KENT, Conn.—At the Kent Chamber of Commerce’s May 1 meet and greet event celebrating nonprofit organizations, the Kent Dispatch launched an initiative to gather information for a cohesive and comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities in Kent.
“Sharon Norton, Kent Memorial Library’s Community Engagement Committee chair, reached out to me last fall, wanting to know if we could facilitate a list of volunteer opportunities,” explained Kent News, Inc., President Andrea Schoeny, adding that the request fit neatly with the Dispatch’s mission of connecting community. Kent News, Inc., is the parent company of the Dispatch.
Volunteer organizations in Kent are asked to fill out an online form to help the effort. The information gathered will be published to allow interested community members to contact the organization directly. This list will be accessible via the Kent Dispatch online newspaper and circulated via hard copy at the library and other points of interest.
In a recent interview, Ellen Corsell, Kent Chamber of Commerce vice president, commented on why nonprofits are so important to Kent.
“The town runs on nonprofits,” she said. “There are 40 of them in a town of 3,000. That’s phenomenal.”
It is why Corsell approached the Kent Dispatch about creating a “Superheroes of Kent” feature. The idea was met with enthusiasm.
“We know that Kent runs on volunteers, whether they are with a nonprofit organization, serve on a municipal board, commission, subcommittee or give back to our community on their own,” said Schoeny.
The public is asked to nominate locals who give back, in ways seen and unseen, both small and large, that make Kent thrive. Anyone can nominate a Superhero by filling out this form.