CFMC Meaningful Monday Episode 53 – Durham Middlefield Youth & Family Services

Episode 53 – We are surrounded by remarkable and passionate people who care deeply about Middlesex County.

What happens when a group of passionate individuals with a deep commitment to community and an understanding for the need for positive interactions get together? The answer is simple … a community-wide Kindness Coalition.

Join us for a conversation that is sure to bring a smile to your face – and get you thinking about how you can support your town to promote community kindness and empathy. Addie Buckheit and Claudia White of Durham Middlefield Youth & Family Services (DMYFS) share details of the “Nice or Nothing” Campaign. Approached by town officials, school administration, students, parents, and community members asking, “Is there anything you can do to help our community become kinder,” Claudia and the team at DMYFS began work on the campaign, and it has spread like wildfire.

Addie Buchheit, a senior at Coginchaug High School and a Girl Scout, is one of the lead facilitators on the project. Working toward her Girl Scout Gold Project, she and Claudia have worked with residents and town administrators of Durham and Middlefield to develop the “Nice or Nothing” Campaign. Based on the adage, if you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all, the Campaign uses a survey tool to help residents identify their strengths in a variety of listening and communication tools; provides opportunities for Kindness Coalition members to train as “trainers” for the project; and encourages the community to come together and celebrate all the ways that kindness can make a stronger connection. This is a project that is sure to spread all across Connecticut!

Welcome to Meaningful Mondays, the Community Foundation of Middlesex County’s (CFMC) podcast sharing stories of Good People Doing Great Things – Locally! Join us and start your Monday off in a meaningful way as we talk with remarkable individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations working – together – to help make Middlesex County a great place to live, work, and play.

For more information, visit the Community Foundation of Middlesex County at MiddlesexCountyCF.org or call us at 860.347.0025.

Subscribe to our podcast to keep up with more great stories of remarkable individuals and nonprofits. Follow CFMC on Facebook @CommunityFoundationMC, on Instagram @CFMC_CT, and on YouTube @cfdnmc.

Music credit: Inspiring Idea by Mixaund (https://mixaund.bandcamp.com/), downloaded through free-stock-music.com