Blog - Operation Hope of Fairfield

UI, SCG, and CNG Award Operation Hope Tax Credit Funds through Neighborhood Assistance Act

Jan 11, 2024

Operation Hope is fortunate to be a recipient of funding through Connecticut’s Neighborhood Assistance Act (NAA) Tax Credit Program from United Illuminating (UI), Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) and Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) – subsidiaries of Avangrid, Inc. Funding will be used to purchase energy-efficient rehab and upgrades to Operation Hope’s affordable housing units. The NAA program is administered by the State of Connecticut through the Department of Revenue Services (DRS). Read the full press release here.

As housing units age, Operation Hope experiences rehab costs that need attention. Required updates include roofs, HVAC systems (heating and air conditioning), windows, and energy efficient bulbs and appliances. Each of these items were part of the energy conservation efforts in line with the NAA tax credits received, and thanks to UI, SCG and CNG, ensure our housing clients have a safe place to live and a roof over their head.

Pictured here is Nadege JeanLouis, Operation Hope’s Affordable Housing Program Manager, accepting the funding.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Closure

Jan 10, 2024

Operation Hope’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day closures are:

Business office & Pantry (636 Old Post Road) closed Monday, January 15, 2024 (donations are not accepted during business closures)
Community Kitchen (50 Nichols Street) closed Monday, January 15, 2024
Business office and Community Kitchen re-open January 16, Pantry reopens January 17

Lights on Lalley Illuminates Night Skies with Hope for 6th Year

Jan 9, 2024

Lights on Lalley illuminates the holiday night skies with hope! Thanks to Alex Staikos and the Staikos family for opening their home once again to share the magic of the season and raise money to help our neighbors in need. For now six years in a row, Fairfield Alex Staikos has been illuminating his desire to help our neighbors in need by creating an incredible holiday lights display at his family’s home. Operation Hope is fortunate to be the recipient of 100% of the donations for all six years. Year 1 brought in $175; year 2 brought in $650; year 3, thanks to a very generous match from an anonymous donor, brought in a whopping $2,465; in year 4, Alex raised an astounding $4,850; year 5 brought in $1,000, and this year, $792.97 was raised. The grand total is $9,932.97 donated to Operation Hope over the six years. And this year, Alex won 1st place in the Fairfield Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation “Light Up Fairfield 2023” contest!

The Fairfield light tour continues to be a favorite holiday activity, and the Staikos home is always a featured stop for holiday cheer. And, as Alex is attending Clemson University, we are so happy he has kept the spirit of Christmas alive on Lalley Boulevard despite being away at college for the majority of the holiday season! Thank you to Alex, his family and everyone who donated to Lights on Lalley. We appreciate you helping our neighbors in need and for bringing smiles to the faces of so many of our town’s residents.

Fairfield Girl Scout Troops Donate 200 Dozen Cookies for Client Christmas Baskets

Jan 3, 2024

Fairfield Girl Scout Troop 30151 hosted its 7th Annual Cookie Platter Project for Operation Hope in December, making 200 cookie boxes of a dozen cookies each – that’s 2,400 cookies, if you’re counting! Hershey kisses and mini candy canes were also included in these treat boxes that were passed along to our clients along with their Christmas meal baskets. Thanks so much to all Fairfield Girl Scout troops and volunteers around town who provided cookies and treats. The Scouts assembled the boxes at First Church Congregational and delivered them next door to us.

Donate to Fill Our Pantry Shelves this Month

Jan 3, 2024

January is typically a low month for food pantry donations. If you’re stocking up on your pantry basics, please take a moment to help our neighbors in need. Our most pressing needs are cash, checks and grocery store gifts cards, which allow us to purchase fresh produce, dairy and meat for our clients.

Regular sized items (not bulk) appreciated. Drop off at our pantry M-F, 9am-4:30pm at 636 Old Post Road; there’s a drop off area to the left of the building. Please ring the bell and someone will greet you. Please do not leave donations unattended and when the office is closed. Monetary donations are always welcome so we can purchase exactly what we need for our clients, donate here. Or, feel free to purchase from our Amazon wish list here and your donation will be shipped directly to the pantry. Thank you!

