HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE Greg Kalkreuth is very much like many young people in their 20’s – he works hard, spends time with friends and family, saves for the future and generally enjoys all that life has. Greg is so very grateful for all that he has and can do, and he wanted to find a way to give something back. He began talking with his mother who worked for the Community Foundation for many years. She talked about the many Funds started by people who wanted to make a difference, what they support and how to get involved ……
DonateTogether, we can support and promote mental wellness with meaningful action. Mental health issues affect so many in our communities – either directly or indirectly – and we all can take steps to make mental wellness the goal for our communities. An anonymous donor took the lead on this issue in 2014 following the first of a series of open community forums on mental wellness and mental health issues. This donor understood that the best way our community is going to address mental health issues is by doing to together. Working with the donor, the Community Foundation established the Mental Wellness Fund,…
DonateRemembering Daniel Mental health issues impact everyone, not just those struggling with these challenges. Families, friends, colleagues, and neighbors are all touched in some way. For many families the challenges can bring heightened awareness, advocacy, and opportunities, to help others right in their own communities. Just ask Cathy and Jim Probolus of Portland. Cathy’s nephew, Daniel Howe, grew up in New Jersey, spent time exploring the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and went on to study engineering at Cal State East Bay in San Francisco. Daniel’s life path would bring him to a passionate study of world religions and finally a…
DonateThe Annual Colter Classic Golf Outing will be held July 15, 2019. To learn more or sponsor the event, click HERE A great attitude. A friend to everyone. An infectious smile. An excellent athlete whose passion was wrestling. A mentor and leader to those around him. These are just a few of the things people knew and admired about Colter Abely. Colter grew up in Middletown and graduated from Xavier High School. He was surrounded by friends, neighbors, and teachers who looked forward to his smile, his positive attitude about life, and his willingness to help everyone. Unfortunately tragedy struck in…
DonateIn 1954 William McCann, Jr. was looking for a community to launch a new business and to call home. With his arrival in Middletown and the purchase of a dry cleaning business renamed Best Cleaners, Bill and his wife, Esther, built a lasting relationship with their community. Supporting the community and their employees has always been a high priority for the McCann family and Best Cleaners. Esther established this unrestricted fund in Bill’s memory in appreciation of the community where their family has lived and enjoyed doing business since the 1950s. Unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation to meet the changing needs…
DonateChristopher R. Belfoure was just 24 when he tragically died in July 2011. Yet his passions – his belief in the global community, his dedication to teaching and the environment – will be shared through the Chris Belfoure Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. A graduate of Valley Regional High School and West Virginia University, Chris spoke fluent Mandarin and was pursuing a career as a corporate trainer in Shanghai. He is remembered as a charming, intelligent, ambitious man with a zest for life and adventure. Chris believed knowledge to be a bridge between cultures and a…
DonateThe Clarks established a named family fund in 1999 for the unrestricted benefit of the people and communities of Southern Middlesex County.
DonateWe can all make a difference if we stand together. In September 2009, a dedicated group of Middlesex County business leaders took a stand against bullying. Working through the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC), these leaders established the Council of Business Partners Fund and, with the help of Rushford, a Hartford Healthcare partner, developed and funded the “No Bully Zone” Program. In 2014, CFMC’s Council of Business Partners joined with partners from Middlesex County and throughout Connecticut to launch the Campaign for Bully-Free Communities – calling everyone to stand together and take the bully-free communities’ pledge. The “No Bully…
DonateCDKL5. A rare disease with no apparent cause, no cure, and a very clinical name. Yet, for Middlesex County and its surrounding neighbors, this disease has a very personal and lovely face – Avery Rose Leopoldino of Westbrook. Avery was diagnosed at two years old with this extremely rare disease. At the age of 6 weeks, she began experiencing frequent seizures and was originally diagnosed with epilepsy. Upon learning from doctors that Avery did not have epilepsy but a very rare genetic disease with no known cure, Avery’s parents, Mark and Kristin, had to take a long pause and start…
DonateA Quiet Way – A “Strong” Impact A long-time resident of Durham, Herb Patterson was a kind, quiet man who made a deep, lasting impression on everyone he met. Herb attended Bowdoin College and then joined the Navy, reaching the rank of Captain of a PT boat during World War II. Herb was known as a life-long philanthropist, volunteering throughout the community, serving on the Board of Directors at Middlesex Hospital and as Chairman of the Board at Durham Manufacturing, and actively supporting his church. In honor of Herb’s devotion to his community and his determination to support the many…
DonateProviding Opportunities for Creative Expression York Butler, a gifted artist and copper craftsman, was fighting a battle with cancer in 2006. His sister Jill, an artist in her own right, was grappling with a sense of uselessness, an inability to do something meaningful to support her brother. As she sat with him, she asked a simple, quiet question – “how can I be of service to my brother during his illness?” What came was an inspiration, a command, to pick up a Sharpie pen. “I don’t draw people, but what came were these characters with things to say,” Jill explained. “I…
DonateA Legacy of Activism With a journalist’s instinct for information, a global appreciation for life, and a passion for helping today while preserving for tomorrow – it is no wonder Katherine “Katchen” Coley thrived as an activist and advocate. While Katchen’s life took her around the world, it was in Middletown and Middlesex County that inspired her to become nature’s advocate. She was dedicated to preserving the environment and fighting for stricter environmental regulations. Katchen had a long and distinguished career of environmental activism, regularly lobbying the Connecticut congressional delegation in Washington and joining numerous Connecticut-based organizations as an advocate….
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