
Learning Center Summer 2021
Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Date: June 28 - August 19
Time: Monday - Thursday 9:30 AM - 2:45 PM
Our Activities:
- Swimming
- Games
- Art
- Cooking
- Beach
- Music
- Physical Fitness
- STEM
- Movies
- Fieldtrips
- Literacy
- Breakfast/Lunch & More
Student Success Program
One-On-One Tutoring in Math & Reading with our Special Virtual Volunteers
Enroll Online!
Spots Will Fill Up Quickly! Contact us to Enroll Now!
Roodner Court Learning Center
203.810.5604
Colonial Village Learning Center
203.810.5605
Meadow Gardens Learning Center
203.810.5606
King Kennedy Learning Center
203.810.5608