Improving Lives and Building Futures Mental illness is debilitating. It’s not often discussed, yet its impact stretches well beyond those affected by it. It impacts families, friends, neighbors – the entire community. Quality health care and recovery support services provide for physical and mental wellbeing, independence and community integration. For over four decades Gilead Community Services has offered programs to foster recovery from mental illness, including general counseling for individuals and families through the outpatient clinic in Middletown, intensive community-based programs, and rehabilitation services for individuals living independently. This commitment to Gilead’s comprehensive support and a strong sense of community…
DonateGIVING IS A FAMILY AFFAIR Rachel Wiltsie is no stranger to the Community Foundation. She, and her late husband, Chuck, believed in giving back. They felt so blessed and had a strong desire to share their good fortune with those in need. They found a way to put their hearts and passions into action by starting a fund in 2001 at the Community Foundation. Ten years later, Rachel discovered that the next two generations of Wiltsie Family were interested in continuing the legacy of giving that she and Chuck started. While she has long been an advocate for those who…
DonateSallie and Robert Boody celebrate all their community has to offer. They know that even the smallest gift can make a big difference in the lives of their neighbors. They believe giving is simple – a box of cereal to a food pantry; a sweater to a shelter; a ticket to a community art show; or a gift through the Community Foundation. They understand that one person cannot do it alone. They know that when gifts are combined with those of others, a real difference can be made to improve the quality of life in our communities. When Sallie and…
DonateWho hasn’t enjoyed a breakfast or lunch at O’Rourke’s Diner, an institution of Middlesex County! Brian O’Rourke is an institution, too, and is known for his extraordinary generosity and giving ways. Brian vividly remembers how his community came to his aid in a time of crisis. Brian knows how a group of dedicated caring, individuals can really make a great community. Recognizing a like-minded purpose in the Community Foundation, he selected CFMC as his “Partner in Giving” with his unendowed donor advised fund, The Shamrock Fund. Brian has seen firsthand, through friends and neighbors, the hard work and dedication of…
DonateLIVE LOCAL BUY LOCAL LEADS TO LIVE LOCAL GIVE LOCAL Many companies offer rewards programs but Dutch Oil Company in Moodus is truly unique. A family-owned and operated business, Dutch Oil believes in supporting their customers through services and in thanking them for their business with a customer loyalty program. Customer/business loyalty took a new and innovative turn when a customer decided to “pay forward” their 10 cent a gallon discount. The customer donated the equivalent of his savings to a local fuel bank to help his neighbors. Dutch Oil appreciated the customer’s willingness to help others, and they set…
DonateWhere we work. Where we live. Where we play. Every donor and every organization has a tremendous impact in sustaining our quality of life. Nancy Fischbach and Martin Wolman of Deep River live local and give local. They believe in supporting the organizations which have a direct and significant effect on the community in which they live. Nancy and Martin support the Community Foundation in so many ways, and in 2009 they added a Named Fund to that list of ways to support CFMC, support Middlesex County, and continue giving to the community which gives so much to them. “We…
DonatePIONEERING VOLUNTEER and COMMUNITY ACTIVIST Phyllis McDowell humbly and quietly will tell you she started her career in volunteerism because she had nothing to do. She just had too much time on her hands and too much energy to waste. Phyllis, a resident of Chester and Fenwick, believes that helping others – and everything around you – is an obligation and a privilege. Her “volunteer career” began in New Haven. Phyllis founded Fellowship Place which went on to become highly recognized for its pioneering ways of treating mental health patients through art therapy, vocational training and by fostering an open…
DonateSupporting the Community Foundation can take many forms. The Griffin Family of Durham has found countless ways to support the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, including being our cheerleaders and promoting the work CFMC does throughout the county. The Griffin family established a Donor Advised Endowed Fund at Community Foundation of Middlesex County in 2010. Endowed funds provide for the future as well as today, and this fund meets the Griffins’ investment in Middlesex County, highlighting both their desire to share the purpose of charitable giving with their children and with future generations. The Griffins had yet another purpose in mind:…
DonateLove at first sight is not just a Hollywood cliché. It does happen in real life, and those who knew Barbara and George Hart, will tell you that their love for and dedication to each other was an inspiration for all. Barbara and George Hart spent a lifetime together, living in many communities and working to further their passions. She loved flowers and the pleasure they bring; he loved the water and sailing and the thrill of the open seas (and Long Island Sound). It was only natural that they settled in Old Saybrook, where their personal and professional lives…
DonateCan women helping women really make a difference? Absolutely! Many of us now find ourselves in a position to help others. We are an untapped resource. We can take the initiative and direct our charitable dollars to help generations of women and girls to live independent and productive lives. Our philanthropy is at work right here in Middlesex County – where we live, work and play. Never underestimate the power of women! In 2002, a group of concerned Middlesex County women banded together to create the Fund for Women & Girls, an endowed fund of the Community Foundation of Middlesex…
DonateEndowments strengthen organizations and help secure their future. The Middlesex United Way recognized this in 2001 when it was the first organization to establish an agency fund with the Community Foundation. In 2010 Middlesex United Way again chose to work with the Community Foundation to establish an endowed fund that will benefit the broader community for years to come. Their decision emphasizes their trust in the expertise the Community Foundation offers to expertly manager their gifts.
DonateDEBORAH T. MEHR: DEDICATED TO OTHERS – IN SO MANY WAYS Those who knew Debbie marvel at her dedication to her family, friends and students at Wesley School in Middletown. They say things such as “what a caring, warm, nice, decent human being” she was. They remember her passion for books and reading and how she passed that love of reading on not only to her daughters, Alison and Amanda, but also to her third grade students. She bought thousands and thousands of books for her students! It’s no wonder that Wesley School dedicated a corner of the library to…
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