Operation Hope Employee Injured In Crash; Thousands Donated

FAIRFIELD, CT — Community members have donated thousands to support a woman who works for a Fairfield nonprofit and was seriously injured in a recent car crash.

Donna Schmidt was walking to her job at Operation Hope the evening of Nov. 20 when she was hit by an SUV in the 600 block of Old Post Road, according to police. Schmidt was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center with severe injuries. The driver who hit Schmidt is cooperating with law enforcement, police said.

“Donna is a beloved member of the community and has been working at Operation Hope for the last 10 years,” according to a gofundme page started last week by Schmidt’s family. “We are in desperate need of support as she is currently in the ICU and will be there for an extended period of time. … Please support Donna as she has supported you and your community over the years.”

As of Monday evening, the online fundraising effort had generated about $11,000 in donations.

Schmidt, a 65-year-old Bridgeport resident, is the volunteer program manager at Operation Hope, a nonprofit that works to fight hunger and homelessness in the Fairfield area. The organization published a statement last week about the crash.

“She is cherished by so many,” Operation Hope said in the statement. “Her condition is serious and we ask that you keep her in your prayers as she recovers.”