UPDATE: ABC in Darien Explains House Buy on Tokeneke Rd.

Update, 10:36 p.m., Monday:

ABC in Darien's move to new residential quarters at 103 Tokeneke Rd. will make available more space so that eight girls could live there while attending Darien High School, the organization said Monday in a news release.

Darien Patch reported Friday that the a house was purchased for $1,190,000 on Dec. 12. The organization, an affiliate of A Better Chance, has used a house at 11 Brookside Rd. for six girls since the local group was founded in 1981.

The group is now starting to raise funds to renovate the house and make it ready for new students to move in by the start of the next school year.

Here's the news release from ABC in Darien:

After 33 years in residence on Brookside Road, in the white house owned by The First Congregational Church, Darien's ABC program has found a home of its own.  In December, the Board of Directors of ABC authorized the purchase of 103 Tokeneke Road, a residential house that will meet the needs of the program today and in the future.

ABC, A Better Chance, currently provides scholarships for six academically talented girls of color who live as a family with two resident directors.  The current ABC House has been made available to the program through the generosity and support of the First Congregational Church since 1981. 

Although it has served ABC well over the years, ABC would ideally like to expand the program to a total of eight deserving students, allowing for two scholars in each grade level at Darien High School.

With this goal in mind, a team of ABC Board members began exploring options for expansion. 

When the house on Tokeneke Road, which met all of the Planning and Zoning requirements, became available, an offer was made and accepted.   To the delight of the girls, they were able to visit the house before leaving for the Christmas holiday, and found Christmas stockings for each of them hanging from the mantle -- a memorable moment for all.

With substantial gifts already in hand, the next important step for ABC is to raise the necessary monies to renovate the house to meet the needs of six to eight girls and the family of the resident directors.  It is ABC's hope to complete the updates in time for the girls to move into the house by the start of the school year 2014!

A series of fundraising events will be scheduled early this year and ABC Board members will be reaching out to the many friends of the program from over the years.  Darien residents interested in more information about ABC can check out our website at www.abcdarien.org.

Anyone interested in making a donation may contact ABC's Treasurer, Debbie Coley, at debbiecoley@mac.com.

ABC extends its thanks to The First Congregational Church, the board members of the past 33 years and the Darien community for making this exciting new chapter in ABC's history possible.


Original article, Friday, Jan. 3:

A Darien chapter of a national charity that has brought six African-American teenagers to live and attend school in Darien since 1981 has just bought a house for almost $1.2 million at 103 Tokeneke Rd.

Kevin and Patricia Chin, now of Chicago, sold the home to ABC in Darien Inc. for $1,190,000 on Dec. 12. The paperwork was filed in the Darien Town Clerk's Office on Dec. 17.

ABC in Darien Inc. is the local chapter of a larger organization, A Better Chance, headquartered in New York City.

"A Better Chance is a national, nonprofit organization. ABC provides talented, minority students with educational opportunities at good schools, which they would not otherwise be able to attend," according to Darien Patch's directory  listing for ABC.

"Darien’s chapter was established in the fall of 1981. Six students are enrolled in the program at any given time. The students attend Darien High School and live together at 11 Brookside Rd. The First Congregational Church owns the property and leases the house to ABC for $1 per year."