Volunteers convened for just a few minutes at Queen Street Shopping Center around midday Monday, November 24, before fanning out to locations across town. All the volunteers picked up mums; some also picked up bags with a few goodies and information about local programs.

When they departed with their deliveries, the 14 volunteers were part of the first wave of The Outreach by FONS. Within a few hours, 34 residents were surprised with gifts that were meant to convey the message “You haven’t been forgotten.”

The newest program under the Friends of Newtown Seniors umbrella, The Outreach by FONS grew out of Adopt-A-Senior, which FONS had done for a few holiday seasons. Co-Coordinators Beverly Bennett Schaedler and Ann Durkin say the new project is to find those in town who live alone, those who are recently widowed, and others who are otherwise isolated.

What started as a partnership with a local organization has morphed into something Bennett Schaedler and Durkin hope will continue year-round.

“Our goal is to find those that are alone, who don’t have family locally, that will spend their holidays alone, behind their closed doors,” Bennett Schaedler said December 1. She and Durkin visited the office of The Newtown Bee that afternoon, ready to talk about the new project.

The Outreach launched with a recent request for volunteers. More than two dozen people responded, according to Bennett Schaedler, and they were asked “to put their thinking caps on of where we can find these people.”

Both women were encouraged, they said, that they reached new and younger volunteers with this new project.

“I saw some brand-new faces during our first meeting,” Bennett Schaedler said. “We’re always looking for new volunteers.”

Durkin agreed, saying “a couple of younger people” showed up for the organizational meeting. Bennett Schaedler said she’d even heard from a high school freshman who wants to join the effort.

Beyond neighbors of those participating in The Outreach’s efforts, Bennett Schaedler began wondering about people who live in the local assisted living facilities and communities. Newtown Meals On Wheels was also called on, said Durkin.

“We contacted them to see if they had anyone on their routes that maybe would fall into this category,” Durkin said. “They’re very conscious of confidentiality,” she added.

Meals on Wheels (MOW) had seven people they thought would benefit from the gifts. One dedicated MOW volunteer took care of adding the plant and gift bag to the meals being delivered the week of November 24, which further protected each recipient’s privacy.

The key to everything is confidentiality. The volunteers coordinating The Outreach do not want those on the receiving end of the visits to feel like their privacy has been encroached on, nor that personal information is being shared.

“No phone numbers are given out,” Bennett Schaedler said. Once volunteers are given the first name and an address for someone, “we went knocking on the doors. If they answered, fine, we told them who we were, and if not we just left the plant and the bag.”

Durkin said some people “were afraid to open the door, so we left everything for them.”

“Hopefully they’ll recognize our name the next time,” Bennett Schaedler added.

Durkin said she wants those who receive the gifts to know their privacy is important to her and others.

“We treat it very confidential, and we stressed that to the folks that were making the deliveries: we don’t share information, you don’t talk about whose house you went to, or anything like that,” she said.

If asked by a recipient, volunteers only know that they were suggested “by someone who thought they would enjoy a little cheer,” Bennett Schaedler said.

“An angel was thinking of them,” Durkin said. “That’s what we’d like volunteers to tell them.

“I think a lot of people are hesitant to come forward for help,” she continued. “I don’t know if they’re shy, or they’re embarrassed, or they just don’t feel comfortable. We’re having a hard time finding people we can help.”

Thanksgiving Outreach

The initial outreach two weeks ago was timed to occur just ahead of Thanksgiving, and the plants were accompanied by cards with handwritten notes. Homeowners were also given a bag with a File of Life, a copy of AARP HomeFit, a nightlight, and information about FONS programs including Newtown Rides, its free in-town ride service; and Newtown Chore Services. The latter program helps senior citizens by connecting them with vetted volunteers who can assist with everything from replacing smoke detector batteries or window screens to connecting a home’s Wi-Fi to a device or doing yard clean-up and other tasks.

Both women said the reception to the first round of deliveries was very positive.

“The director at Stone Bridge was elated,” Bennett Schaedler said. She thought of nearly a dozen residents who hadn’t had any visitors, and who were facing the bleak probability of not seeing anyone during the holiday season.

Bennett Schaedler later heard, she said, that those residents “were equally elated to have that visit.”

As far as the residents who were visited at their homes, “most of them who opened their doors were very, very happy,” Bennett Schaedler said. “The ones I visited were very receptive, and happy to chat. One woman I went to, she was just elated to get the flower.

“One of our volunteers told me the person she visited started weeping, she was so pleased for the outreach,” she added.

Speaking to The Bee again on December 3, after the latest Outreach meeting, Durkin said many volunteers had similar stories.

“All recipients were very surprised, and extremely pleased to be thought of,” she said.

December Holidays & Beyond

The Outreach by FONS will have its next meeting Monday, December 15, beginning at noon, at My Place Restaurant on Queen Street. Bennett Schaedler and Durkin both encourage anyone interested in learning more, becoming a volunteer, or who can help them populate the growing list of people who would benefit from a visit to join them that afternoon.

That meeting will include time to determine how many gifts will be arranged ahead of Friday, December 19, when the second round of deliveries is planned.

“If anybody knows of anyone who could use a little holiday outreach, please let us know by then,” said Bennett Schaedler.

Funding The Outreach

The FONS Board has approved the mission of The Outreach, Bennett Schaedler said. The mums that were delivered to the first round of recipients last week were purchased by FONS.

“Thanks to the generosity of Newtown residents donating to our annual appeal, we have the funding for The Outreach,” she added.

Bennett Schaedler and Durkin know there are many more people who can benefit from The Outreach by FONS.

“We know they’re out there,” Durkin said. “In the past, when we’ve done Adopt-A-Senior we’d be given lists” from another organization, and some of the those receiving visits and gifts were in “very sad” situations.

“A lot of them were ill, they had aides but they were otherwise alone,” she said. “There has to be a lot of people that could benefit from a visit.”

Bennett Schaedler agreed.

“I want those who fall through the cracks, the ones who suffer in silence or who are too proud to ask for anything,” she said.

FONS is an all-volunteer non-profit organization, dedicated to the purpose of serving Newtown seniors, through advocacy, education, programs, and critically important services. Its 2025 Annual Appeal continues to December 15.

To learn more about The Outreach by FONS, to suggest someone who would benefit from a visit, or to donate to its annual appeal, visit friendsofnewtownseniors.org. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 413, Newtown CT 06470; checks should be payable to FONS, with Annual Donation Appeal noted on the memo line.

Beverly Bennett Schaedler can be reached at MSBevToo@yahoo.com, Ann Durkin can be reached at AnnMarieDurkin@yahoo, and messages for either can be left at 203-430-0633.

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.