Date: Fri 06-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Newtown-Fund-Sullivan

Full Text:

Newtown Fund - The heartbeat of a friendly town...

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Thirty-seven years ago, the leaders of our community decided to create a

formal organization to "reflect the community conscience and good will toward

persons in unusual need."

Through the ensuing decades, the Newtown Fund has assisted local families in

catastrophic situations, offered seed money for the creation of Nunnawauk

Meadows and the Family Life Center, and rekindled holiday joy in the less

fortunate by offering gifts through its annual Depot Day.

For the most part, it is a low-profile organization that constantly seeks new

ways in which to address the changing needs of the community. The Newtown Fund

has steadily pursued the mission stated in its charter: "to provide spiritual,

financial, educational, medical, and other assistance to needy persons." The

group will step in when troubling situations cannot be eased or resolved by

the existing welfare organizations.

But more and more people are finding themselves with problems that extend

beyond the healing powers of government agencies. Resources are dwindling, so

the officers of the Newtown Fund have decided it is time to "go public" and

ask the community for support. They would like to expand the board and firmly

establish a perpetual fund so money would be available as soon as there is a

need.

"We've never really gone out and said, `Send us money.' But that's what it's

going to take to get a perpetual fund up and running," said the group's

treasurer Sandra Stockwell. "We don't want people to be desperate, or think

their neighbor doesn't care."

The Newtown Fund does not run fundraisers but, unlike other groups, the

tax-exempt organization has the ability to hold funds donated by individuals

and civic groups.

The Lions Club, for example, sponsors pancake breakfasts in response to

specific needs and gives the proceeds to the fund to disseminate to the

particular families. Funds for specific individuals with continuing medical

needs have been in place for as long as 20 years, said Ms Stockwell.

The Newtown Fund will continue to accept and set aside money for a specific

cause, but would like to organize a large general fund and act as the conduit

for the community.

To help achieve this goal, the fund would like to invite a representative from

each club in town to attend board meetings. "I think all organizations should

be involved," said Newtown Fund President Cathy Sullivan. "We don't want to

duplicate efforts, and we can help each other out."

Officers on the board also include Vice President Lee Paulsen, and Secretary

Lynn Korotash. And many of the people involved with the Newtown Fund also

volunteer for other agencies in the community, said Ms Sullivan.

The money raised by the town's civic organizations and distributed by the

Newtown Fund have reached many families. The Displaced Homemaker's Fund is

fund that helps people in their rent, daycare -- circumstances and need a

little extra help -- Trinity Church helps fund it.

The group has also handled contributions to help Newtown residents meet

critical needs. The fund has received money for a young girl who needed a

kidney transplant, a boy who needed a bone marrow transplant, a youth who

couldn't afford a wheelchair, a girl who was afflicted with encephalitis and

needed a special computer and equipment so she could continue her education,

and an infant with a reduction deformity of the brain. "All of the money stays

in town - it's for Newtown families only," said Ms Stockwell.

History of Helping

One day in 1959, Joseph Chase helped a social worker from Fairfield Hills

Hospital deliver food to a less fortunate family in Newtown. "Joseph was very

upset about it and decided there had to be a fund for the poor. So he talked

to the Reverend Paul Cullens," said Charlotte Chase, recalling her husband's

actions. "Joseph was the first president [of the Newtown Fund] - a position he

held for 11 years. He was responsible for bringing the first social worker to

town; he pursuaded the first selectman [to recognize the need]... He thought a

social worker would be in touch with a lot of families and seek out people who

needed help - there was no one else they could go to."

Although various groups in town were involved in holiday giving, Mr Chase

thought it would be a good idea to coordinate the efforts into one Christmas

Basket Program administered by the Newtown Fund. The social worker provided

the names and ages of needy family members, and a "basket" was filled with

food, clothing, and gifts for the individuals. And so it has been every year

since 1960.

The charter members of the Newtown Fund were Mr Chase, Rev Cullen and Rev

Richard Ryder, Jr, Thomas Cheney, Richard Eddy, Robert Fox and Sheldon Smith.

Records indicate these "pillars of the community" would meet to discuss a

family with a particular need, and then reach into their own pockets for the

money to be donated, according to Ms Stockwell.

In 1964, Dwight W. Norris said he thought of the Newtown Fund as "the

heartbeat of a friendly town." A former New York public relations man, Mr

Norris came to Newtown and worked with Mr Chase in real estate.

Since its founding, the Newtown Fund has assessed community needs and

responded by providing money to establish positions and programs that were

eventually supported in other ways. For instance, the fund provided financial

underwriting and arranged for local family counseling through Child and Family

Services. They provided the seed money for the Adventure Center as well as

Nunnawauk Meadows. The Newtown Fund assessed the need for a full-time social

worker in town, provided volunteer counseling, and established a senior

citizen newsletter, and the Host Home program for youth.

After a survey by the fund revealed that transportation was an issue for

senior citizens, the Town of Newtown contributed $10,000 with which the

Newtown Fund began a mini-bus program for seniors. The organization operated

the bus from 1976 to 1982, when HART took over with its bus service.

Since the early 1960s, the Newtown Fund has functioned as a coordinating

agency for Christmas giving. In an event known as "Depot Day," the entire town

has traditionally taken part in sharing presents, food, and cheer with needy

families in Newtown.

For many years, the fund published the Directory of Community Services in

Newtown, Connecticut.

Fuel assistance has become a "big thing" during the past few years, so the

Newtown Fund established a fund specifically to help in that area. Every year

now, the fund buys at least $1,000 worth of oil to be given out by Human

Services. Holcomb Fuel matches a portion of the contribution.

"If we could do it, we did it," said Ms Stockwell. "We canvassed the

community, and people would say, `We have a need. Can you fill it?'"

Assistance Needed

The extent to which the Newtown Fund can continue to respond to growing needs

will largely depend on contributions and voluntarism.

The immediate needs of the organization are donations of money, and people to

help out on Depot Day on December 21. Volunteers can buy gifts for a needy

Newtown family, deliver "baskets," wrap presents, help load cars, or do other

tasks on that Saturday between 9 am and about 2 pm).

"It's a socializing day where you get to meet a lot of people - neighbors,"

said Ms Stockwell. "And you have the satisfaction of working with the

community - everyone from the chief of police, to the superintendent of

schools, to the janitors. Everybody pulls together so everyone can have a good

holiday."

Anyone who would like to volunteer for Depot Day, may contact the Newtown Fund

at 270-0103. Contributions for the perpetual fund or any specific program or

family need may be sent to the Newtown Fund at PO Box 641, Newtown.

"Volunteers do this for humanity, not for recognition. That's why we're low

key," said Ms Stockwell. "I do it because it makes me feel good."