Library hopes connections will be forged at Jan. 27 event
By Deborah Rose
There is a day earmarked for nearly everything under the sun.
A variety of sources have created days to commemorate things such as doughnuts, socks, Irish coffee, fruitcake, squirrels and stuffed mushrooms, and activities such as Tell a Fairy Tale, Awkward Moments, Dance Like a Chicken and Make Your Bed.
While recognizing common items and activities, however silly they may be, is entertaining and affords individuals a chance to express their creativity, it’s equally, if not more important, to recognize more serious topics.
Enter Global Community Engagement Day, which will be celebrated Jan. 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. at New Milford Public Library.
It’s a time to “encourage businesses and people to better engage with their communities,” said Public Services Librarian Amy Berkun.
Residents are invited to attend the special program to learn more about and connect with participating non-profit organizations, agencies, and groups in the community, as well as create connections among all.
Nearly 20 organizations and agencies from the community will share information at the event set to take place in Memorial Hall.
As of publication time, participants will include the Pratt Nature Center, CERT, NMCAN, the Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce, New Milford Commission on the Arts, Camella’s Cupboard, the Garden Club of New Milford, New Milford Youth Agency, New Milford Now, United Way of Western CT, the Ostomy Foundation, New Milford Parks & Recreation, the Woman’s Club of Greater New Milford, New Milford Social Services, the Rotary Club of New Milford, Greenwoods Counseling, the Village Center for the Arts and New Milford Senior Center.
Kathryn Deliktas, NMPL business administrator who coordinated the event with Berkun, said their hope is to “get people in the door to say, ‘This is our community’” when they see the offerings and then to have participants share what they offer and see how the various groups can work together.
Deliktas said the idea of holding such an event came about after a local nonprofit expressed interest in presenting an information session at the library.
The inquiry prompted Deliktas to explore whether there was a way to incorporate such an event that expanded to include others in the community.
After some online research, she discovered Global Community Engagement Day, which was created by Engage 2 Act, a nonprofit organization based in Australia, and first held Jan. 28, 2018.
The purpose of the day is to create awareness of individuals working collaboratively while addressing issues and ideas in the community.
Lou Mandler, chair of the town’s arts commission, said she wasn’t sure how the event would play out when she first heard about it, since it hadn’t been held before. But after more thought, she said, she realized its purpose will be beneficial to many.
“I remembered how the commission had talked about how the community may not know about all that we really do, and how we would like to have our presence and activities a little more out there,” she said.
“And this is something that might help us do that,” she said the Global Community Engagement Day event.
Mandler said the commission’s hope is to “meet more people” and showcase some of their offerings such as the annual poetry contest, the Edwin Kinkade Concert Series, the ArtWalk and more.
Deliktas said when she moved to the area in 2021, she repeatedly saw signs for the Pratt Nature Center, but she didn’t really know anything about its offerings.
“Surely there are lots of people who see the names (of organizations in town) but don’t know the details of what they do,” she said.
In addition, she said the event will help individuals and groups “form relationships with other” and, hopefully, lead to volunteer opportunities and referrals.
