Later this month, the P2P community will gather to celebrate the visionary leadership of Ceci Maher, who will be retiring as P2P’s CEO at the end of June.
Over the past fourteen years, under Ceci’s leadership, Person-to-Person has grown to a thriving community-supported agency, providing services to more than 24,000 individuals annually across seven communities. Most notable is the increase in the number of meals that our pantries have provided during Ceci’s tenure, growing from 200,000 in 2005 to close to 1,000,000 in 2018. The expansion of P2P’s services to Norwalk and Stamford during that time has been instrumental in our ability to help struggling families access nutritious food.
Ceci championed the recent addition of P2P on Wheels, a 32-foot mobile food pantry with on-board casework office, which makes it possible to serve nearly 160 families each week in communities throughout Stamford. The tangible relief that this brings to struggling families prevents them from falling further behind and helps to strengthen the community as a whole.
One of the initiatives of which Maher is most proud is the Mentoring for Success Scholarship program which she started in 2011. This program pairs college students with adults mentors who provide guidance and support throughout the mentee’s college career. Students who participate in the program have a 95% graduation rate within four years. With many of the participants being first-generation college graduates, this accomplishment can change the trajectory of a young person’s life.
Reflecting on her departure, Ceci shared, “After 14 years, the agency is in a very strong position, so it’s a good time for me to step down and hand it over to the next leader. The other thing is the excitement of having a new executive director at P2P. They will bring their own ideas, and I think that is a wonderful opportunity for the agency.”
Please join us for a gathering and celebration in honor of Ceci on June 20th. RSVP here.
Learn more about Ceci’s Million Meals Fund here.
