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Greenwich's Family Centers Honors Board Member, Volunteer

GREENWICH, Conn. -- Greenwich-based Family Centers honored board member David Van Dyke and volunteer Arlene Tahmin for their service to the agency and dedication to improving the lives of Fairfield County’s families and children at its recent annual meeting.

Family Centers of Greenwich honored  board member David Van Dyke, right, and volunteer Arlene Tahmin, of Rye Brook, at its recent annual meeting.

Family Centers of Greenwich honored board member David Van Dyke, right, and volunteer Arlene Tahmin, of Rye Brook, at its recent annual meeting.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Van Dyke, of Stamford, joined the Family Centers’ Board of Directors in 2008 after helping to facilitate a merger with HealthCare Connections as that organization’s chairman. The move brought the School Based Health Centers, Stamford CARES and Care to Care under the Family Centers' umbrella of services. 

He embraced his role as a Family Centers Board member in advocating for the welfare of Fairfield County’s children. He is co-chair of Family Centers’ Bright Beginnings Center of Excellence Committee, and serves on the agency’s Families in Crisis committee. Van Dyke has also provided key strategic insight, having contributed to the formation of the agency’s 2014-16 Strategic Directions. 

As rector of First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, Van Dyke has also led humanitarian missions in New Orleans and Maine. 

To thank him for his many contributions to the agency and the community at large, Family Centers presented Van Dyke with the 2014 Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding Volunteerism Award.  The award is presented annually to a member of the Family Centers Board of Directors, and is the agency’s highest honor for volunteer work.

“As a director of Family Centers David has done an exemplary job,” said Family Centers Board Member and Past Chairman Jan Dilenschneider. “We are a better and stronger organization as a result of David Van Dyke’s extraordinary volunteer contributions.”

UBS Financial Services Greenwich employee Arlene Tahmin, of Rye Brook, N.Y., was also named the 2014 Family Champion. For the past several years, Tahmin has led numerous volunteer efforts within UBS to benefit Family Centers.  

In addition to organizing landscaping and cleanup projects at the Center for HOPE and Palmer’s Hill locations, Tahmin and her team of UBS volunteers participate in Friendly Connections’ annual holiday and summer luncheons. During the holidays, Tahmin spearheads food and gift drives at UBS to benefit Family Centers’ neediest families. 

“Arlene has demonstrated how much can be accomplished when volunteers partner with an organization to improve the lives of others,” said Family Centers’ President Bob Arnold. “We are deeply appreciative of the spirit, efforts, great work and joy Arlene brings to so many of our neediest neighbors.”

Family Centers is a private, nonprofit organization offering education and human services to children, adults and families in Fairfield County.

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