Along with having a lot of fun times, our scholars worked very hard this year and reaped awards and honors. Kilee Simon was inducted into the National Honor Society and received the Advanced Placement Language Award. Jasmine Laryea received the Sophomore Chemistry Award. Junior Janelle Wilkinson received the Environmental Science Award, and Arianna Alvarez Pena received the Global Seal of Biliteracy. (Pictured are at left Kilee Simon, classmate Fareed Samu, Janelle Wilkinson, and Jasmine Laryea; at right Kilee Simon.)
Guilford ABC Grateful for Selection as a Big Y Community Bag Program Beneficiary
Guilford ABC has been selected as a beneficiary of the Big Y Community Bag Program for the month of September.
The Big Y Community Bag Program, which launched in January 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work.
Guilford ABC was selected as the beneficiary of the program by store leadership at Guilford Big Y. During the month of September, GABC will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag.
“What a great way to show support for the community, especially in these difficult times,” said Georgia Cosgrove, Co-president of Guilford ABC. “We’re pleased that Big Y has recognized the value of Guilford ABC, both for our scholars and for the community at large.”
Now in its 48th year, Guilford ABC — A Better Chance —is dedicated to helping close the opportunity gap for academically talented students of color from educationally disadvantaged communities. Our scholars are young women selected from a national application pool for their academic and leadership potential. The program exists to help these scholars attend a four-year college track program in our community, attend a college or university of their choice and become confident, contributing members of our society. Guilford ABC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information about the program, visit www.guilfordabc.org.
For more information on the Big Y Community Bag Program, visit bigy.bags4mycause.com.
End of Year ABC Celebration
On June 1, GABC hosted our annual year-end celebration under the tent at GHS. About 70 board members, donors, host families, staff, alumnae and all the current scholars gathered to give thanks for another successful year, say goodbye to outgoing board members and our graduating senior, Arianna Alvarez Pena, and welcome some of our incoming board members.
Highlights of the evening included a visit from last year’s graduate, Lauren Cyrus, who delivered a lively account of her first year at Hampton University and how her GABC experience set the stage for a successful transition to college life; compelling remarks from alumna Naralys Sinanis from the class of 2002 about how GABC had incredible impact on her success in college and her career; and a farewell message from Arianna. Guests at the celebration included outgoing ABC President Marie Berry, board member Melissa Dayton, and Resident Director Lynn Prendergas (above).
Advisory Board member, Connie Dickinson, presented Arianna with her GABC College Education Fund award, which she will use to offset education expenses at Tufts not covered by her scholarship. This fund is held at the Guilford Foundation, Awards to GABC graduates are $2,500 for each of four years of college, provided the scholar remains in good standing with at least a B average.
Summers at the ABC House
FROM RESIDENT DIRECTOR LYNN PRENDERGAST
The summer is a very busy time of the year at the house. After a bittersweet goodbye to Arianna as she heads off to summer and then Tufts, meetings started to prepare for the 2022-2023 school year. Working on the calendar with incoming co-presidents Georgia Cosgrove and Judy Wright, preparing a To-Do List with Ann Street (House and Grounds Chair) for the house, and making preparations for the returning scholars have already started. Summers are a great time to reflect on our year as we look forward to the upcoming year. The scholars worked, played, and socialized at a high level all year long as COVID restrictions became less and less. Their numerous accomplishments and determination to do their best this past school year makes me so happy and proud. In my unique position, I am not only able to celebrate their successes, but see the tremendous effort and overcoming of challenges to allow them to be their personal best. After a month of visiting family in Florida and Georgia, I will return to the quiet house and prepare for the return of the girls. They will arrive with cars busting with their personal belongings, tales of their summer adventures, and excitement to welcome our new scholars, Kyra and Tamojah, and to see old friends.
ABOVE: fire pit fun with Arianna, Janelle and Andrea; going to prom are Andrea, Janelle, Jasmine, and Kilee; Arianna celebrates gradation with her friend Olivia Turcio.
Celebrations & Transitions
FROM CO-PRESIDENT GEORGIA COSGROVE
The end of the school year and the beginning of July each year mark important milestones for GABC. This is when we watch our seniors graduate from GHS and leave us to prepare for their next steps on their educational paths. This year’s graduate, Arianna Alvarez Pena, will be heading for Tufts in the fall with a full scholarship. We are thrilled for her and couldn’t be prouder of her many accomplishments during her four years under our roof. We have watched her blossom from a shy, observant freshman into a self-assured, motivated young woman who knows what she wants and is going after it.
We look forward to watching our two dynamic rising seniors follow in Arianna’s footsteps as they navigate the challenges and choices of senior year. After ending her junior year having been elected Co-President of the senior class, Kilee Simon is traveling to Ghana with CIEE this summer on a full scholarship. Janelle Wilkinson will be spending a month in London, also on a full scholarship from CIEE. Stay tuned for reports on their experiences in the fall!
