This past June, Quinebaug Middle College Students (QMC) in Danielson, CT handed over a check for over $300 from selling handmade pillows, bath bombs, bags, and jewelry at various events and activities throughout the school year at QMC. These funds will directly benefit Access Community Action Agency families in need.
As part of their process, students spent time on various agency web sites, learning about the different services that each agency provides. After choosing Access, they invited Kathleen Krider, Sr. Director of Community Engagement, to the campus to talk more in depth about what Access does and who directly benefits from the fundraising efforts. “It was a pleasure to meet the students involved in the fundraising project. They asked great questions, talked personally about their experiences and were really proud of the various products they were making to sell. This was so much more than just selling stuff to raise money. They really got involved in why their efforts matter”. Jon DiPippo, Biology Teacher of Quinnebaug Middle College, orchestrated the fundraising activities, “We are trying to broaden our products, some kids have been repairing/tailoring clothes so that might be a good direction… we also hope to find more customers beyond our small school to support Access in the future”.
The Access Community Action Agency is designated by the federal and state government as the anti-poverty agency in northeast Connecticut. Access provides food, affordable housing, job readiness services, and other pathways to economic self-reliance for vulnerable limited-income families and individuals throughout the region. For more information about Access’s services, call (860) 450-7400 in the Willimantic area, (860) 412- 1600 in the Danielson area, or visit www.accessagency.org.