By Kathy Brown.
(April 18, 2020) — The previous articles in this series can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE (you can find mask pattern links and other programs running in the community in those articles).
I love seeing the positive things in our community that are encouraging others in this time of upheaval. People on Facebook are sharing books and puzzles when they are done with them, they are splitting perennials to share with neighbors, they are paying for a breakfast platter at a local restaurant in case someone is in need of breakfast for their family. I have seen people reach out for help on Facebook, and other people help them up. There are outward signs as well, signs on street signs thanking our essential workers, the sign out in front of the building formerly known as Haddam Elementary School now thanks our local essential workers, and hearts hanging from trees and mailboxes in front of houses where an essential worker lives. People are praising our small businesses, and trying to keep them in business during this time of layoffs and closures. Everywhere I look, I see signs of our communities supporting one another.
From Mucket Madness to Uplifting the Community
In Higganum this summer, there was supposed to be an inaugural Mucket Madness Day, dedicated to Higganum’s almost-famous elusive fish-ish being. When it was canceled, its organizer Mark Lundgren didn’t just delete the Higganum’s Mucket Madness Day Facebook page that was bringing us mucket news. He changed the Facebook page into a page of positive news of the community, as well as supporting local businesses.
On April 12, Mark posted, “Until our Town is no longer in an Emergency, and maybe longer, this page is being repurposed slightly to promoting all Haddam Businesses and Uplifting Local Stories and Pictures. In order to do this in a meaningful way we will be reaching out to those who would like to post what their business does so referrals can be made and retailers to run ads and specials. If someone has a need and posts it here we promise to get accurate information to you under comments. BOUNCE BACK HADDAM….WE CAN DO THIS!”
Front Porch Project
The Front Porch Project is a national movement formed very loosely by mostly amateur photographers as well as professional photographers donating their time to take pictures of local families on the front porches of their homes. Erin Hansted and Elysia Piscitelli have picked up their cameras, and will use their amateur photographer skills in Killingworth. If you live in Killingworth and are interested in having a picture of your family taken from a distance, you can email Erin at Erin274@yahoo.com with your name and address so that they can make a schedule. All they are asking for are donations to the HK Backpack Program, which provides food to children in need in our community. They are also taking donations for medical workers.
Do we have any amateur photographers who would like to start the project in Haddam?
Restaurants Giving Back
We still have restaurants giving back, and paying it forward.
Iliano’s Restaurants, owned by Haddam’s Vinnie Scileppi, has delivered a total of 195 pizzas to healthcare workers at area hospitals.
At the Copper Skillet, people have been paying it forward with breakfast trays. To date, they have received $920 in donations for “pay it forward” breakfast trays, and have given away a total of $580 worth or breakfast trays. The family style breakfast tray is “available for those going through some tough times economically during these difficult days.”
La Foresta Restaurant has donated a total of over 850 meals since COVID-19 began — to Beechwood Retirement Community, as well as the Killingworth Ambulance Association, and the Killingworth Volunteer Fire Company, and others.
The Blaschke family donated money to Deb’s Restaurant and Dino’s Restaurant to provide food to families in need and encouraged others to do the same, which has been picked up by other businesses in town, like Teri’s Package Store (more details in THIS article).
And Pizzeria DaVinci of Higganum is paying it forward by entering customers who spend more than $25 at DaVinci in a weekly contest where they are giving away gift certificates to other local restaurants.
Car Detailing
How is car detailing evidence of our community coming together? Well, Tom, formerly of Killingworth, posted on the Killingworth Stompin’ Ground Facebook page on April 15 that he had lost his job like many at this time and he’d already washed and waxed every car in his driveway. He posted, “My neighbors probably think I’m crazy as I’ve washed and waxed every car in the driveway and right now I’m trying to decide on how many coats of wax on my Mustang would be considered excessive.” Then he went on to say, “Would anyone like their car cleaned and waxed? It’s something I can do to relieve the tedium while making a little extra money for groceries.” He then explained that he would only clean the outside of the car, not touching anything on the inside, and do it in the customer’s own driveway. All he asks for is access to a garden house and an electrical outlet, and a donation to his grocery fund.
Now we get to the part where the community comes together. People started messaging him, and then posting pictures of their cars after he was done with them on Killingworth Stompin’ Ground FB page, and as the old commercial goes, “And they told their friends, and they told their friends…”
Quarantine Karaoke Power Hour
Prem & Becky Aithal thought that karaoke on Facebook would be “entertaining, and just decided to make it more fruitful with fundraising.” Prem is on the Haddam Economic Development Commission, as well as an alternate on the Haddam Board of Finance, and according to him “president of the No Shame Committee”; his wife Becky teaches Kindergarten at Burr. Becky does the announcing and Prem does the singing. He even takes requests! Last week, they raised $600 for the HK Backpack program just through friends on Facebook. This week, they’re raising money for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and changing the setting to public. Look for him Saturdays around 4:00 p.m. and be ready to be entertained!
