Supporting the People who Support Darien

In January 2021, Corbin Cares Phase Two in partnership with The Darien Foundation, provided restaurant-prepared meals from Bodega Taco Bar, Four Forks, Michael Joseph’s Catering, and Parlor Pizza to our town’s essential workers, including Darien Public School teachers and staff, the Darien Police Department, three volunteer fire departments, Darien EMS – Post 53, Darien postal workers, and essential town employees. 910 family dinners for essential workers and 110 “Posties” were served. The response was overwhelming and took the form of numerous heartwarming notes and emails shared here. 
Video: Corbin Cares & Darien's Essential Workers
"...I am so very humbled and grateful as a Town Employee..."
-Angela Clark
"It really made me feel very special and appreciated. I am so thankful and love my teaching job in Darien!!..."
-Jill Cardamone
"As a Paraprofessional in our elementary school system, I know what kindness truly means."
-Mattia Tarantino
"The generosity and support that Darien has shown to those who work here in town is incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated."
-Jeanne Turschmann
"The meals were enjoyed and appreciated by all and the organization of such a unique and kind gesture was especially touching during such an unusual year."
-Dr. Felicia J. Bellows
"...The generosity and support that Darien has shown to those who work here in town is incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated."
-Jeanne Turschmann
"...My staff was so honored to be recognized by this kindness..."
-Kathy Schultz
"...Little things surely make a big difference. The generosity of the organizers and the community is truly wonderful and much appreciated."
-Jennifer D’Amico
"It’s amazing gestures like these that reinforces that there is good, in a world that is currently off kilter!"
-Stacie Klein
"You are truly amazing...and the fact that it helps not only Darien's essential workers, but also its critical business infrastructure is sheer brilliance. "
-Chris Schneider
"In our twenty years of living and working in town, this was the most thoughtful gesture that has been expressed to us as teachers."
-Peter and Cara Martin
"...Teaching this year has been a challenge and test of patience and will. At the same time, I have never seen such support and encouragement from the community here in Darien."
-Austin Scelzo
"...As a teacher, it made me feel very appreciated!"
-Carmela Di Stasio
"This incredible charitable gift to the staff was such a surprise and an enormously generous give back to our teachers..."
-Garan Mullin
"Not only was my meal at Bodega extremely generous (and delicious), but knowing that we are appreciated and thought of within the community means more than you will ever know. "
-Vanessa Kowalski
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“I am so very humbled and grateful as a Town Employee to be able to enjoy a meal from Michael Joseph’s.  A big thank you to Corbin Cares for their generosity.”

-Angela Clark

Hello David,

Happy 2021!

 

Thank you for being a huge part of the effort to honor and recognize “front line and essential” workers in Darien.

I am the PE teacher at Royle School and my family and I enjoyed a delicious chicken marsala dinner with rice and a salad from Michael Joseph’s!

 

It really made me feel very special and appreciated.  I am so thankful and love my teaching job in Darien!! Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity.

 

Be safe and well,

Jill Cardamone

Dear Mr. Genovese and Mr. Glassmeyer, 

 

Your thoughtfulness and kindness is beyond words. As a Paraprofessional in our elementary school system, I know what kindness truly means. 2020 has been quite the challenge to say the least.  It’s people like you that make me proud of our community and who think of others and ways they can help and make it better. Thank you for the dinner and I wish you all the best in 2021. Keep making our town beautiful !!

Mattia Tarantino
Holmes School 

Thank you for the wonderful dinner that was provided through Corbin Cares and the Darien Foundation.  The generosity and support that Darien has shown to those who work here in town is incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated.

 

The chicken marsala from Michael Joseph’s was fantastic!

 

Thank you again,

Jeanne Turschmann

5th Grade – Hindley School

Dear David and Ward,

 

Thank you for the wonderful dinner that was provided through Corbin Cares and The Darien Foundation. The generosity and support that Darien has shown to those who work here in town is incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated.

The chicken marsala from Michael Joseph’s was fantastic!

 

Thank you again,

Jeanne Turschmann

David and Ward,

 

I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation for your support and donation of dinner to us!!  It is such a wonderful idea and shows great kindness. My staff was so honored to be recognized by this kindness, they have been buzzing about it all week!!

 

It is so wonderful to have such a kindness bestowed upon us!!!!

 

Kathy Schultz

Assistant Principal, Tokeneke School

I’d like to express my gratitude for the delicious meal provided for my family from Four Fork. It was so nice to get home and have dinner ready to enjoy. Little things surely make a big difference. The generosity of the organizers and the community is truly wonderful and much appreciated. 

 

Warm regards, 

Jennifer D’Amico

Assistant Principal, Hindley Elementary School

Mr. Genovese and Mr. Glassmeyer,

 

Thank you so very much for you thoughtfulness and your generosity during these trying times. It’s amazing gestures like these that reinforces that there is good, in a world that is currently off kilter!

 

We will be enjoying a family pizza night from one of our favorite places, Parlor Pizza in Wilton!!

 

Thank you again!

Stacie Klein

Admin. Asst., AP/SESS

Dave,

 

Wow, what an incredible gesture of kindness!  You are truly amazing…and the fact that it helps not only Darien’s essential workers, but also its critical business infrastructure is sheer brilliance.  Merry Christmas to you and your entire family.  I look forward to seeing you after the craziness of this pandemic is behind us to buy you a drink!

 

Best wishes,

Chris Schneider

Noroton Heights Fire Department

Ward and David-

 

I am writing on behalf of my wife and family to express our gratitude for your thoughtful gift.  I teach and MMS and had Ryan in class a few years back and I recently met with Dennis for his Board of Review for his Star rank for Scouting.  My wife and I were fortunate to share her meal from Bodega with our son before he went back to school.  My wife teaches the IDEA program at Royle, Tokeneke, and Hindley.  It was sad not to share my lasagna from Michael Josephs with my son, but that only meant more for me :) 

 

In our twenty years of living and working in town, this was the most thoughtful gesture that has been expressed to us as teachers.

 

Thank you for your kindness and our best to your families.

Peter and Cara Martin

On behalf of my whole household here in Danbury, I’d like to express my most sincere gratitude for the meal provided through Corbin Cares and the Darien Foundation. Teaching this year has been a challenge and test of patience and will. At the same time, I have never seen such support and encouragement from the community here in Darien. 

 

Thank you for this incredibly kind gesture. In a year of incredible teacher turnover around the country, people like you are the reason why, despite tremendous challenges, teachers didn’t give up this year. 

-Austin Scelzo

Hi David and Edward,

 

My family and I would like to thank you for the very generous family night dinner from Bodega!  It was a lovely surprise that I was able to enjoy with them.  We are looking forward to going there for dinner someday soon!

 

As a teacher, it made me feel very appreciated!

 

Best regards,

Carmela Di Stasio

Dear Mr. Genovese and Mr. Glassmeyer,

 

I hope this email finds you well and enjoying a happy and healthy start to the New Year. I am writing to express my deepest thanks to you and the Corbin Cares Foundation for the generous gift to the employees of the Darien Public Schools, and other first responders in Darien. As Principal of Royle, I have been looking for ways over the past 10 months to make sure my staff feel appreciated and loved. This incredible charitable gift to the staff was such a surprise and an enormously generous give back to our teachers who have worked so hard to make sure the students are Darien are taken care of, taught, and loved. My Italian upbringing always tells me that food is the best way to show people you love them, and that could not be more true in these times! I am so proud and honored to work in this incredible community.

 

Thank you,

Garan Mullin

Principal, Royle School

Dear Ward and David,

 

I wanted to extend a huge thank you to you and the other members of Corbin Cares.  Not only was my meal at Bodega extremely generous (and delicious), but knowing that we are appreciated and thought of within the community means more than you will ever know.  This act of kindness AND generosity has kept a huge smile on my face, as well as my colleagues. 

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Vanessa Kowalski