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09/14/2021 03:26 PMThe name was unwieldy; now it is no more. The Chester Social Services, Spirituality, and Emotional Wellness Committee, founded as a part of Chester’s response to COVID-19, is now the Chester Community Partnership.
Not only is the name different; the group’s responsibilities have grown, according to Kim Megrath, who spearheaded one area of the earlier committee, the Chester COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Program.
According to Megrath, the pandemic made clear the necessity for a more extensive social service program.
“Whether you had enough could change in a heartbeat,” Megrath said. “When you are an essential worker but one making $15 an hour, meeting basic necessities can be very difficult.”
And she added that a community response was vital to provide the necessary services.
“You know what they say: It takes a village,” she added.
In addition to funds appropriated by the Chester Board of Selectmen, the new community program is being assisted by a grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.
Through a recently organized local program called Chester 211, assistance can be provided for learning how to manage the technology now necessary for a wide variety of everyday activities. Volunteers can help guide people in filling out electronic forms, and help with application for federal and state services like applying for assistance with rent and food, obtaining health insurance, and determining if a person can qualify for discounted Internet service. Six volunteers for the program have already been trained to provide help.
In addition to services provided through Chester 211, residents can get information about programs for emergency rent and electric payment assistance through the UniteCT Mobile Bus, which will be at the Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau at 56 High Street in Deep River on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Megrath insisted that the bus come at a time when evening hours were possible for people working during the day.
Chester has long had a food pantry, but it has been open during daytime hours, from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, making access difficult for working people. Now the food pantry will also be open on a drive-through basis from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Chester Town Hall parking lot. Recipients will receive two bags, one for perishable items and the other for non-perishable items.
Because fresh produce is a particular challenge for food banks, there are volunteers who have committed to growing vegetables for the program in their own gardens, leading to the project’s name, Grow a Row.
There are no income requirements to participate in the Chester Food Program. The food pantry is open to Chester residents; people can prove residency with the identity stickers necessary, for instance, to access the town landfill. If residents don’t have a sticker, Megrath said, volunteers will assist them in getting one.
“Residents love it,” said Chester Human Service Director Rosie Bininger. “The hours are so convenient and they are giving out great food. Kim [Megrath] makes it a full meal, so if you have pancakes, you have syrup, or if you have tuna fish, you have mayo and bread.”
In addition to food assistance, the Chester Community Partnership will also be able to provide toiletries for men and women.
Working with an organization called Dignity Grows, each month there will be 60 tote bags for men, which will include shaving items, and 60 tote bags for women, with feminine hygiene items. Each bag contains a month’s worth of supplies. Megrath says that anyone using the food distribution program can receive a toiletry bag. The bags come at no cost to recipients.
Through its connection with Bare Necessities in Clinton, which in turn is associated with the National Diaper Bank, the Community Partnership will be getting a supply of diapers and wipes for distribution. The diapers are free but potential recipients must register in advance.
Toiletries and diapers will be available in October.
Megath has the credentials to organize the community program; She has a doctorate in special education/early intervention from the University of Oregon as well as an MBA from the University of Colorado. In addition, she has experience putting together multi-disciplinary teams to work on education and social issues.
Going forward, Megrath said, the goal is to continue to provide a range of necessary services.
“We want to meet people where they are. We want to get the word out,” she said.
To learn more about the services provided by the Chester Community Partnership, the Chester Food Program, or to access services, call Chester Town Hall at 860-526-0013, x202 or email Rosie Bininger at rosiebininger@chesterct.org or Jenny Watrous at: adminassistant@chesterct.org.
The UniteCT Mobile Bus will be in the Tri-Town Youth Services Bureau Parking Lot, 56 High Street, Deep River, on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Information available on obtaining rental and electricity assistance.