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Kiki Karpen knows the people of Darien like to help their neighbors. As executive director of the Darien Community Fund, she sees firsthand how generous town residents can be.
"Last year we gave away over $750,000 to 26 aid agencies," Karpen said. "Darien volunteers are very involved in the community and give back so much in both dollars and time."
The Darien Community Fund raises money for various agencies throughout Darien, Stamford and Norwalk. Its staff of more than 50 volunteers reads grant applications from groups and decides how to allocate the money. The organization began in 1951 when Darien residents attempted to raise $30,000 to help local charities. That year, they ended up raising 20 percent beyond the goal, with 95 percent of the town's residents making contributions.
The fund has been active with different organizations, including Aging in Place, a service that helps senior citizens live independently by helping them with transportation, handyman services and socialization. The Touch a Life Fund awards small grants of up to $500 to help people who have trouble paying their bills.
The fund also has youth-oriented components, including the Youth Asset Team, which helps fight risky behavior in teens. The Youth Community Fund, run by students, receives $5,000 a year to give. "They identified early on that they wanted to give their funds to organizations that help with food and shelter," said Karpen. "They're like a smaller version of our allocation service."
Karpen, who has been a community volunteer for more than 27 years, has been with the fund since 2003. "We're very busy," she said. "One thing people don't understand is that there is need in Darien. There are people who have difficulty meeting basic human needs."
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