Joell is a Stamford mom of four teenagers and a third generation living in Stamford! She’s sharing her favorite family activities and why she is loving her involvement in the Stamford Garden Club. Read our interview to learn more about the club and the Goodbody Garden (which is FREE) to visit!
How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have four kids – 18, 17, and two 15 year olds.
What do you love about living in Stamford?
I am a third generation living in Stamford. I love the diversity and layers of opportunity in Stamford. I have lived in Stamford for 25 years, and it keeps getting better. We have amazing parks, community activities, the Mill River Park, UConn Stamford and an amazing variety of places to live, eat, work and play.
What are your favorite family activities in the area?
When my children were younger, we visited the Ferguson library quite a bit. We participate in SoundWaters clean up events and even attended Alive at 5 (before it became 21+) and the Wednesday night concerts. My oldest and youngest were with me at the BB King concert years ago as well as a few yoga events at Veteran’s Park. We used to watch Santa repel Landmark Square and after sing Christmas carols at the tree lighting. We also attended many of the parades. With children in the Stamford Public School system, I even had the chance to watch one of my daughters participate in the parade with the school band. I remember that like it was yesterday. It was such a proud mom moment. Speaking of parades, the Thanksgiving Parade was always a fun day out for our house.
Now that my kids are older, we engage more with the Stamford Downtown activities. We go to the movies and try new restaurants. Recently I played tennis with my husband and a couple of the kids at Cummings Park. We could really use a sidewalk to/from the park to make it a safer experience, but overall, I feel quite lucky to have the courts so close to home.
Both my oldest daughter and I are currently enrolled in programs at UConn. My daughter is a freshman, and I recently started my Master of Science in Human Resources. I spend a significant amount of time during the week at the UConn Stamford campus library. It’s one of my favorite go-to spots. There are also so many great restaurants downtown. We’ve walked to restaurants for lunch as well as the Ferguson Library to borrow books for school. We’ve also attended many UConn (men’s and women’s) basketball games over the years.
We live in the Cove area, so we often spend time in the Summer at the beach. I’d say 3 out of 4 of our kids enjoy the beach in their own way (i.e. paddleboarding, relaxing on the sand, hanging out with their friends, etc.)
The annual 4th of July Stamford fireworks is a main summer event and always a great kid pleaser.
Tell us about your involvement in The Stamford Garden Club.
I have been a member of The Stamford Garden Club for a couple of years. The first year was spent learning more of the operations and logistics of being a member and entering and clerking at floral shows. My second year I engaged on more of a leadership level. I co-lead the Conservation Committee and recently started working with the Fundraising Committee.
Both years I’ve spent much time volunteering at the Goodbody Garden/Fort Stamford ensuring the gardens are well maintained for the public to use… free of charge, by the way!
This year the Garden Club sponsored me to represent the club as a Garden Club of American Zone II delegate to participate in the National Affairs and Legislation (NAL) conference held in Washington, D.C. At our nation’s capital we learned about the latest Conservation issues and prepared to meet with national legislators while ending the event with onsite visits on Capitol Hill (i.e. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy and Congressman Jim Himes) allowing our teams to advocate for urgent legislative Acts in both the Senate and the House.
What do you love about the club?
I love that there is always something new to learn and many ways to engage and at varying degrees. We meet up regularly to maintain the Goodbody Garden, which is also a social time. There are educational events at our meetings as well as onsite and offsite workshops. We have a team that sets up visits to local gardens.
I appreciate our partnership with the Stamford Public Schools with events like our Annual Lettuce Challenge, which was co-lead by members Peggy Erlenkotter and Phyllis Lodato Suppa this year. It feels good to be part of a group that engages with and gives back to our community. Finally, I love that the members are a wonderful group of dedicated, friendly and multi-generational aficionados.
How did you get involved?
I was introduced to The Stamford Garden club by my friend and neighbor, Mia Schipani, who is a fellow gardening enthusiast. We were walking our dogs together one day and she mentioned that she was joining the club. I was instantly interested, and things took off from there!
Tell us about Stamford’s Goodbody Garden.
The Goodbody is located at 900 Westover Road on the 5 acre property of Fort Stamford, which is a historic site that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. I share the address since I never knew about it until I joined The Stamford Garden Club!
It’s a great location and truly a hidden gem. For anyone who has never been, I highly recommend a visit. Stop by for a quick break from the daily grind. Relax while looking at the wonderfully maintained grounds. You can sit, breathe some fresh air and regroup for a moment. Bring the kids, and they can run around on the large surrounding lawns of our quaint, small garden.
I am proud to brag that the Goodbody Garden is so well maintained that residents can also reserve the location through the City for special events like weddings, photoshoots and small events.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from another mom?
To join a mom’s group when my kids were small. I was lucky to have a very good friend of mine who started a mom’s group right around the time I had my kids. This is important for both the children to socialize and moms to learn and share with other moms while creating a local tribe of support. Mom’s groups were a lifesaver for me when my kids were small!
Now that my kids are older, I’d say a piece of advice I would share is to put money aside and plan for Driver’s Education classes. Even if you are the most patient parent in the world, your child (and your wallet) will benefit from them completing a Driver’s Education course.
Finally, I’d also recommend finding something, like the Stamford Garden Club, to engage in at whatever level works for you, to bring some extra joy to your life.
You can read about Stamford Garden Club, our membership and more on The Goodbody Garden on the club’s website.