DANBURY (October 31, 2023) – United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut and Mayor Dean Esposito of the City of Danbury announced a grant cycle in June of 2023 for social service agencies to receive funding through the Danbury Social Service Grant program. This year, $204,000 will be distributed among 16 local nonprofits. Agencies whose work is focused on the following categories were eligible and invited to apply: 1) Housing/Shelter; 2) Mental Health; and 3) Food Security.  

42% of households in Coastal and Western CT earn incomes below the cost of living threshold.

ALICE families have been overlooked and undercounted by traditional poverty measures. ALICE is the nation’s child care workers, home health aides and cashiers heralded during the pandemic – those working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings and one emergency away from poverty.

“Soup to Nuts: Fundamentals of Nonprofit Management”--in collaboration with Fairfield County’s Community Foundation--will resume with new topics and speakers beginning in October! This 8-part monthly series is designed to help nonprofit professionals learn, connect, and grow. 

Each of the following sessions takes place virtually on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 9:30-11:00 A.M. 

For more than 30 years our organization has met the needs of local ALICE families through our Back-to-School initiative. This year, our program helped families in three different communities across our newly expanded footprint. 

Did you miss our BIG NEWS?

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County and United Way of Western CT have joined forces to create a greater impact in our communities.

The Stamford Food Collaborative publishes and regularly updates A Guide to Accessing Food in Stamford in multiple languages: English (PDF) Español (PDF)

This guide was last updated in April 2025.

The Danbury Food Collaborative publishes and regularly updates a Guide to Accessing Food in Danbury in multiple languages.

At United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut, we are committed to empowering every individual to thrive, no matter their race, ethnicity, or zip code. Through the lens of equity, we focus our work daily on addressing immediate basic needs and the underlying systemic barriers to health, quality education, and long-term financial stability. 

The Cora’s Kids team held a panel in collaboration with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the Danbury Public Library where providers spoke to an audience interested in learning more about starting an at-home daycare through our program. 

Community members and individuals involved with other initiatives led by Cora’s Kids heard from five daycare owners, including: