Honoring Those Who Help

To the Editor:

 The Family Counseling Center has been providing mental health counseling to children, their families, and individuals in the Newtown area for over 20 years. During that span, numerous individuals and institutions in Newtown have generously supported the center and on May 13 we are going to honor two of them with our Friends of the Family recognition award. That evening we will be thanking Bob Tendler and the parishioners of Trinity Episcopal Church for their contributions to the Family Counseling Center and to the greater Newtown community.

 For almost 25 years, Bob Tendler has run one of the most successful real estate companies in Fairfield County. But more importantly to organizations like The Family Counseling Center, Bob has been one of Newtown’s most involved residents. There is hardly a club or organization in town that has not benefited from Bob’s support through his extensive volunteer work, fundraising, and enthusiastic participation in those events and causes that are important to a vibrant, family centered community like Newtown. And he has imbued his Tendler Reality team with his strong belief in the obligation and responsibility of business people to give back to the community in which they work.

 From atop Church Hill Road, Trinity Episcopal Church has been a beacon of faith and strength in Newtown for generations. Trinity is the primary reason that The Family Counseling Center is here in Newtown. In 1983, members of the church’s Outreach Commission saw a need for a local counseling center as a way of improving family life for area residents and they had the vision and leadership to make it happen. After careful study and planning, the parishioners of Trinity provided the seed money and the organizational skills that established the center. We are just one of numerous organizations and individuals in Western Connecticut and beyond who have been blessed to have the support of the people of Trinity Church.

We hope those who wish to join us in honoring Bob Tendler and Trinity Episcopal Church for their contributions to the betterment of life in Newtown will join us on May 13 at Capellaro’s Grove in Bethel. For more information on our Friends of the Family Recognition Dinner, please call the Family Counseling Center at 426-8013.

Sincerely,

Joe Humeston

Chairman, Board of Directors

The Family Counseling Center, Inc

8 Jeremiah Road, Sandy Hook                                     April 28, 2004