Community giving is what makes these nonprofits run

By Deborah Rose

Thirty-three non-profit organizations in New Milford are lifting their voice in unison this month.

They are hopeful the 11th annual Give Local Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills’ 36-hour online giving campaign later this month will raise awareness and funds to help them fulfill their missions.

The 36-hour online giving campaign is hosted by the Connecticut Community Foundation and presented by Ion Bank.

It will run April 24 from 7 a.m. to April 25 at 7 p.m.

Donations can be made during the campaign at GiveLocalCCF.org. Donors can search for organizations they would like to support online.

Leading up to the campaign, local businessman Jeff Kilberg and Diane Swanson have again coordinated Give Where You Live – a New Milford effort to lift up all New Milford nonprofits during the online campaign.

“The ‘rising tide lift all boats,’” Kilberg has said of the New Milford initiative.

As part of that effort, many of the 33 local participating nonprofits have banners with their names on them hung on the lampposts on Main Street and vicinity in New Milford.

In addition, for the fifth year in a row, New Milford Mayor Pete Bass will kick off the Give Local event with a reading of a proclamation April 24 at 8:30 a.m. in front of Roger Sherman Town Hall.

All participating nonprofits and their representatives, as well as the public are invited to attend.

Give Local Greater Waterbury Litchfield Hills offers a unique opportunity not just for the spotlight to be shone on nonprofits, but individuals and businesses too, who can fuel the success of Give Local by becoming a sponsor.

Sponsors provide bonus funds (gifts that are made during Give Local that are boosted by sponsor dollars) and cash prizes (prizes donated by sponsors that add incentives for donors to give during the campaign).

Last year, nonprofits shared over $171,000 in bonus funds because of contributions from local businesses, according to the Connecticut Community Foundation.

To learn more about Give Local sponsorship opportunities and to register to be a sponsor click here.

Participating New Milford and Gaylordsville nonprofits are, as of this posting:

Animal Welfare Society, Inc. (AWS)

• Buck's Rock Camp
• Camella's Cupboard Food Pantry for Children
• Candlewoof New Milford Dog Park Inc. 
• Children's Center of New Milford
• Cobble Hill Animal Sanctuary, Inc.
• Gaylordsville Historical Society
• Gears in Heaven, Inc.
• Harrybrooke Park & Harden House Museum
• Literacy Volunteers on the Green, Inc.
• Loaves & Fishes Hospitality House
• Merryall Center
• Merwinsville Hotel Restoration Inc.
• New Milford Affordable Housing, Inc.
• New Milford Chore Services
• New Milford Refugee Resettlement
• New Milford River Trail Association
• Oratory of the Little Way, Inc.
• Ostomy Foundation
• Pet Assistance, Inc. (PAi)
• Pratt Nature Center
• Robotics and Beyond Inc. 
• Roger Sherman Chapter, NSDAR
• Smiles I Can't See
• The Garden Club of New Milford
• The New Milford Historical Society & Museum
• TheatreWorks New Milford, Inc.
• United Way of Coastal and Western CT
• Village Center for the Arts Inc.
• Wells Valley Cat Rescue
• Webb Youth Services
• Wheels For Wheels
• Wheels Program of Greater New Milford, Inc.