On Tuesday, March 18, the City of Ridgefield celebrated outstanding community service at its annual Make a Difference Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations who have made a lasting impact. The event, now in its third year, highlighted those who give tirelessly to their community.
Bill Baumann was named the winner in the individual category for his work addressing food insecurity through the Green Bag Project, which has collected tens of thousands of pounds of food to support local food pantries and families in need. He is also an active member of the Lions Club and a longtime advocate for public schools, volunteering extensively with Citizens for Ridgefield Schools.
“I’m just one person,” Baumann said. “Thirty, 40 other people do it every other month and we keep things going and it’s great, so thank you.”
In the organizational category, Compassion 360 took home the award for providing food, clothing, temporary housing support and school supplies to families in need. They work closely with local families to ensure essential needs are met, distributing over 200 Thanksgiving food boxes and additional holiday gifts, as well as operating a weekly food closet.
“On behalf of almost 80 volunteers, we are honored to accept this award,” Compassion 360 Executive Director Wendy Lehner said. “Compassion 360 believes as a community that it takes a village and we are honored to serve alongside with other poverty alleviation efforts in Ridgefield such as Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Ridgefield Family Resource Center and the Green Bag program ... We will teach Ridgefield what community resilience is and we will all be much stronger.”
