DYS Newsletter - Summer 2025

Celebrating Impact at the 2025 Butterfly Breakfast



On Wednesday, May 14th, Danbury Youth Services hosted its annual Butterfly Breakfast at the Amber Room Colonnade — a morning filled with inspiration, celebration, and heartfelt gratitude. This year’s event marked decades of DYS providing essential programs and services to thousands of youth in the Greater Danbury area.

The Butterfly Breakfast is our way of honoring the network of friends, community members, elected officials, board members, and staff who make our work possible. We were proud to celebrate with so many of you and to highlight the lasting impact we’ve created together.

This year, we were honored to recognize two incredible partners whose work continues to shape brighter futures for youth and families in our community:

The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) was celebrated for its 13-year partnership with DYS. Through critical funding and collaboration, NRWIB has helped sustain youth employment programs across Connecticut. In Greater Danbury alone, more than 700 young people have benefitted from job training and workplace readiness programs supported by NRWIB. Their leadership plays a key role in preparing the next generation for lifelong success.

Elke Sweeney, Director of Prevention Services at the Midwestern Connecticut Council of Alcoholism (MCCA) and driving force behind Stand Together Make A Difference, was honored for her unwavering commitment to youth, equity, and community wellness. A passionate advocate and leader, Elke has worked tirelessly to educate and empower underserved populations through prevention education, mental health awareness, and outreach, building a stronger, more resilient community.

A highlight of the morning was hearing from two resilient DYS youth who shared personal stories of growth and transformation. Dominic, a freshman at Danbury High School, reflected:

“Since joining DYS’s programs, it changed the course of my life exponentially. At first, being highly wary and anxious, I was scared of what was to come — but as soon as I was greeted with open arms and positivity from the DYS staff, I felt all that negativity slowly fade away. I learned so many life skills — teamwork, communication, leadership, taking accountability, and the importance of positive role models in my life.”

These stories are at the heart of why we do what we do.

We are incredibly thankful to our community leaders, partners, board members, and all who continue to support our mission of empowering youth and families.

A special thank you to our generous sponsors, whose support made this celebration possible:

Union Savings Bank, Linde, Newtown Savings Bank, Reynolds + Rowella, Ives Bank, Nuvance Health, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Kovacs Construction, Benay Enterprises, Nicholas/Tobin Insurance, Ctlead, Aquarion Water Company, and Southridge Technology.

Here’s to continuing the journey together — thank you for believing in the potential of every young person we serve.

View more photos of the Butterfly Breakfast.

The highlight of the season? Donation Day! Thanks to the hard work of our participants, we donated 14 refurbished bikes to students from Morris Street School and other local families. Each recipient received a bike, helmet, Cannondale water bottle, and celebratory snacks — a true community moment made possible by the dedication of our EAB team. The group also donated another 13 bikes at the Danbury Kids Bike Rodeo.

The smiles say it all — these kids are thrilled to have a bike of their own to ride this summer. Over the course of the session, our young mechanics refurbished an impressive 29 bikes — a powerful reminder of what hands-on learning and service can achieve. We couldn’t be more proud!

DYS is grateful to everyone who has generously donated bicycles to this program. A huge THANK YOU to Officer Heller of the Brookfield Police Department for delivering boxes of brand-new helmets, brakes, chains, safety lights, tires, pumps, handlebars, tools and MORE.

GALs Embrace Creativity, Kindness, and Self-Worth

This spring, the Girls As Leaders (GALs) group tapped into their creativity once again—this time by making handmade soap. As they crafted their colorful creations, the group reflected on how hobbies can support mental health and serve as a tool for managing stress.

Community service was also a key focus this season. The girls prepared sandwiches for the Dorothy Day Hospitality House, supporting neighbors in need and engaging in an important conversation about food insecurity in our city. They discussed how even small acts of kindness can have a powerful impact.

As the school year wrapped up, our youth enjoyed time outdoors and tapped into their creativity through hands-on STEM activities that encouraged teamwork and problem-solving.

It was inspiring to see them grow their skills, strengthen friendships, and truly enjoy learning this year. Teaching and Reaching Gaining Excellence TOGETHER — that’s the TARGET way!

Thank you to Union Savings Bank, United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut and the Albert Wadsworth and Helen Clark Meserve Memorial Fund for helping fund the TARGET program this year.

Thank You to Our Community Partners

We are deeply grateful to Fairfield County Community Foundation, the Ives Bank Foundation and Walmart for their generous donations in support of our Youth and Family Counseling program. Their investment helps ensure that young people in our community have access to the mental health care they need to thrive.

Calling All DYS Alumni!

Were you part of a Danbury Youth Services program? Whether you joined GALs, Earn-A-Bike, TARGET, SYEP, or any of our other programs — we want to hear from you! A big THANK YOU to those who’ve already reached out — we love hearing how you’re doing and the difference DYS made. Drop us a message on social or send us an email to share your experience!

Our Mission: Empower youth and families to build positive and fulfilling lives.

Our Values: Excellence, Compassion, Leadership, Respect

DYS is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency designated as the Youth Services Bureau for the City of Danbury and a licensed psychiatric clinic through the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.  Please consider supporting our Youth & Family Counseling, Youth Employment, Restorative Justice, and Youth Development programs.