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Here's A Fun, Easy Way To Break The Boring Streak And Help Fairfield County Children In Crisis

If your kids are complaining they're bored, it's time to break the monotonous routine. Here's a way that seems fun, can engage the whole family and can help other kids whose lives are much direr.

A fun scavenger hunt is currently underway to raise money for Kids in Crisis in Cos Cob, an organization that helped 6,500 children and families and provided shelter for 85 children in crisis in 2019.

A fun scavenger hunt is currently underway to raise money for Kids in Crisis in Cos Cob, an organization that helped 6,500 children and families and provided shelter for 85 children in crisis in 2019.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kids in Crisis

Kids in Crisis in Cos Cob invites all county residents to download a free app today and join a Scavenger Hunt. The fun started Monday, July 27 but it's not too late — you have two weeks to complete 60 missions, until  Friday, Aug. 7.

The game is entirely virtual and calls upon participants to download the free app called Goosechase and then access various challenges, ranging from "Family Fun," "Do Good" and "Community Awareness & Support." Along the way gamers will snap evidence of their completed mission through the app in realtime. Your game organizer can award special points and prizes along the way. Players get access to a leaderboard to see how they stack up against other teams as well as an activity feed to chart progress.

The Scavenger Hunt is a way to continue with fundraising for Kids in Crisis when on-site events had to be canceled due to COVID-19 said Executive Director Shari Shapiro. 

"We thought a  virtual Scavenger Hunt would be the perfect way to stay connected with supporters, raise funds and also help spread awareness about the agency and the work we do," she said. 

Sponsors include  Shoff Darby Insurance, Liberty Mutual/SafeCo Insurance and Granoff Architects. Email Beth Jabick at bjabick@kidsincrisis.org for sponsor information.

The Cos Cob organization provides emergency shelter, crisis counseling and community education programs for children of all ages and families facing a crisis in Fairfield County. The kind of crisis a child might experience include domestic violence, mental health concerns, homelessness, substance abuse and economic difficulties, among others. The organization has a staffed helpline with a trained crisis counselors available 24 hours a day.

Programs include SafeHaven for children to stay and receive counseling during a time of crisis; 

SafeTalk, an empowerment program for children in kindergarten through 5th grade to teach children how to recognize and respond to potentially dangerous situations; 

TeenTalk which provides counselors in middle and high schools to help students navigate difficult personal, family and school-related issues; 

Lighthouse, for LGBTQ+ teens and their friends to have a safe space for weekly meetings (Thursdays) in a Stamford Park currently to  observe COVID-safe best practices; 

Emotion Locomotion, for children in K through 5 to learn social-emotional skills; 

Safe Place, a national program designed to provide access to immediate help for youth in need. As the local coordinator for the Safe Place program, Kids In Crisis trains staff members from local schools, fire stations, libraries, and other youth-friendly organizations and businesses as a Safe Place. There are 60 locations in the area.

Kids in Crisis helped 6,500 children and families in 2019 and provided shelter for 82 children, said Paula Barker, the organization's marketing communication manager.

Volunteers are needed and can find information at www.kidsincrisis.org 

Kids in Crisis 24-hour helpline is 203-661-1911.

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