Shelton's Spooner House To Honor Emergency Personnel

Local emergency service personnel will be honored later this month during the Spooner House’s 4th annual Community Open House.

According to Susan Agamy, executive director of the Spooner House, police officers, firefighters and ambulance personnel from Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton have helped the clients of the homeless shelter over the years, and this year it’s time to pay them back.

“The emergency service personnel in the area are very important to our residents and counselors,” Agamy said. “We are delighted to honor all firefighters, police and ambulance workers in five of the lower Naugatuck valley towns at this year’s Open House.”

The event will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. July 31 at the Spooner House, 30 Todd Rd., Shelton. A special ceremony to honor all the emergency personnel will be happen at 2 p.m.

Agamy encouraged anyone who is planning to attend the Open House to bring a donation of cleaning or paper supplies, in order to help keep the shelter and the food bank’s shelves stocked. Some of the suggested supplies needed are laundry detergent, fabric softener sheets, bleach, floor cleaner, all-purpose cleansers (non-abrasive), stainless steel cleanser, dish soap, toilet bowl cleaner, glass cleaner, liquid hand soap, Lysol spray, Lysol cleaning wipes, rubber gloves (all sizes), sponges, paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, napkins, plastic wrap, aluminum foil and Ziploc bags (all sizes).

During the Open House, tours of the facility will be conducted throughout the afternoon, where attendees can meet the staff and members of the Board of Directors. Refreshments will be served, courtesy of the Spooner House‘s more than 30 volunteer supports groups.

The Spooner House is the Valley’s only area homeless shelter, and is run by Area Congregations Together. The facility serves approximately 250 men, women and children each year, providing them shelter, food and various support services.

Last year, ACT’s food bank program provided 125,000 meals to 2,700 people in the Valley, 900 of them being children. Agamy said ACT is on track this year to “hit 140,000 meals by the end of year, representing a 44 percent increase in need.” Officials said the rising need for help can be attributed to the poor economy, because going back to 2006, before the economy tanked, ACT provided just 61,000 meals to Valley residents. The mission of the Spooner House, according to officials, is to help clients “establish self-sufficiency in an atmosphere of respect and dignity.”

For information call 203-225-0453 or visit www.act-spooner.org