We kicked off our summer with the annual MJ Petretto Foundation golf fundraiser at the Wallingford Country Club in June. Despite storms that shortened play it was a great event! We are grateful to all who participated on our behalf, and to the M.J. Petretto Foundation for once again supporting GABC with a portion of the proceeds from this event.
July 1 marked a changing of the guard on our board with retirements and election of new members. As I write this, I have just begun my second year as Co-President. Long-time board member Judy Wright has stepped up to the other Co-President spot as Marie Berry makes a well-deserved transition to the Advisory Board after more than 15 years of service, the last 3 as board President. Heartfelt thanks to both Marie and Judy for their dedication and hard work supporting our scholars and keeping GABC running smoothly despite COVID-19 and the many day-to-day challenges of overseeing a household of active teenagers.
Others departing the board include Susan Renner, who served ably and tirelessly as our Treasurer for 3 years; Lisa Rogers, who did an amazing job with overseeing the recruitment and screening of new scholars; Susan Welsh, who headed up Student Life and will continue to manage insurance for us as a member of the Advisory Board; Cathy O’Keefe, who served as Vice President and headed the Personnel committee; and Mary Lane, who served on House and Grounds. We are grateful to all for your commitment to GABC.
Finally, we welcome a multi-talented roster of new board members: Mary Cosgrove, Pam Glasser, Dani Howard, Mike Hryb, Mark Mackowiak, and Jenny Schaffer. We will also welcome two talented new freshmen in September, Kyra and Tamojah.
We are deeply grateful for all of our donors and sponsors, volunteers for GABC and the Hole in the Wall, and our amazing staff who all work together to support our mission. Visit guilfordabc.org to check the latest news or make a donation—and enjoy the summer while it lasts!
GABC will mark its 50th anniversary in 2024. To honor this milestone, please consider providing for the next 50 years by adding a legacy gift to GABC to your estate plans. If you have questions about this please contact Georgia Cosgrove at gabcmain@gmail.com.
GABC College Education Fund
Guilford ABC began soliciting gifts to establish a GABC College Education Fund at the Guilford Foundation in 2019. Thanks to the generosity of GABC supporters who share our belief that education is a great equalizer, we were able to award our first GABC Education Fund gift in May 2019 to our graduating senior. With ongoing donor support, the fund continues to grow. This year we will be able to award four education gifts, one to our current senior entering college in the fall, and three to graduates who are continuing their studies. These education gifts, awarded yearly to ABC graduates to help defray college expenses, are managed by the Guilford Foundation. Donations to this fund should be sent to the Foundation, with a note designating the gift to the GABC Education Fund. t
Everyone Loves Hole in the Wall!
The Hole in the Wall has shown amazing growth, despite being closed for a while during the pandemic, as many households decided they had time to clean out closets and offer donated items. Net proceeds for 2021 made up for the four months we were closed in 2020, and we continue to see an increase in sales for 2022. As Guilford ABC’s primary source of operating income, we appreciate the many donated items from local residents.
Above left, HITW manager Joan Simonetti will Lucille Jenkins who has been a faithful volunteer for over 30 years! And right, Manager Katie Cooney and Volunteer Yoko Alpert.
On the Town with GABC Host Families
Host Families are a very important part of the Guilford ABC program. We started the school year with a modified visiting schedule and by January we were back to full weekend visits. The weekends were filled with picnics, family celebrations and sporting events. The relationship between host families and scholars is incredibly significant and frequently results in life-long friendships. We appreciate all of our host families for opening up their homes and being a part of the girls experience in Guilford.
Behind the Scenes at GABC
Every winter the board House and Grounds committee, currently ably headed by Ann Street, creates a list of summer home maintenance projects to be completed while the house is empty of scholars. A well-loved old house occupied by teenagers never fails to yield a robust list of routine annual maintenance jobs, deferred items from previous years, and a few “surprises” that crop up from weather events and general wear and tear. 2022 is no exception!
In addition to the usual yard clean-up, deep cleaning of the entire house, carpet and upholstery cleaning, shower caulking and grout repair, painting and carpentry touch-ups, and septic pumping, contractors will be completing some necessary exterior work, including rebuilding the bulkhead basement door, adding an outdoor faucet on the patio, and improving drainage near the rear foundation of the house
Stay tuned for information about our annual spring volunteer workday to be held on a Saturday morning in late April or early May. Projects will include garden bed spiffing, planting outdoor pots, power-washing, cleaning outdoor furniture, commissioning bikes, and cleaning out the garage. t
Hole in the Wall featured as “11 Best Thrift Stores In CT”
Hole in the Wall was recently listed as one of the “11 Best Thrift Stores In CT” by the folks at Sustainable Jungle, who share sustainability related ideas, tips, tricks, hacks, products, brands and stories of people & organizations doing meaningful work to future-proof our planet.
• Read the full article here: “11 Best Thrift Stores In CT If You’re Inclined to Consign”