– CASH, CHECKS, GROCERY STORE GIFT CARDS (to buy perishables)

– Pasta sauce

– Juice (not juice boxes)

– Jelly & honey

– Cereal & oatmeal

– Pancake syrup

– Nuts

– Toilet paper

– Flushable wipes

– Canned tuna & other canned fish

– Canned chicken & other canned meats

– Brown rice

– Sugar

– Oil

– Sizes 5 & 6 diapers

New Year’s Closures

Dec 27, 2023

Operation Hope’s New Year closures are as follows:

Business office & Pantry (636 Old Post Rd) closed Monday, January 1, 2024 (donations are not accepted during business closures)

Community Kitchen (50 Nichols St) closed Monday, January 1, 2024

Business office and Community Kitchen re-open January 2, Pantry reopens January 3.

Schedule Your Christmas Tree Pick Up with Paul & Help Operation Hope

Dec 26, 2023

Are you looking for a little extra help to clear out your holiday clutter? Book a tree pick up from Paul at Ruscito Resolutions! 🎄Easy peasy! For just $20, your tree will be picked up at your convenience and taken to WeCare Denali for an environmentally friendly disposal. Your tree will be recycled into mulch compost and top soil. $5 of each tree pick up will be donated to Operation Hope! ❤️

For the second time, Ruscito Resolutions is picking up non-perishable donations with your tree pick up to help stock our Food Pantry. Tree pick up runs December 26 through January 16. Call or text Paul at 203-767-1582 to book your tree pick up. Thank you to Paul for this innovative way to help YOU, help a small local business and help our neighbors in need! Keep Paul in mind for other small jobs, such as dump runs, assembling furniture/sheds and other odd jobs.

Season’s Greetings from Operation Hope of Fairfield

Dec 22, 2023

Season’s greetings from Operation Hope of Fairfield!

It is a time to reflect on all that has happened over the last year and count our blessings. We are grateful for the generosity from so many individuals, businesses and organizations in our community. Sharing your time, talents and treasure to support our neighbors in need is vital. Thank you for placing your faith in us and for sharing our hope that together, we can make a difference in the lives of our struggling neighbors.

I am so very proud of the many ways the Operation Hope team and our Board continues to go above and beyond for our clients during yet another difficult year. I thank them for all they do every day to keep our clients safe and supported.

As another year draws to a close, I hope each of you has a chance to pause, reflect and enjoy the magic of the season. From all of us at Operation Hope, we wish you and your loved ones peace, health and happiness this holiday season and in the New Year!

Gratefully yours,

Carla Miklos

Executive Director

Operation Hope of Fairfield

Fairfield Board of REALTORS Helps Alleviate Homelessness during Holiday Season

Dec 22, 2023

For 8 years, Connecticut Association of REALTORS® Foundation, Inc. has supported Operation Hope by partnering with Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness in the “be homeful for the holidays” campaign. Since 2015, the campaign has prevented more than 1,600 children and families from ever having to experience the hardship of homelessness. Thanks to generous donors to this campaign, a child in Connecticut will stay safe in their home. And, for every $25 donated, the CT REALTORS Foundation will gift a plush Paddington bear to a child living in a shelter this holiday season We are grateful for the continued support from this dedicated group, and in particular, Mary Beth Grasso from the Greater Fairfield Board of REALTORS. Mary Beth is pictured here with Operation Hope’s Volunteer Coordinator, Michelle Stearns. What a sweet way to care for our littlest neighbors in need

Pepe’s Gives Back – Operation Hope of Fairfield

Dec 21, 2023

Built on a family tradition of hard work and customer loyalty, Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana has long been inspired to help support their neighbors. Knowing its success comes from the community’s love of Pepe’s world famous pizza, the restaurant is thrilled to help the neighbors who have made Pepe’s such a great place.

For the past year, Operation Hope of Fairfield was fortunate to be one of the agencies that was part of Pepe’s Gives Back initiative. Our Community Kitchen, which feeds up to 50 people at lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday, received 10 pizzas every Tuesday to serve our guests. Our Community Kitchen relies on donations for the meals served, so this sustained donation has been such a blessing. For anyone who knows pizza and who knows Pepe’s, you are well aware what a treat this is, and especially for our Community Kitchen guests. Our guests loved Pizza Tuesdays! And often, dinner is the only meal many of our guests will have eaten that day.

We are eternally grateful for the kindness, generosity, goodwill and loyalty of the Fairfield Pepe’s location shown toward our neighbors in need and toward us. We appreciate the support given and encourage our community to return the favor by dining in or taking out at Pepe’s Fairfield this holiday season and all year long!

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