Author Archives: Shepherds

Kolbe Elves Deck The Halls for New Canaan Christmas Tree Sales

| December 24, 2018

Kolbe Cathedral students perform community service throughout their four years of high school. Recently, a group of students and mentors volunteered at the Exchange Club of New Canaan Annual Christmas Tree Sale. For more than 50 years, the club transforms Kiwanis Park into a Christmas village with more than 1,300 trees along with a variety of wreaths, roping, tree stands and other seasonal merchandise. Funds raised at the event primarily support programs for the prevention of child abuse.

Pictured are Shepherds mentor, Joe Purcell with student, Martin V. Also participating were Kolbe students Jannelle, Nayshawn and Jerome who attended with mentors Linda Theriault, Tim Dwyer and Wayne Theriault.

Christmas Is Coming!

| December 18, 2018

Mentoring can be sweet – really sweet! Kolbe Cathedral freshmen (L-R) Valentina, Annaclaudia, Quiana and Lauren gathered at the Fairfield home of Quiana’s mentor, Marlene Kimberly along with Valentina’s mentor, Sara Tieke, Annaclaudia’s mentor, Hetty Nerod, and Lauren’s mentor, Laura Canning for some serious Christmas Cookie baking. Merry Christmas to all of our students, staff, mentors and families.

West Haven man credited with stopping runaway Amtrak rail cars

| November 26, 2018

From The New Haven Register
By Eric Anderson Updated 11:28 am EST, Friday, November 23, 2018

STUYVESANT, New York – It was a close call for hundreds of holiday travelers aboard an Amtrak train on Thanksgiving Eve when two of the passenger cars separated from the rest of the train.

The cars had just been attached at the Albany-Rensselaer station to provide more seating for the packed Adirondack, which had originated in Montreal and was heading south to Penn Station in New York City.

A quick-thinking Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute student, freshman Reuben Clarke, of West Haven, Conn., was credited with pulling the emergency brake at the front of the car.

“The car from the back of the train was like leaving us, and I saw sparks and stuff like that and a huge gust of wind,” Clarke, an offensive lineman on the RPI football team and 2018 graduate of Notre Dame High School in West Haven, told CBS 6 News in Albany. “So I just calmed myself down, and I was like, we have to stop the train and make sure everyone was fine.”

The train was carrying 287 passengers and crew when the incident occurred. No injuries were reported, the cars didn’t derail, and passengers were transferred to a new train to continue their trip, state police said. The Adirondack had just left the Albany-Rensselaer station when the cars decoupled about 7:22 p.m.

Trains on that section of track can travel up to 110 mph. It’s not clear how fast this train was traveling when the cars separated.

Clarke “saved our lives tonight,” Helen Mark Crane told CNN. “Our car broke off from the rest of the train and was picking up speed. There was no Amtrak personnel in our car. Reuben calmly went into action and pulled the emergency brake at the front of the car. Thankful he was on the train with my son and I.”

Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said the railroad is investigating the cause of the separation.

One transportation source said the cars, which he believed were added at the Rensselaer station, should have stopped automatically when they separated. But if they had been improperly connected, the automatic braking might not have worked.

The incident occurred on one of the busiest travel days for Amtrak. The Adirondack was delayed about 3 hours and 15 minutes, Amtrak tweeted, and the northbound Empire Service Train 245’s departure also was delayed because of the late arrival of the crew from the Adirondack.

Read the original article at https://www.nhregister.com/business/article/Amtrak-probes-what-caused-passengers-cars-to-13416229.php?utm_campaign=fb-tablet&utm_source=CMS+Sharing+Button&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3hYLAVwUFgBSpCaymFIS4xdnN_KCMXTniy5f2J2MvN00PJ8bJ6vs7zpY8#photo-16545701

Students Attend Career Day at BIC Headquarters in Shelton

| November 14, 2018

Thank you to the BIC Corporation and to Chief Financial Officer, Jim DiPietro, who coordinated a career day at their headquarters in Shelton. Fifty-seven students, staff and mentors from both Kolbe Cathedral High School and Notre Dame West Haven attended the event. The day included 12 speakers from all different branches of BIC – marketing, communications, packaging, finance and IT – who spoke with the kids throughout the day. In addition, students were treated to breakfast and lunch and some fun fake tattoos.

Shepherds 20th Anniversary Gala Was Record Success

| November 14, 2018

Shepherds 20th Anniversary Gala at The Inn at Longshore in Westport on Thursday, October 11th was a time for celebration and for reflection on the accomplishments of our more than 300 student alumni and their mentors. It also served as a platform for creating a foundation for the next 20 years — as Executive Director, Dan McAuliffe noted in his opening remarks, “We are here to celebrate the past and to build for the future.” To view photos from the event as well as the video produced for the evening, click on the appropriate tabs on our home page.

SHEPHERDS TO HONOR TWO OUTSTANDING MENTORS WITH FOUNDERS AWARD AT WESTPORT GALA ON OCTOBER 11TH

| September 26, 2018

2018 Honoree Tammy Taylor (center) with husband Lou, a Shepherds Board Member and their children Elise, Brigette and Jack


Darien’s Tammy Taylor has been a mentor since 2002. She was introduced to Shepherds shortly after 9/11 and was inspired to try and do something good in her own backyard. Since then, she has been proud to see Curtia, Chinkini & Ugonna graduate from high school and move on to college. A valued board member since 2012, Ms. Taylor has served as Chair of the Mentoring Committee overseeing all mentoring activities including recruitment, training and support.

