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Greenwich’s philanthropic sphere extends to a broad sweep of private institutions and charitable trusts augmenting the municipal social services department and other government agencies at the state and federal levels. Many are registered as 501(c)(3) institutions allowing for tax deductible contributions to the extent permitted by law. A number are also affiliates of national and international movements. Others are indigenous only to Greenwich. Heart Care International, for example, is a Greenwich-based alliance of medical volunteers who travel to the world’s underdeveloped nationals and perform operative procedures like open heart surgery and catheter interventions to restore the health of economically deprived children and young adults in places like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. In an average year, the medical teams might do up to 50 of such operations. The 2,200-member Boys & Girls Clubs of Greenwich meanwhile is committed to building skills and self-esteem for all young people but works primarily with those from disadvantaged circumstances. The latest figures available (from Charity Navigator) show annual revenue of $6.5 million and operating expenses of $4 million, leaving an accumulation of more than $28 million in assets over the years. Across Interstate 95, at the entrance to Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, the Greenwich Teen Center operates in an historic three-story building and provides activities and entertainment for youngsters from grades 7 through 12. Twenty-six institutions in Greenwich are beneficiaries of the United Way of Greenwich which covers services for children and families, seniors and core services such as Community Answers, a reference resource. The Greenwich Land Trust, dedicated to retaining the natural beauty and environmental health of the community, has preserved hundreds of pristine acres and oversees properties such as the Agnew Apple Orchand, Allen Meadow, Meals-on-Wheels of Greenwich provides two meals a day—delivered by volunteers--for as little as $8, a service it has been providing since 1961 for those confined to their homes. Neighbor to Neighbor, operating out of the basement of Christ Church furnishes emergency and disaster relief and food and clothing for those in need. A few blocks apart on East Putnam Avenue, the Greenwich Family YMCA and the YWCA Greenwich offer a full mosaic of activities from aquacize to tai chi and yoga. Services clubs like the Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis are represented by seven active chapters in the community. Two of the most extensively engaged and highly regarded agencies in global humanitarian aid are headquartered in communities off Interstate 95 a few miles from Greenwich: AmeriCares in Stamford and Save the Children in Westport. Kid's In Crisis offers shelter and counseling for young children and teenagers from throughout Fairfield and Westchester Counties. The American Red Cross offers an abundance of services an is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its congressional charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, providing relief to victims of disaster and help prvent, prepare for, and respond emergencies. How to reach them: American Red Cross Boy Scouts of America Boys and Girls Clubs of Greenwich Family Centers Greenwich Association for Retarded Citizens Greenwich Department of Social Services Greenwich Land Trust Greenwich Teen Center Heart Care International Kids In Crisis Meals-on-Wheels of Greenwich Neighbor-To-Neighbor Pathways, Inc. Save the Children United Way of Greenwich YWCA Greenwich
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