This bustling community center in the Elmwood section of West Hartford serves the entire town with a wide array of classes, leisure activities, trips and special events; it hosts a senior center as well. Elmwood's facilities include an auditorium, a full-sized gym, a billiards room, a dance studio, a pottery and ceramics studio, a library, a lounge, classrooms of various sizes and two kitchens. The facility is also available for rent for events ranging from weddings to business seminars.
Historic Christ Episcopal Church located on Main Street adjacent to the historic district has been an institutional fixture in the town of Stratford for more than three centuries. The Church celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2007.
Christ Episcopal Church offers regular Sunday and weekly services, Sunday School for children, a Teen Ministry, Adult Education, music programs (including children's and adult bell choir) and other programs.
The Rev. Mary Canavan is the interim rector, the Rev. Lee Forshaw is Deacon, and the Rev. James Wilson is the resident priest.
Christ Episcopal Church also has an active lay Vestry that works with the Church leadership in leading the parish.
The small but vibrant parish of St. Agnes is home to a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, a grotto similar to the original in France.
Mass is held Monday through Thursday and on Holy Days at 9am. A Saturday vigil is read at 5pm, and confessions are heard on the first Saturday of the month after the evening service. Sunday services are at 8:30am and 10am.
Professional soloists and an organist fill the church with music during Mass. Catechism classes for grades one through eight meet on Wednesday afternoons and guide children through the sacraments of First Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation. The church's large carriage room includes a kitchen and bar, suitable for receptions and parties. It can seat up to 220 people.
The Church of Saint Brigid is the oldest Catholic church in West Hartford. The original church was opened in 1917. The present church was completed in 1951. Its priest is Monsignor Douglas P. Clancy. Monsignor Clancy presently serves on the pastors' advisory council for the archbishop's annual appeal and on the board of trustees for the foundation and advancement of catholic schools. It has masses on Saturdays and Sundays.
Located inside the Greenwich Library, Community Answers is here to set you straight. The team will work with you to answer any questions you have regarding the Greenwich area from community organizations to services and special events.
The Goodwill Career Center offers free services, including workshops, one-on-one assistance and more, for disabled, mentally ill and economically disadvantaged individuals who are applying for employment. Programs include resume writing, references, cover letter writing, interview skills, Internet and e-mail basics, money management and stress management, as well as residential services, supported living services, bilingual services, retail programs and more. The center has four computers, a fax machine, a copier, a scanner and telephones available for use. Please call or visit the website for more information or to make a donation.
St. Mark offers weekly Mass at 5pm on Saturdays and at 8am and 10:30am on Sundays. Weekday Mass is held at 9am, and Reconciliation is held on Saturdays between 3:45pm and 4:30pm.
The First Lutheran Church in downtown Greenwich is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Services are held year-round at 10:30am on Sundays. The congregation meets for coffee after the service, and adults are then invited to attend Bible Study. Sunday School for children is held at 9:30am before worship.
The church's parish hall can accommodate up to 100 people, and a few smaller classrooms are available for use by community groups.
The traditional service at First Presbyterian Church begins at 10am each Sunday, during which time children through the 7th grade are invited to attend education programs. The semi-professional Chancel Choir leads the service.
An additional Sunday evening service is held in the Anderson Chapel at 5pm and during the summer months, an 8:30am service is held in the Seaside Garden at Greenwich Point, weather permitting. Childcare is available during all services.
In addition to Sunday School, children can participate in the church choirs. There's a special youth group for middle school children as well as a Confirmation class. Faith Inspired Senior High (FISH) provides highschoolers with an array of faith-formation and social activities.
The Fellowship Committee coordinates a number of activities and family events throughout the year, including the annual summer picnic and Homecoming Sunday.
The First Presbyterian Church Nursery School also operates at the church.
Pat-A-Cake is a Christian preschool and child care center that offers an all-year program for children from 3 months to 5 years old.
The school was founded in January 2006. The school teaches "hands-on" play and offers activities to develop social, emotional, cognitive and verbal skills.
The character and size of Grass Island has changed dramatically since the early 1940s when the land served largely as a dumping ground. The shorefront property has now doubled its original size and serves many a purpose.
A portion of the island remains the Town's sewage treatment plant. Greenwich Yacht Club maintains the parking lot, clubhouse and boat slips. The marina is open to the public. The remaining 14 acres is a managed conservation area, maintained as a meadow with a variety of grasses and wildflowers. It is a haven for wildlife. Grass Island is open to Greenwich residents all year.
Byram Shubert Library is one of three public libraries that make up the Greenwich Library System. Town librarians say it is the "cultural, educational and social heart of Byram and Western Greenwich."
The branch is named after John Shubert, a famed theater owner and operator whose wife was an influential advocate for the library's construction.
The building has doubled in size since it first opened in 1974. Today the library boasts a large collection of adult, young adult and children's literature; some books are available in Spanish. Periodicals include local and national newspapers and magazines in both English and Spanish. Magazine back issues can be checked out.
Story hours for various age groups, seasonal reading clubs and film screenings are offered throughout the year. The library's meeting room seats 125 and is available for free to Greenwich nonprofit clubs and organizations. Reservations are required.
Since 1953, the volunteer organization known as the Friends of the Byram Shubert Library has helped support the programming and maintenance of the library. Anyone who lives, works or studies in Greenwich is eligible to obtain a library card, free of charge.
Habitat ReStore is a division of Habitat for Humanity. Materials not used to build Habitat homes are sold here. The ReStore accepts donations of building materials, furniture and appliances. It offers validation for tax reduction filing. A complete list of items carried by Habitat ReStore can be accessed on the organization’s website.
This expansive thrift store for the international non-profit features clothing for children and adults, as well as housewares and small furniture items. Proceeds from the thrift store benefit the organization's mission to help the homeless, abused and disadvantaged. While used clothing is not accepted at this site, it is accepted at Salvation Army bins and other locations around the state.
The Historic Perry House of Stratford is a historic building and community space in Stratford. Managed by the nonprofit organization the Perry House Foundation, the house hosts many local charity and city events and can be rented for private events such as weddings and parties.
In 1887, the town of West Hartford opened the first public library from a donation of books from Noah Webster. Marcia Lewis is the manager of the Faxon Branch in Elmwood. The library provides books, DVD's, CD's, magazine, and research databases, to name a few services. The library also has many groups and classes available at the library.