North Haven’s Greg Dillon, a Notre Dame West Haven alum and former police officer, will join the Shepherds Board of Directors this year. Mentoring his 8th student, Jared a rising senior, Greg has seen the impact that the program has had on many young men and their families. All prior seven of the students Greg has mentored have graduated from high school and moved on to college. Greg still keeps in touch with them and says, “There is tremendous satisfaction in seeing a boy enter NDHS, full of doubt and indecision, maybe lacking confidence or unsure of their goals, and leaving NDHS as a mature, poised young man, brimming with potential, with a plan and a bright future.”

Meet Our Notre Dame West Haven Class of 2022

| September 19, 2018

Shepherds and Notre Dame West Haven High School held their annual Back to School evening on Tuesday, September 18th. Students, new and old, joined their mentors, families and staff from both organizations to celebrate the beginning of a new school year.

Six young men make up our Shepherds Class of 2022. The group is particularly close having spent the previous several years together at St. Martin de Porres School in New Haven. The students were able to meet their mentors and listen to words of encouragement from school president Robert Curis and Shepherds Executive Director Dan McAuliffe. Thank you to all who made this evening so special.

Pictured Left to Right are freshmen: Cristian Solorzano, Alan Lopez, Carlos Freire, Jose Baselca, David Maita and Christopher Velez.

Nightline Anchor Byron Pitts to Speak at Shepherds 20th Anniversary Celebration in Westport on October 11th

| August 14, 2018

On Thursday evening, October 11th, Shepherds, a mentoring and scholarship non-profit based in Bridgeport, will celebrate 20 years of “changing students lives” with a gala at The Inn at Longshore in Westport. The evening will feature highly respected TV journalist and co-anchor of ABC News’ Nightline, Byron Pitts, speaking on his inspiring life experience growing up in inner city Baltimore and overcoming the challenges of illiteracy and a speech impediment. NBC 4 New York Weatherman, Dave Price will be the Emcee and two of the Shepherd’s most experienced and dedicated mentors, Tammy Taylor of Darien and Greg Dillon of North Haven, will receive the prestigious Founder’s Award.

Byron Pitts has covered national news stories and in-depth features for ABC, reporting across the news division, including “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “This Week” and “20/20.” He is a multiple Emmy award winning journalist and news veteran with over 20 years of experience and is known for his thoughtful storytelling, on-the-ground reporting and in-depth interviews. In addition, Pitts is the author of Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges and Be the One: Six True Stories of Teens Overcoming Hardship with Hope.

Shepherds supports inner-city teens from the New Haven and Bridgeport areas where the graduation rates from public high schools are significantly below their suburban peers. Shepherds empowers these students to build a foundation for their success by providing 4 year scholarships for a college preparatory education at Notre Dame West Haven High School and Kolbe Cathedral High School, academic and life skill programs, and the positive role model and support of a committed Shepherds mentor.

Results over 20 years have demonstrated that Shepherds students have a much higher likelihood of graduating from high school, pursuing higher education, breaking the cycle of poverty and becoming productive members of society. Two hundred sixty-five students who might otherwise have dropped out of high school have graduated and gone on to institutions of higher learning or to military or civil service roles.

Shepherds has been successful because of the loyal support and commitment of its many mentors and sponsors. This year’s recipients of the Shepherds’ Founder’s Award have mentored several students during their time with the organization.
Tammy Taylor has been a mentor since 2002 and is a longstanding Board member. She has served as Chair of the Mentoring Committee overseeing all mentoring activities including recruitment, training and support. Mr. Dillon has mentored 8 students through graduation from his alma mater, Notre Dame High School in West Haven. He will join Shepherds Board of Directors in recognition of his incredible support for the organization.

Would you like to change a life? Visit www.shepherdsmentors.org or call 203-367-4273 to purchase tickets to experience and celebrate Shepherds success at the Anniversary dinner or to learn more about Shepherds sponsorship and mentoring opportunities.

Kolbe Kats in Hats: Reading Across America

| June 28, 2018

Community Service has always been an important part of student life at both Kolbe Cathedral and Notre Dame High Schools. In the mid 2000’s students from Kolbe participated in NEA’s Read Across America Day – a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on March 2—Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participated by bringing together kids, teens, and books. Pictured is Kolbe alum Sarah Witkowski donning the signature hat for the cause.
Current Kolbe students are still required to perform community service and oftentimes mentors help students connect to volunteer opportunities that fulfill their requirements. Students enrolled at Kolbe now are expected to participate in the following:
•Freshmen – two group community service projects
•Sophomores – 10 hours of community service in & out of school
•Juniors – 30 hours of community service outside of school
•Seniors – 20 hours of community service outside of the school
Are you a graduate of Shepherds mentoring program at any of our past or current partner schools and have photos or a story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Contact Amy Chickles, Director of Programming at achickles@shepherdsmentors.org.