Submitted by Summer Walton, HKYFS
(July 18, 2026) — This summer, Youth and Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth hosted Teen Impact Week, a unique program designed for teens who want to make a positive difference in their community while enjoying exciting summer activities and building meaningful friendships.
The week began with a community service project with the Shared Harvest Garden at Parmelee Farm, where participants partnered with volunteers to help maintain the garden that provides fresh produce to local families in need. Throughout the week, teens also enjoyed a group trip to Brownstone Adventure Sports Park in Portland while continuing to focus on giving back to the community.
The impact of the program extends beyond one week. In the coming weeks, Teen Impact participants will partner with Mike LaFleur and his team from the Haddam Lions Club to provide yard work and outdoor assistance for seniors in our community.
One of the week’s most meaningful projects involved creating beautiful mason jars decorated with pressed and dried flowers and illuminated by a tea light (photo above). These handcrafted “lights of kindness” will be placed throughout Haddam and Killingworth for community members to discover, using unique clues. Each jar serves as a reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day. It’s a reminder that hope and compassion can be found wherever you look, in both big and small ways.
Throughout the week, teens reflected on the importance of giving back, connection and community. Their words captured the heart of the experience. Juliana Miconi, a participant in Teen Impact Week shared, “Just because someone looks happy, it doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling.” Arora Larkin also reflected, “Not everything you see in the light looks the same in the darkness,” reminding us that everyone carries challenges we may not see. The actions of all generations in our community require reflection and understanding.
The message of connection and giving back also left a lasting impression. Lia Mandolfo, Bailey Kelly and Alyssa Behnke all shared similar sentiments about how good it felt to give back to the community that has given so much to them. Taogh Shakun, another participant emphasized the value of forming new friendships, saying, “Meeting a new group of friends and being together is more socially opening than sitting inside by yourself.”
Teen Impact Week demonstrated that when younger generations are given opportunities to serve, connect and lead, they develop a stronger sense of purpose while making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. The program not only strengthened the community through service projects, but also fostered friendships across generations. All participants learned that acts of kindness have the power to bring people together.
Youth and Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth is grateful to all of the community partners, volunteers, and teens who helped make Teen Impact Week a success. They are proving that by serving others, spreading kindness, and building connections, our community becomes stronger. All it takes is one act of compassion at a time to make a difference. We hope that their commitment motivates others in our community to do the same.
Photos provided by HKYFS Teen Impact Team
