By Greenwich Sentinel Staff
Barbara’s House honored longtime Greenwich civic leader Alma Rutgers at the Barbara Nolan Awards Luncheon on May 18 at Greenwich Country Club, while also presenting a fuller picture of an organization working to expand student pathways, strengthen fundraising and return closer to the center of town.
The luncheon brought together board members, staff, supporters, community partners and guests for an annual award named for Barbara Nolan, whose work shaped what was formerly Community Centers Inc. of Greenwich.
The 2026 award recipient, Rutgers, was recognized for decades of public service and for her role in helping guide the organization through a period of transition. Rutgers, a former chair of the Barbara’s House board, has served in Greenwich town government for more than 30 years, including on the Board of Health, the Housing Authority and, for 12 years, as an elected member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, according to remarks prepared for the award presentation.
Rutgers also spent nine years coordinating the writing contest for the First Selectman’s Diversity Advisory Committee, which was later named for her. She has been a columnist for Hearst Connecticut Media for 15 years, served on numerous nonprofit boards and received honors including the League of Women Voters Mary Award, the YWCA Spirit of Greenwich Award and the Westchester Region Hadassah Hand of Healing Award.
The presentation traced Rutgers’ connection to Barbara’s House to a visit eight years ago, when she stopped by the organization’s former offices near Glory Days to learn more about what was then CCI. The organization was then evaluating its future, including which programs to pursue, which programs to leave behind and how to address funding challenges.
Rutgers was credited with helping the agency become more focused and more visible. The award remarks said she “spearheaded” the name change to Barbara’s House, helped strengthen the board and asked questions that helped the agency define where it could be most useful.
Nancy Duffy, quoted in the award presentation, said Rutgers’ public voice and private character were closely aligned.
“One of the things I admire most about Alma is that her writing reflects exactly who she is in person: informed, compassionate, fearless, and deeply committed to our community,” Duffy said.
Larry Simon, who served with Rutgers on the BET, said Rutgers brought a human frame to municipal finance.
“Alma constantly reminded us that life in Greenwich is not just about dollars, but more importantly the people affected by the budget we passed,” Simon said.
Congressman Jim Himes also praised Rutgers in remarks cited during the luncheon.
“To know Alma Rutgers is to know what service to community looks like,” Himes said. “Alma’s quiet, ethical leadership has transformed countless lives and institutions. She really is an inspiration to all who know her.”
The award came at a moment when Barbara’s House leaders are trying to make the organization better known without losing the discretion that has long defined its work.
Barbara’s House serves 450 clients, according to Lorraine Termini, the organization’s executive director. Its services include programs for elementary through secondary students, a summer program for more than 30 students, cultural events for high school students, driver’s education, internships, English as a Second Language classes, special needs programs, senior services, counseling and therapy. The services are provided free of charge.
Termini, who worked in Greenwich Public Schools for 37 years before joining Barbara’s House, said her understanding of the agency deepened after she became part of its daily work.
“I always admired this work from outside,” Termini said in her remarks. “But now, being part of it, I truly understand the impact we have. I see it firsthand every day.”
Termini said Barbara’s House works with residents across age groups and needs.
“We meet our clients where they are, through every stage of life, and give our clients opportunities they may not have otherwise have access to,” she said.
That relational model is central to the organization’s identity, according to Stuart Adelberg, co-chair of the Barbara’s House board with Joseph A. Cabrera. Adelberg said Barbara’s House has often operated with a lower profile than other local institutions because its work depends on trust.
“Barbara’s House is one of these secrets,” Adelberg said in an interview before the luncheon. “It’s one of these under the radar.”
Adelberg said the agency’s lower visibility grew in part from Nolan’s insistence that clients be treated with privacy and respect.
“Barbara used to say that all the time, service with dignity is the most important thing,” Adelberg said. “You want to serve them in the right way.”
That approach can make fundraising more difficult, Adelberg said, because the agency does not always tell client stories in highly public ways. But he said the model also explains why families rely on Barbara’s House during vulnerable moments.
“When you need help, who do you ask? Barbara’s House,” Adelberg said, recalling what clients told him during needs-assessment conversations when he was head of Greenwich United Way.
