Priceline.com Makes Donation to Family Centers for Preschool Scholarships

Norwalk-based Priceline.com recently awarded Family Centers with a $10,000 grant to help the agency offer preschool scholarships to needy families throughout Fairfield County.

The gift was approved by the Priceline’s Charity Committee, a group of employees that advises the company on how to allocate charitable donations.

Each year, Family Centers provides more than $1.5 million in scholarships to ensure that quality preschool programs are accessible for families at every income level. Of the more than 230 children enrolled in Family Centers Early Care and Education, Head Start and School Readiness preschool programs, 91 percent receive some form of subsidy.

This summer, Priceline will also will give five clients enrolled in Family Centers’ Reaching Independence Through Employment (RITE) program valuable insight and help strengthen the skills they need to land a job and succeed in the business world.

As part of the inaugural Job Readiness Day, RITE program clients will have the opportunity to tour the Priceline headquarters in Norwalk, meet with top executives and participate in resume evaluation, mock interview and job shadowing exercises.

RITE is a Family Centers program providing free vocational counseling, career guidance, and job skills training to hundreds of Stamford and Greenwich residents. The RITE program also offers free computer classes, resume critiques, mock interviews and other services to help give local job searchers a leg up in this difficult job market.

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County. More than 2,400 professionals and trained volunteers work together to provide a wide range of responsive, innovative programs. A United Way, Community Fund of Darien and New Canaan Community Foundation partner agency, Family Centers is a member of the Connecticut Council of Family Service Agencies and the Alliance for Children and Families and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The agency is licensed by the State of Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Children and Families. Visit www.familycenters.org for additional information.