Meet the Light a Fire 2023 Honorees: 10 Fairfield County Residents Making a Difference in Our Community

By Jill Johnson, Moffly Media

Every year we ask our readers to nominate their Fairfield County neighbors who selflessly and tirelessly devote themselves to giving back. Three years ago, we honored the brave residents who refused to cower to Covid and went out and made a difference—however they could, whatever the risks. At that time, Liz Salguero, founder of Circle of Care, feared funds would run dry and she would not be able to support parents coping with pediatric cancer, just when they needed reassurance most. But then something unexpected happened. The general public, new to a life of wearing masks and fearing germs, gained a better understanding of what it must be like all the time for parents of immunocompromised children. Donations increased. Circle of Care grew—by 400 percent.

This story is a reminder of how kindness flourishes; it’s not picky about the soil that feeds it. Even the most parched or rockiest foundation serves kindness just fine. It burrows down into any little crevice of compassion it finds, plants roots and spreads like ox-eye daisies. This year we are recognizing kindness in 1,920 Genevieve Lau Loved necklaces, 5,000 Flower Again arrangements, 500,000 Undies Project undergarments, twenty-plus Flinn Gallery exhibits, $25 million raised by Bank of America, a dozen historic buildings preserved, 13,000 immigrants served, forty-seven kids sent to camp, seven wishes granted … and the list goes on, reassuring us that the flow of nomination letters will never ebb. Keep ’em coming.