UPDATE: The next Newtown Nonprofit Council meeting will take place Monday, January 24.

The Newtown Nonprofit Council conducted a special virtual meeting, on January 10, to discuss the guidelines for its 1,000 Acts of Kindness initiative for 2022.

Sarah Patafio, reference assistant and volunteer hub project manager for C.H. Booth Library, led the meeting that had representatives from multiple nonprofits, including Newtown Lions Club, Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS), America Red Cross, and Kevin’s Community Center.

According to Patafio, the 1,000 Acts of Kindness project will help “to promote community service in town.”

The idea is to inspire more nonprofits and volunteers to join the Nonprofit Council’s “Get Connected, Newtown” site. The library was able to create the web-based platform through Galaxy Digital Get Connected thanks to the Jeniam Foundation.

Get Connected, Newtown allows nonprofits to post upcoming or ongoing volunteer needs. It also allows a place for people looking to volunteer to search and sign up for volunteer opportunities.

Patafio explained that the site will be able to tally all the volunteer acts for their initiative, and that they can then reach out to organizations for confirmation the volunteer did in fact completed their assignment.

“That’s how we can track it – responding through the website then following through,’ she said.

For those nonprofits new to the council, Newtown Lions Club member Katherine Simpson shared that the 1,000 Acts of Kindness initiative “would mobilize Newtown” and “revive its volunteerism after this time of COVID.”

When the group discussed how to drum up more people interested in participating, Patafio mentioned how the Nonprofit Council can have its own booth at the Newtown Arts Festival.

Simpson added that Newtown Lions Club would be interested in helping at its Great Pootatuck Duck Race on June 25.

“Those are good basic starting points,” Tripp Killin of the Jeniam Foundation said.

With those two larger events planned for later in the year, they brainstormed what to solidify in the coming months.

Patafio said that she will start the publicity campaign in February, which will involve sending out press releases to newspapers and posting on social media.

Then they can organize a kickoff day where multiple nonprofits could have volunteer opportunities. The plan is to arrange that for the Saturday after Earth Day in April.

The Newtown Nonprofit Council will be hosting a public meeting on January 24 at 2 pm for more representatives to learn more about the 1,000 Acts of Kindness initiative.

To contact Sarah Patafio with questions about the service initiative or the volunteer site, e-mail spatafio@chboothlibrary.org. To create an account on Get Connected, Newtown, visit newtownnc.galaxydigital.com.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.