Jamie Cohen, president of the Valley Community Foundation, stopped by the Valley Independent Sentinel Monday morning with a check — and a challenge.
Cohen donated $1,000 to the Online Journalism Project — the non-profit parent organization of the Valley Independent Sentinel — from his family’s fund at the Valley Community Foundation.
Now the challenge is for other Valley residents and professionals to follow up with their own donations, Cohen said.
Cohen said he viewed his donation in the nature of an ongoing subscription.
“After years without our own daily local news source, the Valley Independent Sentinel has helped restore a sense of our common Valley identity,” Cohen said. “And those of us who appreciate that have to step up to keep it going.”
The money, from the Cohen-DeTora Charitable Fund of the Valley Community Foundation, is given specifically in support of the Valley Independent Sentinel. Cohen’s wife is Fran DeToro.
“We are pleased to join with Jamie Cohen in recognizing the great contribution that the Valley Independent Sentinel makes to our community,” said Gregory J. Stamos, the chairman of the board of directors for the Valley Community Foundation.
Donations for the Valley Independent Sentinel can be made to the Online Journalism via PayPal. Click here for information. Checks can be made out to the Online Journalism Project and mailed to the Valley Independent Sentinel office at 158 Main Street, Suite 305, Ansonia CT, 06401.
Since 2009 the Valley Indy has also received support from The Valley Community Foundation, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The Katharine Matthies Foundation, The Knight Foundation and the Connecticut Health Foundation.
The Valley Independent Sentinel is based on Ansonia’s Main Street, has won eight awards from the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists since launching in 2009.
It has three employees — Eugene Driscoll of Derby, Jodie Mozdzer of Shelton and Tony Spinelli of Seymour.
