Walter and Bonnie Drozeck Fund

Where does a Brooklyn native and his Wallingford bride settle after getting married? Why Shelton, of course!

College sweethearts, Walter and Bonnie Drozeck met in the '60s at the University of Bridgeport, married shortly after graduation, and moved to Shelton in 1966 to start a family. Shelton provided the Drozecks with affordable housing at the time and still allowed them to be within close proximity to their families. For the past 49 years, however, Shelton has been much more than home.

"Shelton was a great place to live then," Walt said. "And it still is." In fact, giving back to Shelton was one of the key philanthropic objectives they concentrated on during their estate planning process. So where do you turn when you are working on your estate plan and want to give back to the Valley to ensure your philanthropic goals are met, both now and in perpetuity? Why the Valley Community Foundation, of course!

"Many of our friends had already worked with VCF to establish funds and found it to be an easy process," Walt said. "As people we knew began to pass away, we saw their families establish funds in their name as a way of leaving a legacy and helping the Valley. We thought about it for a while and felt this was something we were inspired to do."

Bonnie agreed. "We wanted to be able to have an impact on our community - both now, by establishing this fund, and later on through our estate."

Both Walt and Bonnie shared passionate careers in education: Bonnie taught physical education for 32 years; the last 21 in Shelton, while Walt taught elementary education in Fairfield. The two have been actively involved within the Shelton community from the very beginning. From a neighborhood babysitter's club, to the Cub Scouts, to the Women's Club, to Walt's service as a Shelton Alderman, the Drozecks have always kept their community top of mind.

The Drozecks have contributed to many of Shelton's nonprofits throughout the years. Their Fund at VCF will benefit nonprofit organizations based in Shelton, wherever a need presents itself. "We have lived in the same house near the Trumbull and Monroe town lines for the past 49 years," Walt said. "Shelton has been very good to us. Now we want to give back to our community. Establishing this Fund and directing a portion of our estate to it, allows us to do just that."