Due to the extreme cold temperatures, Governor Ned Lamont activated Connecticut’s “severe cold weather protocol” for this last weekend in January (thru Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021 at noon). The homeless or those in need of emergency shelter services or warming centers to get out of the cold are urged to call 2-1-1 right away to be connected to local services in their city or town.
Samaia Hernandez from WTNH News 8 spoke with CRT about emergency services available to help people in need:
On Friday, January 15, more than 100 residents and staff at CRT’s unique assisted-living facility in Hartford, The Retreat, received their 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in a special clinic with Walgreen’s that went door to door to administer this special “Shot of Hope.”
NBC Connecticut was there to see this milestone event:
After losing one of the trucks in its fleet of custom delivery vehicles last year due to an accident, CRT was proud to show its brand new Meals on Wheels truck, complete with red bow, for the first time. This vehicle and custom chassis that holds hot, nutritious meals for homebound seniors was purchased with the support of donations from the local community.
Fox 61’s Keith McGilvery and Margaux Farrell spoke with CRT’s Director of Nutrition, Gariann Chiarella, about the new truck and what it means to this vital program for seniors throughout Central Connecticut.
Hartford – Are you a working parent in need of in-person learning options for your child enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 3 remote learning in Hartford? The Community Renewal Team (CRT) is proud to partner with the City of Hartford and Hartford Public Schools, along with other community organizations, to offer spacious and welcoming classrooms – at no cost to the parents – during weekdays at its main offices in Hartford (555 Windsor St – Ritter Child Development Center).
“We will provide the students caring and loving environments where they can learn and grow,” said Leslie Giordano, CRT’s Director of Early Care and Education. “We’re excited to be able to offer this convenient location in Hartford for families that need a safe place for their kids to learn while parents work during the day.”
This program (known as a “Remote Learning Hub”) is administered by Hartford’s Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation and it is designed for families that selected in‐person learning for their children and may be adversely impacted by COVID‐19‐related facility closures.
To be eligible, your child must:
Children meeting these criteria will come to CRT’s Ritter Child Development Center located at 555 Windsor St., Hartford (entrance off Pavilion St.) for this new remote learning opportunity during normal school hours.
Parents can be confident that their children will be in classrooms that are following all current COVID-19 health and safety protocols, including needed social distancing, mask use, regular hand sanitizing, and Plexiglas (acrylic) barriers between desks. Each classroom will be limited to no more than 13 children per room.
While attending these special CRT classrooms, children will be provided breakfast, lunch and a snack during the day. There will be scheduled breaks for the children to exercise and play.
Students enrolled in this program are encouraged to bring their own computer equipment and books with them to the classroom each day. If a child forgets to bring their laptop/Chromebook, CRT can provide a loaner device during the school day. CRT’s IT department is located in the same building as these new remote learning classrooms and they will be able to address concerns related to accessing classroom instruction provided by Hartford Public Schools.
For more information about how to enroll, please visit this page on CRT’s website. Or, contact Leslie Giordano at (860) 560‐5461 ext.231 or [email protected]
This program is funded in part with Community Development Block Grant funds allocated to CRT by the City of Hartford and supported by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Editor’s Note: CRT staff are available for interviews about these new classroom facilities. Tours of the classrooms are available to the media by appointment.
The City of Hartford is partnering with Hartford Public Schools and community organizations to offer Remote Learning Hub locations across the city, including the Community Renewal Team. The CRT Hub will be hosted at the Ritter Child Development Center located at 555 Windsor St., Hartford.
This program is administered by Hartford’s Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation and designed for families that selected in‐person learning for their children and may be adversely impacted by COVID‐19‐related facility closures.
Get more information in this report by Dominique Moody from NBC Connecticut:
Additional reporting about this new program, in Spanish, is available from Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra.
CRT’s Communications Director, Jason Black, joined morning host Gary Byron (shown above) on the Talk of Connecticut (WDRC 1360 AM) to share multiple updates about CRT programs and services, including:
Give a listen over on Facebook to find out more.
Do you need FREE and SAFE in-person learning options for your child enrolled in Kindergarten to Grade 3 remote learning in Hartford? Starting this month, CRT and other community organizations in partnership with the City of Hartford will provide Remote Learning Hubs for children (K – 3rd) in Hartford. This program is designed for families that selected in‐person learning for their children and may be adversely impacted by COVID‐19‐related facility closures.
CRT spoke with Angelo Bavaro from Fox 61 about this new program and how your family can sign up now.
Also, at the end of this interview there are details about CRT’s new partnership with Liberty Bank to offer the Community Asset Building Initiative (CABI) to help people achieve the dream of home ownership.