Cabrera said the organization is now trying to pair that personal model with greater capacity. He said Barbara’s House has added structure to the board, including committees focused on community impact, finance, nominating and development.
“We went from a very informal structure to much more formal,” Adelberg said.
Cabrera said the goal is to raise more money, expand programming and eventually return Barbara’s House to a more central Greenwich location. “We definitely want to be centrally located.”
The luncheon also highlighted the What’s Next High School Program, which supports underserved students as they prepare for life after graduation through academic support, career readiness and mental health services.
Vanessa Cardinal Bocicault, program director and licensed master social worker at Barbara’s House, said the program is designed to help students not only complete high school, but also feel prepared for adulthood.
“We work hard to prepare students not only to graduate, but feel confident and prepared for what comes next… in life,” Cardinal Bocicault said.
According to Cardinal Bocicault, 98 percent of students participating in the program graduate from Greenwich High School, 100 percent complete the Driver’s Education program, 98 percent of senior students attend college, and 95 percent engage in individual or group counseling support with a licensed social worker.
Cardinal Bocicault also pointed to the agency’s partnership with Greenwich Country Club as one of the most important developments to come from the What’s Next Program.
At the center of that effort is Keith Armstrong, chief operating officer of Greenwich Country Club and treasurer of Barbara’s House. Armstrong helped create the Dream Team 5 Internship Program, which gives Barbara’s House students exposure to career paths at the club.
Cabrera said the internship model can introduce students to different areas of club operations, including agronomy, the kitchen and finance. He said the goal is to give students practical exposure to work environments they might not otherwise encounter.
The partnership with Greenwich Country Club is part of a larger strategy, Cabrera said: local relationships create concrete opportunities. “It’s all relationships and meeting people and talking,” Cabrera said.
For some students, college will be the next step. For others, Barbara’s House leaders said, the path may be a trade, a vocation or another form of career training.
That is also why driver’s education has become an important part of the What’s Next Program. The ability to drive can affect whether a young person can reach school, work, internships and training opportunities.
Barbara’s House leaders said the organization is not trying to duplicate the work of larger youth organizations. Instead, they described its role as complementary and grounded in long-term advocacy.
Adelberg said some children who participate in Barbara’s House programs also use the Boys & Girls Club or other community resources. The difference, he said, is that Barbara’s House often stays connected to the same families across life stages, from childhood through adulthood and senior years.
The summer enrichment program reflects that approach. Rather than operating as a conventional camp, it connects children to activities and experiences in the community while giving working parents a safe and educational option during the summer months.
Termini said the organization also provides essential counseling and therapy to clients who need it.
“At Barbara’s House, we don’t just provide services; we empower people to stand up and speak up,” Termini said.
She shared comments from clients who described the agency’s impact in plain terms.
“Barbara’s House lifts us up when we are down,” one client said.
“They listen to what we need and want,” another said.
“I am no longer alone,” another client said.
Cabrera said fundraising will determine how much more the organization can do. He said Barbara’s House wants to increase annual charitable support and add events beyond its golf tournament. A recent pickleball tournament raised about $50,000, he said.
The luncheon itself was designed so contributions would support the organization, Cabrera said. He said the meal costs were funded separately so donor contributions could all go to Barbara’s House.
For Termini, the day was also an opportunity to thank the people who make the work possible. She recognized board members, Armstrong and the Greenwich Country Club staff, community partners, Aux Delices, Sean Mayo of Greenwich High School, former executive director and Chief Development Officer Gaby Rattner, and the Barbara’s House staff.
She also thanked Rutgers, describing her as a steady source of guidance during Termini’s first year as executive director.
“Alma’s calm demeanor and guidance over this past year have been my anchor,” Termini said.
The luncheon honored a former board chair known for quiet influence while introducing the next chapter of an organization trying to become more visible without sacrificing its personal model of service.
For Rutgers, the award presentation framed the recognition as overdue but consistent with the values behind the Barbara Nolan Award.
“Alma, your work matters,” the presenter said. “Your leadership matters. Your example matters.”
