CWU To Honor Five Residents Who Strive For Dignity For All People

The Newtown Unit and members of the former Danbury Unit of Church Women United (CWU) will honor five individuals from the community who have shown extraordinary efforts on behalf of human rights on Sunday, March 6, at 3 pm, in the Cyrenius H. Booth Library Community Room.

The public is invited. There will be a short worship service with music, followed by the presentation of the national CWU awards.

The five individuals selected from community nominations are Richard Collins, Jim Maurer, Annie Orr, Ann Puccini, and Dr Z. Michael Taweh. Each will receive a certificate and a pin.

The CWU Human Rights Celebration is an annual event to honor individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the cause of human rights regardless of gender, faith affiliation, race, national origin, economic status, or mental abilities.

This is also the 70th anniversary of CWU, an international movement that began as a peace movement and has expanded to work for the rights of women and children worldwide. “Living Our Legacy…Driving the Movement” is the international theme for the 2011 celebration with emphasis on the history of CWU.

For additional information, contact Newtown Unit President Darlene Jackson at 203-426-5192 or rascaroo@gmail.com.

The Honorees

Newtown resident Richard Collins is an active member of Newtown Congregational Church, including leading the NCC High School Sunday School program for the past three years. Mr Collins has raised awareness of many issues among NCC’s membership, and has assisted them in learning about and supporting projects that provide relief to Haiti earthquake victims and Brady’s Smile, a Fairfield-based charitable organization has a mission of promoting, improving, protecting, and sustaining the health, emotional well-being, and social development of children in need, including children suffering from illness or disability, children at risk, and underserved children.

Mr Collins has also been instrumental in getting support for and raising awareness of Friends of Autistic People (FAP) and its project to create a residential and day program for adults with autism. The farm would also promote research and understanding. In February, Mr Collins spearheaded a weekend dance at NCC for all ages that raised money for FAP’s project.

Annie Orr, a native of Queens, moved to Danbury from Philadelphia with her husband and their first two (of five) children in 1960. Since then she has volunteered in her church, First Congregational Church UCC in Danbury, and most other human service agencies in the greater Danbury Area. She is best known perhaps for her work at the Dorothy Day Hospitality House where she has volunteered since 1984 and is presently Kitchen Coordinator. She also founded the overflow shelter at her church in 2003.

Jim Maurer had been working for Emery Air Freight for 21 years when the company was purchased by Consolidated Freightways and Mr Maurer found himself out of a job. To fill the free time while looking for another job, Mr Maurer volunteered to be a companion for an elderly gentleman who belonged to his church.

In 1992 he applied for and became the director of the Danbury location for Almost Family, an adult daycare center, which allowed him the opportunity of building the local center from the ground up. By late 2004 the center had become so successful that it had gone from seeing four or five guests per day to 50 or more guests each day.

When Almost Family’s corporate headquarters decided to close the Danbury location in 2004, Mr Maurer felt that the need for such a place was too great to see it closed. When Almost Family closed on October 31, 2004, Mr Maurer reopened — having purchased the business’s vans and contents of its building — on November 1, 2004, as Almost Home. By doing this, there was no loss of services to the guests and they could continue enjoying therapeutic activities, fellowship with other members, games, occasional outings, etc in a warm and comfortable place. Most of the staff have remained, and the business continues to offer programs and services that provide a postponement, as long as possible, of having to place a loved one into an assisted living facility or nursing home.

Sandy Hook resident Ann Piccini is director of Social Services for the Town of Newtown. Ms Piccini provides services to all on the community who are in need, from basic human needs such as food and clothing to heat and finances to cover medical costs. She does this, says Peg Forbell, who nominated Ms Piccini for the CWU honor, “with compassion and her broad knowledge of the resources available to her clients.

 Dr Z. Micheal Taweh, founder, president, and medical director of Kevin’s Community Center, is also medical director for Harborside, Danbury, and Glen Hill Nursing Home in Danbury. Dr Taweh resides in Newtown, and has been a primary care physician since 1999. He maintains his medical practice in Danbury in Advance Internal Medicine.

Dr Taweh has a particular interest in nonprofit health care, and works toward health care reforms for affordable health care for all Americans. Kevin’s Community Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Dr Taweh’s 3-year-old son, who was accidentally strangled in a backyard swing.

The center — which is staffed by volunteer doctors (including Dr Tahweh), nurses, and social workers — serves individuals over the age of 18 who are uninsured or underinsured and have limited financial resources.