Darien Soundings

Dear Darien,

Every December, the Darien Board President chooses a charitable organization to give back to. This year, Julie Peters chose Human Services, a charity that assists struggling local families in a variety of areas, including: paying heating bills, providing food for families, and providing school supplies for Darien students.

Julie (right) presented a $2,500 check to Ali Ramsteck, Director of Darien Human Services. You can make a difference in your community this year, too! Help a neighbor in need today.

FACES: Lisa Primmer

Meet Darien resident and travel coordinator extraordinaire Lisa Primmer! Lisa, her husband, and their three children moved to Darien in 2007 from New York City for many of the same reasons many other residents do: short commute to NYC, more space, great schools, and a community setting. While Lisa worked on Wall Street for 14 years, her real passion has always been travel. She has been curating and planning family trips for years, and soon enough many of her friends began reaching out to her for help on their own adventures. Lisa joined the team at Elli Travel in 2017 to pursue her passion of helping others plan their dream trips. If you are looking for guidance in planning your trip, whether it’s a family reunion, a couples getaway, or a full-out family vacation, Lisa can help. Check out her travel trends below for the best places to get out of the cold this winter!

PLACES: Palmer's

Don’t sit around in holiday traffic this year. Pick up everything you need at Palmer’s in Darien! Palmer’s has everything you need to make this holiday season sweet and stress-free. From their scratch made foods and desserts to their overflowing gift department, you’re bound to find something for everyone on your list. Visit https://www.palmersdarien.com/holiday/ to see what’s in store.

HIGHLIGHTS: Darien Nature Center

The Darien Nature Center is a unique, free, open-to-the-public organization that provides nature education through hands-on experiences for individuals of all ages. It offers preschool programs, weekly Storytime with the Animals, Darien Public School field trips, and activities for kids, seniors, and those with special needs. You will be hard pressed to find a community organization that touches so many people and groups in the community of Darien and the surrounding areas. Donations and grants from groups such as the Horizon Foundation and the Darien Foundation make many of the activities at the DNC possible. Take a look at some of the DNC’s offerings below:

Childhood Early Learning - The DNC offers preschool enrichment programming and nature education for children 18 to 24 months with a caretaker, and ages 2 to 4 are drop-off classes. The DNC also partners with other preschools, such as the First Congregational and Noroton Presbyterian.

Send the kids off to Darien Nature Center's Summer Camp program — a great alternative to traditional camps for children ages 3 to 8. Sign up for one week or all seven! Registration opens in January.