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08/11/2022 12:00 AMA red tractor. A book from Brainerd Memorial Library. A grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. What do they all have in common? An instant connection between a little boy and his favorite children’s author at Brainerd Memorial Library’s Agriculture Day. At the Community Foundation of Middlesex County (CFMC), we love to find ways to celebrate our friends and donors, support (and surprise!) our nonprofits, and share great stories with our community. In celebration of the Community Foundation’s 25th anniversary, Sharon and Bill Griffin and Jessica and Andrew Scheff of the Peach Pit Foundation once again partnered with CFMC to award a special grant to each library in Middlesex County with just one restriction: spread some kindness in whatever way best serves the local community. All 18 public libraries in Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Middlefield, Middletown, Portland, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook accepted the challenge with resounding enthusiasm and got busy developing ideas that would maximize their impact…just like our friends at Brainerd Memorial Library.
Director Tom Piezzo and his staff immediately began brainstorming how they could do more to highlight their wonderful community of Haddam while spreading fun and joy. One idea they settled on helped to expand exhibits and support the appearance of “Tractor Mac” author Billy Steers at Agriculture Day. Little did anyone imagine the real difference that small, but impactful, grant would make in one little boy’s life! Children’s author Billy Steers gave a wonderful presentation to those in attendance, including animatedly reading a story and drawing a Tractor Mac picture book storyboard with input from the kids complete with his cartoon voices for each character. Later that day, a local mother shared what the event meant to her seven-year-old son (we’ll call him “Ben”) who has struggled with reading his whole life. When Ben and his parents discovered the Tractor Mac, something clicked, and he devoured all the copies the library had on hand. He was excitedly counting down the days to meet Billy Steers and pose for a photo in front of the red tractor that looks just like his favorite character, Tractor Mac. His mother explained that Ben really came out of his shell during the storyboarding and participated with all the other children.
The story doesn’t quite end there. After the event, Billy was signing books. Not only did he sign three copies of his favorite Tractor Mac books for Ben, but he took a full ten minutes, despite a line of waiting, excited parents and children, to talk with and encourage Ben to keep up his reading. This is just one shining example of the difference we make together in our community. Together, we pool contributions and provide grants of all sizes to help make a positive difference in the lives of all our neighbors. The Community Foundation of Middlesex County’s interests are your interests, including animal welfare, arts and culture, health and social services, education, history, the environment, civic improvements, recreation, and economic security and opportunity. We welcome conversations with good people who want to do great things. For more information, contact us at 860-347-0025 or info@MiddlesexCountyCF.org.