The Carver community greatly benefits from the very generous financial support the Community Fund of Darien and the New Canaan Community Foundation award us.

But the staff go further in giving by working together for the benefit of our community. Today, they decorated the Carver Community Center gymnasium in preparation for our annual Holiday Party this evening. Tonight, hundreds of community children will receive gifts, have their faces painted, play games, dance, and visit with Santa, all under the glow of their magical holiday adornments.

The staff of these two great organizations work together all year long.

For example, each Thanksgiving season the two foundations produce the "Most Generous Town" fundraising competition. What began as a fun way to encourage local donors to give to the two nonprofits on "Giving Tuesday" — a nationally-recognized day focused on charitable donations on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — evolved into a full-fledged week of giving, ending on Thanksgiving. By highlighting the final day of the competition at the widely-attended Turkey Bowl football game, the foundations draws even more attention to their shared mission of mobilizing resources where they are most needed in our local community.

Everyone wins, especially our youth!