Collaborating to Support Our Community
In November 2024, Vita Health and Wellness Partnership launched an innovative a Needs-Based Housing Study, supported by our partners the City of Stamford and Stamford Health. The study engaged over two dozen human service providers as primary respondents during the data collection phase, focusing on understanding housing insecurity, identifying at-risk populations, and describing the specific housing needs of Stamford residents. It aimed to gather insights from participating organizations to better align local housing initiatives with the real demands of those most in need.
The City of Stamford, in collaboration with the Vita Health and Wellness Partnership, will utilize the findings of this comprehensive study to create data-driven priorities and long-term strategies for affordable housing development. This will match housing production with the specific needs of households experiencing housing insecurity, defined as lacking access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.
We invite you to review the Needs-Based Housing Study.
Launched in response to feedback gathered during a 2023 nonprofit breakfast hosted by Mayor Caroline Simmons, StamfordConnect is a comprehensive digital guide designed to simplify access to essential community services. Available through the Ferguson Library website, this user-friendly platform connects Stamford residents, businesses, and organizations to over 40 local human service providers offering support in areas for children and families that include education, employment, housing and healthcare. StamfordConnect helps individuals easily find the resources they need, with up-to-date information on services and contact details for each provider.
StamfordConnect is a collective response to provide residents with the opportunity to thrive!
In response to the growing youth mental health crisis in late 2021, the City of Stamford, Department of Health & Human Services, Stamford Public Schools, and numerous clinical and community partners came together through the Vita Health and Wellness Partnership to launch the Stamford Youth Mental Health Alliance (Stamford YMHA). This collaborative initiative promotes mental wellness through early intervention, prevention, and improved access to care. By engaging families, youth, and civic organizations, the YMHA works to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors across the community. Visit the Stamford YMHA website to explore resources, local connections, and a calendar of upcoming events.
About Vita
Committed to the Health of Stamford’s Most Vulnerable Members
Vita, pronounced vee-da, is Latin for “life.” The Vita Health and Wellness Partnership aligns multiple community service organizations to support the health and wellness of vulnerable Stamford residents.
Vita’s mission is to harness the power of collective action to propel Stamford’s commitment to healthful living by addressing the social determinants of health (termed SDOH). Stamford’s lower income and at-risk populations exhibit a disproportionate share of chronic disease and poor health status relative to the greater community. These disparities partially reflect their limited access to various forms of health care, largely related to specific social, environmental and economic conditions.
Just a few years ago, Stamford’s West Side neighborhood, called the Vita Health & Wellness District, was dispirited and home to some of our city’s least healthy residents. Vita’s vision of a vibrant residential and commercial district has now been realized at the doorstep of the new Stamford Hospital, with beautiful mixed-income housing communities, healthcare, thriving businesses and a communal urban farm. Cross-sector partnerships propel supportive services and programs to help individuals, families and small businesses reach their fullest potential.
Recently, the Vita Partnership has expanded its footprint beyond the West Side to encompass the entire city of Stamford. By working closely with the city’s public safety and health departments, Stamford Health, and other health and social service providers, Vita has emerged as a vital source of support for the entire community, creating the Vita Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) initiative and maximizing the impact of partners’ collective efforts on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Programs
Fairgate Farm
The heart of our community, the organic, volunteer-powered Fairgate Farm plants, cultivates, harvests and shares more than 7,500 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables each year. Fairgate Farm also sponsors tours, learning labs, family workshops, cooking demonstration and special events.
Community Collaborative
The Stamford Community Collaborative, a partnership of community organizations, is focused on helping the Stamford community, including the people who live and work in Stamford’s West Side, to be as healthy as possible.
Many factors shape health.
Cross-sector partnerships, a volunteer-powered urban farm and green, mixed-income housing are just some of the innovative “interventions” bringing new health and vitality to Stamford’s West Side neighborhood. Learn who we are, what we are doing and why:
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Vita Health & Wellness District
40 Clinton Avenue, Stamford, CT 06901
40 Clinton Avenue, Stamford, CT 06901
203.391.7681