Published 5:00 am EDT, Wednesday, October 28, 2020
GREENWICH — A year ago, Barbara's House hosted a Halloween party for its clients, complete with costumes, pumpkin-carving, face-painting and trick-or-treating.
“We had senior citizens, special needs adults and young adults, high school kids and all kinds of people,” said Gaby Rattner, executive director of the Greenwich-based human services organization. “This was really special because it was so intergenerational.”
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
Second-grader Katie Cappiali, left, fifth-grader Paul Anthony Cappiali, center, and fifth-grader Jack Wade pose outside North Street School in Greenwich, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The trio are among the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts that packed and distributed 350 Halloween candy bags for underserved clients of Barbara's House. The annual Community Centers Halloween party was canceled this year due to COVID-19 precautions, so Barbara's House leaders reached out to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to pack candy bags for children who would have been in attendance.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there won’t be any in-person activities this year. But Rattner wanted to remind her clients that she and the other Barbara's House leaders are thinking of them during these difficult times.
“I was trying to think, ‘How can we bring Halloween to our clients?’ And we decided ... we will be delivering trick-or-treat bags to all of our clients,” she said. “We can’t see them on a regular basis, especially the seniors, and it’s a way to reach out and say, ‘We’re thinking of you.’”
On Wednesday , Thursday and Friday, Barbara's House leaders will be delivering 350 Halloween goodie bags to all of their clients, thanks to the help of some young volunteers. Over a month ago, Rattner reached out to Frances Wu Nobay, a troop leader and co-head of all Girl Scouts in Greenwich, and asked if the girls would be interested in doing community service to help Barbara's House.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fifth-grader Paul Anthony Cappiali, left, second-grader Katie Cappiali, center, and fifth-grader Jack Wade pose outside North Street School in Greenwich, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The trio are among the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts that packed and distributed 350 Halloween candy bags for underserved clients of Barbara's House. The annual Community Centers Halloween party was canceled this year due to COVID-19 precautions, so Barbara's House leaders reached out to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to pack candy bags for children who would have been in attendance.
“I knew we would need help,” Rattner said. “I reached out to Frances and the next thing you knew, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts were putting together candy bags.”
On Oct. 11, 20 scouts gathered in the St. Roch’s parking lot, in social-distancing style with masks to pack the goodie bags with candy, toys and snacks. Community service was a primary goal — but seeing each other was another plus for the children, who have not been together in-person since March.
Parents helped with tying up the goodie bags, Wu Nobay said. “You would never really have anyone touching, everyone was wearing a mask and you don’t have all the kids crowded around. It worked out amazing,” she said.
Each year, Girl Scouts use the proceeds of selling cookies to “save, share and spend” on community service projects, activities and organizations of their choice. This year, the children decided to share about $700 from cookie-selling with Barbara's House, Wu Nobay said.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fifth-grader Jack Wade, left, second-grader Katie Cappiali, center, and fifth-grader Paul Anthony Cappiali pose outside North Street School in Greenwich, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The trio are among the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts that packed and distributed 350 Halloween candy bags for underserved clients of Barbara's House. The annual Community Centers Halloween party was canceled this year due to COVID-19 precautions, so Barbara's House leaders reached out to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to pack candy bags for children who would have been in attendance.
“We, right now, have $1,600 in our troop account, so this was like almost half” of their total funds, she said.
“It was so generous, especially when they had to pack the goodie bags and not keep any,” Wu Nobay said. “For a kindergartner, understanding what that (money) was for, was very powerful.”
For 10-year-old Paul Cappiali, he said he felt for the first time that he was taking responsibility to help other community members and he pointed out that parents were taking the backseat.
“The adults weren’t really moving the candies. It was really more of the kids,” he said. “It made me feel good.”
His mother, Victoria Cappiali, a kindergarten teacher for 25 years in Greenwich, said it is important for her as a parent to instill values in her children. She emphasized that one can never be too young to give back through community volunteerism.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
Fifth-grader Paul Anthony Cappiali, left, fifth-grader Jack Wade, center, and second-grader Katie Cappiali pose outside North Street School in Greenwich, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. The trio are among the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts that packed and distributed 350 Halloween candy bags for underserved clients of Barbara's House. The annual Community Centers Halloween party was canceled this year due to COVID-19 precautions, so Barbara's House leaders reached out to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops to pack candy bags for children who would have been in attendance.
“It really takes a village,” she said. “And I think starting them young is so important.”
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Barbara's House clients and others will be surprised to find the goodie bags on their doorsteps, Rattner said.
“We’re really grateful,” she said. “And we’re really looking forward to (delivering) it.”
Barbara's House helps empower families to overcome educational, social and economic barriers. It offers homework clubs, after-school activities and summer enrichment programs for kids, and therapeutic counseling and other groups for teens, seniors, adults with disabilities and families in crisis, according to the Barbara's House website.
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