Agency of the Year Award:
Valley YMCA
The mission
of the Valley YMCA is to serve the people
within our area through Christian ideals by providing opportunities to enhance
spirit, mind and body. The YMCA values the attributes of Caring, Honesty,
Respect and Responsibility. Through these values, the Valley YMCA has been
serving the residents of Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton since
1866.
At the Valley YMCA "We build
strong kids, strong families, strong communities." This phrase sums up the
programs and involvements of the Valley YMCA. Child care, pre-school, youth
fitness, adult fitness, sports, camps, aquatics, rooms for single men and more
can be found at the Y. Through its Youth Fund and Annual Support Campaign,
Valley YMCA offers financial assistance to anyone who cannot afford to become a
member or participate in a program.
Valley YMCA approaches its
mission in a number of ways both within and outside of its facility at 12 State
Street in Ansonia. The agency collaborates with other organizations in the
community to promote and streamline access to services by community members.
Staff members are involved in the Valley Council for Health and Human Services,
Rotary and other groups and organizations in the community and state and; during
the holidays, Valley YMCA sponsors a Giving Tree which provides an avenue for
community members to provide caring assistance to families in our community.
Savitsky Staff
Excellence Award
Michele
Holovach:
Michele has been an educator for 32 years. She joined the staff at Valley
Regional Adult Education in 1993 and began teaching ESL classes. She also taught
the adult basic education & GED courses and parenting classes at the Tinney
Community Center. Michele is a trained workplace auditor and taught workplace
ESL classes.
In 2000, Michele became the Director of Valley Even Start. She is a
nationally certified Parents as Teachers Parent Educator and has provided the
Derby School Readiness program with parenting workshops for four years.
Michele is a member of many councils and committees including the Valley
Council of Health and Human Services and its Early Childhood subcommittee; TEAM,
Inc. Policy Council; Prevention Through Early Intervention Advisory Committee;
Valley Director’s Network; Derby School Readiness Council, Shelton School
Readiness Council, co-chair of Ansonia School Readiness Council, and secretary
of Seymour School Readiness Council. She also serves on the Graustein Discovery
Committees of Derby and Shelton and she is the co-chair of the Ansonia Discovery
Committee.
In 2004, Michele was cited by the CT Family Day Committee and State Senator
Joe Crisco for her work with families. Michele was the recipient of the 2005
Wilbur Cross Award for Humanities Director of the Year. She lives in North
Haven with her husband of 30 years, Joe and her daughters, Ashley – a graduate
of Framingham State College and Whitney - a junior at UMass Amherst.
Laura Mutrie: Laura is Director of Clinical
Services at the Parent Child Resource Center, received a B.A. from Fairfield
University, an M.S.W. from Columbia University School of Social Work and
completed Post-graduate training in Family Skills Development at the Ackerman
Family Institute in New York. Laura developed PCRC’s Internship Program into a
sought after field work placement for students pursuing their Master’s of Social
Work degrees. Columbia, Fordham, Southern, and Fairfield Universities have all
placed students at the agency.
Laura has been instrumental in developing many programs offered by PCRC to
address the concerns of families, schools, and other providers in the area.
These programs includethe Prevention through Early Intervention Project (PEIP),
IMPACT, an intensive mentoring program, to match children and adolescents with
positive role models in the community and Laura was an important part in
bringing Motheread/Fatheread to the Valley. And, in one of her greatest
undertakings as Director of Clinical Services, Laura supervised the development
of TRECC – Training in Relationships and Emotional Competency for Children – the
Valley’s only intensive outpatient program for children.
Laura is also an active volunteer with many special projects in the area.
She has been the Chair of the Derby School Readiness/Graustein Discovery
Committee, a member of the Connecticut State Behavioral Health Response Team,
and she chairs the Community Mental Health Crisis Team. She also presents to
groups throughout the Valley on topics such as Physical and Sexual Abuse Issues,
Eating Disorders, Coping with the Loss of a Child, and Anxiety.
In October 2006, Laura received the TEAM, Inc. Lillian Chrostowski Award.
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