Businesses Host Danbury Habitat Breakfast

Hundreds of members of local businesses joined together for an early morning breakfast to support the final stages of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity's house at 6 Linden Place.

Joanne Patrick, a long time volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, chaired the committee to orgainze the breakfast. In 2006, the Patrick family joined with the Congregational Church to sponsor a home.

"There is no more moving experience than seeing a family, who has put their own sweat equity and funds into a Habitat home, receive the keys to their new home," Mayor Boughton said. 

The key note speaker was Dr. Nicholas S. Perna, Ph.D., managing director and chief economist for Perna Associates and a visiting lecturer at Yale University's Department of Economics.  Perna blamed the current economic climate on both political parties and mingled his economic speech with many amusing anecdotes. 

In attendance were representatives of Ben Chianese, D, of Danbury's City Council and Mark Nolan, chair of the Danbury Housing Partnership.  The sponsors for the breakfast were the Goldstone foundation, who also sponsored a home.  Webster Bank sponsored the speaker and the event, and other sponsors included Fairfield County Bank, Newtown Savings Bank, Savings Bank of Danbury, Union Savings Bank and the Matrix.  

Funds were raised to continue the project at Linden Strteet. “We are putting the roof, adding the floors and beginning to work towards finishing the building,” said Fran Norman, a director for the Habitat for Humanity. “The new construction needed a concrete floor.  The inside installation will now begin as we head towards the finishing stages. We are hoping to be done to by the end of the year.”  

Local crews include Goodrich, PepsiCo, Wilton Congregational Church, Walnut Hill Community Church, Bank of America, Nutmeg Chapter of the National Charity League, Ladies who Launch, Easton Corporation, UB Properties and others.

Early Linden Place sponsors are Leahy Fuels Inc., Praxair Inc. and the City of Danbury. The breakfast was held in Danbury at the Ethan Allen Conference Center on September 23.