Karen Gaudian, Social Services
Karen Gaudian is one of two town social service workers. For eleven years Karen has working out of the Ridgefield Town Hall helping people in crisis. Karen helps senior citizens, the disabled, families in need, and the homeless. In addition to helping people understand state and federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Karen works with the food pantry, counsels those with mental health problems, and acts as a case worker for those in need.
In Karen’s words, “the Ridgefield Town Social Worker, Tony Phillips, and myself find resources for people in town who are floundering due to finances, health, aging, and family situations. Finding housing for people is one of our most difficult tasks, as there is just not enough lower income housing in Ridgefield or our neighboring towns. We have many single parents in town who are struggling on one salary and have few places to turn.”
During the pandemic, getting food for people who lost their jobs was also a problem. The town food pantry had to be closed due to too much traffic from clients, staff, and volunteers. To people who qualified for food, gift cards were distributed from the door of the Town Hall in sanitized buckets. Many residents do not realize that even in an affluent town like Ridgefield, there are always people in need.
When not serving the public, Karen was with her two new grandbabies born during the pandemic. These two new babies helped bring great joy to her family, which in turn she transferred to those she was trying to help during difficult times. Karen also continued her quest to eradicate and educate the public regarding Lyme Disease during the pandemic.
More than twenty years ago, Karen’s entire family came down with severe cases of Lyme disease and Karen knew that she had her work cut out for her. She became an advocate for those with this terrible disease and took on a multitude of tasks connected to the disease. She began speaking and educating others, started support groups, took part in legislative hearings, and began making connections with others in various parts of the country. When First Selectman, Rudy Marconi, saw how devoted Karen was to her cause and how well she worked with people, he felt social service was for her. He offered her a position with the social services department in town and it was, indeed, a good fit.
Ironically, Karen was not the only person from Ridgefield named Karen who was doing outstanding work with Lyme Disease. Karen Kopins, who graduated a few years earlier than Karen Gaudian from Ridgefield High School and was Miss Connecticut 1977, was also advocating in the Litchfield area. Karen Kopin’s entire family had also been affected by the same disease. Prior to the disease, Karen Kopins had been a well-known model, major movie star and television actress in the 1980’s. She was also seen in numerous commercials.
After graduating from Ridgefield High School in 1980, Karen Gaudian attended SUNY in Purchase N.Y. for first an art degree and then a degree in floral design. She always loved flowers and gardening, but later her new passion became painting and fabrics. With this new interest in fabrics, Karen started her own business focusing on faux paintings, murals, and making drapes and window treatments.
Although Karen enjoyed growing up in Ridgefield, she could not wait to get out of town after high school. This wander lust took her to Maryland, New York, and Washington D.C. Karen’s Ridgefield roots, however, drew her back to town after not too long. Today Karen is happy to say that she is glad she is back at home in Ridgefield and cannot get enough of her two grandchildren who live in Norwalk and her two new grand babies. She is also happy to say that her family is now much better regarding Lyme Disease. Some members, however, are still having some small side effects.
In 2018 Karen was very proud to be awarded the Ridgefield Employee of the Year plaque. When asked what she would like to see in town to help her clients, Karen immediately replied a free mental health clinic along with a dental and hearing aid clinic as these services are not always covered by necessary aid.
Someday Karen hopes she will be able to take the time and have the money to travel. She also loves to spend her free time in garden shops and cannot say enough about the generosity of the good people of Ridgefield. When Karen needs help with serving the public, there are many in town willing to help.
In conclusion, Karen warns everyone to make certain to properly spray their yard to ward off ticks. If she had a superpower it would be to fly, so she would not have to ever encounter ticks again.