Sip & Sign Pairs Local Authors With a Fundraiser for Families Starting Over (rescheduled)

NOTE: This event has been rescheduled to Sun, Oct 18 @ 5 PM due to the nor’easter.

Sip & Sign Pairs Local Authors With a Fundraiser for Families Starting Over Sunday, Sept. 27, bringing a group of writers to the Stonington Free Library for four hours of books, drinks, conversation, and fundraising for Operation Fresh Start.

The annual event runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and puts the authors at the center of the evening. Guests can meet them, hear about their latest books and projects, and purchase books directly during the event.

The 2026 lineup includes Becki A. Jacobson, Debbie McGrath, Jimmy Bennett, Kelly Jarvis, MJ Soni, and Marilyn Wright Dayton.

Admission is $45, including hors d’oeuvres, one raffle ticket, and one drink ticket, with beverages provided by Rum Tropic Distillery.

There’s also a silent auction filled with items donated by area businesses and individuals.

But the reason for the gathering begins with something much simpler than books or cocktails: a suitcase.

Note: Check out the additional ways you can help Operation Fresh Start year-round.

It Started With Children Carrying Their Lives in Garbage Bags

Operation Fresh Start founder Shannon DePerry began what would become the organization in 2020 after thinking about children entering foster care with their possessions packed into garbage bags.

She decided to organize a luggage drive.

The response was much larger than expected.

According to Operation Fresh Start, the community donated more than 600 suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks, along with enough supplies to assemble 300 toiletry bags. Those donations went to organizations serving foster children and families, including Waterford Country School, Thames River Family Program, Noank Community Support Services, foster-care agencies and local shelters.

DePerry initially envisioned it as a one-time project.

Then the pandemic arrived.

Needs within the community increased, and the effort continued.

DePerry and her mother-in-law put flowers from their gardens onto a roadside flower cart and sold them to raise money for people they were helping. The little operation generated approximately $4,000, all of which went back into the community.

What began with a luggage drive eventually became Operation Fresh Start Inc.: New Beginnings, formally established as a nonprofit in 2021.

What a “Fresh Start” Actually Means

The organization’s primary focus remains children in the foster-care system, but its work has expanded to other people trying to rebuild their lives.

That can mean a foster child arriving at a new placement, a young adult aging out of foster care, a parent moving into an apartment or a local family hit by circumstances that have left them without basic necessities.

Operation Fresh Start supplies things that can sound ordinary until you don’t have them.

Bedding. Towels. Cleaning products. Toiletries. Diapers. Baby wipes. Pajamas. School supplies. Household goods.

The organization assembles welcome baskets to help people turn an empty apartment into a functioning home and organizes programs including backpack drives, holiday assistance and its Grammie Pajammies initiative.

It also works with organizations including the Thames River Family Program, Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, Waterford Country School and other agencies that encounter families who need help.

The philosophy is right there in the organization’s name.

The goal isn’t to solve every problem a family faces. It’s to provide some of the practical things that make starting again possible.

Six Authors, One Room

Sip & Sign approaches fundraising differently.

Instead of a formal gala or benefit dinner, the evening is structured around books and conversations with writers.

The announced author lineup is:

• Becki A. Jacobson
• Debbie McGrath
• Jimmy Bennett
• Kelly Jarvis
• MJ Soni
• Marilyn Wright Dayton

The authors will share their latest work and projects throughout the evening, with books available for purchase.

That gives the event something many fundraising receptions don’t have: plenty to do without following a rigid program.

Guests can move around the library, meet writers, browse books, have something to eat or drink, look through the auction items and spend time with other Operation Fresh Start supporters.

A raffle ticket is included with admission.

A Library After Hours

The location adds another layer to the evening.

Stonington Free Library has occupied its building at 20 High Street in Stonington Borough since 1900, making it a particularly fitting setting for a fundraiser built around writers and books.

The library normally closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays.

For Sip & Sign, the doors reopen for an evening event that continues until 9.

That turns the century-old library from a daytime reading and community space into something closer to an intimate literary reception.

The combination also connects two organizations that operate on a particularly local scale.

The library serves the Stonington community with books, programs, technology and gathering spaces. Operation Fresh Start works with families and organizations throughout New London County.

On Sunday night, buying a ticket, bidding on an auction item or discovering a new author helps connect the two.

And it all traces back to a woman who saw children carrying their belongings in garbage bags and decided they deserved something better to carry them in.

More information is available at the Event Website link below.

To purchase tickets, click the Event Ticketing link below.

Details

Event: Operation Fresh Start Sip & Sign
Date: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026
Time: 5–9 p.m.
Location: Stonington Free Library
Address: 20 High St., Stonington, CT 06378
Admission: $45 per person
Featured Authors: Becki A. Jacobson, Debbie McGrath, Jimmy Bennett, Kelly Jarvis, MJ Soni and Marilyn Wright Dayton
Included With Admission: Hors d’oeuvres, one drink ticket and one raffle ticket
Drinks: Provided by Rum Tropic Distillery
Also Featured: Silent auction with items donated by local businesses and individuals
Books: Participating authors’ books will be available for purchase
Beneficiary: Operation Fresh Start Inc.: New Beginnings
Event Contact: Shannon DePerry
Refunds: Available up to seven days before the event

 

Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.