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02/07/2024 08:30 AMFriendship and togetherness are the words that Sandy Allard uses to describe why the Killingworth Women’s Organization (KWO) means so much to her and its members. For more than 20 years, the KWO has been forging relationships between members and the town to help promote volunteerism and provide financial support for a wide array of causes.
Sandy’s interest in the KWO was sparked when her daughter became president of the organization in the early 2010s. Sandy has since become the KWO’s vice president and chair of its membership committee, among other titles that highlight her service.
“I had originally looked into the group when I first moved to Killingworth from Waterford, but at that time, the organization was geared more toward mothers and young children,” Sandy says. “But a few years later, when my daughter was president, the climate seemed to have changed, and now there were mothers and seniors and middle-aged women, so it had a more universal membership, and a cross section of town…And 12 years later, I’m still here.”
Sandy says the KWO serves a crucial role in town as Killingworth has relatively few areas for residents to congregate. She feels that the KWO also fills a vital need for philanthropic coordination.
“The group is women of all ages, and I think they come to us for several reasons. The organization’s primary function is to volunteer here in Killingworth. The bottom line is that, if something comes up and we can do it, we volunteer for it,” Sandy says. “It is really an interesting organization…The rule that I tell everybody when they come through the door here is that we don’t care what you are, but we do care who you are. When you come in, all ego is dropped, and you come in and just become a member of women’s organization…and I think that eases a lot of trepidation for women when they come through the door. It’s important for us to let members know that we care, and the group also provides a great way to get introduced to the town.”
There are numerous ways in which the KWO serves the community. This includes the promotion of domestic and sexual violence awareness, Earth Day events, and children’s programs, among other things.
“I truly believe that the organization is so successful because of the way we operate. For example, we encourage members to not only to work on committees, but to come up with ideas. Two of the ones that happened last year were, Read and Eat, which is a way in the summer at the library to include children. They read a book, and we feed them. That was a brand-new project brought to us by a new member that has become very successful,” says Sandy. “The other was a project for Giving Tuesday, where a new member suggested we go into the elementary school and read books to each classroom. And we took donations, and those donations went directly to fund teachers who have to pay out of their own pockets for school items. Both brand-new ideas that were very successful.”
Sandy says the KWO currently has 66 members, but is always seeking new recruits to come in and lend both a hand and some new ideas.
“It is very people-oriented organization. New people in town really need an anchor, but there isn’t a central place to connect with others in town,” says Sandy. “We also work with Helping Hands, our food pantry in town. We have run the pantry for the last three or four years now, and it is all volunteer. We donated more than 1,200 hours last year just to working at the food pantry.”
Sandy says the KWO has been working closely with an organization in Bridgeport that is dedicated to female veterans. This has also become a popular avenue for its members.
“We found out that there is only one homeless shelter for women veterans in all of New England—Home of the Brave in Bridgeport. What we do is, two or three times a year we ask what they need, and we bring items down there for them. We have kind of adopted them and the cause,” says Sandy. “That project is very exciting for us because these are veterans who have suffered abuse in many instances, and our members are eager to help in that.”
According to Sandy, the KWO has several endeavors focused on children in need, as well as seniors, who do not have ready access to a senior center or other specific programming in Killingworth.
“One year we paid for summer camp. Haddam-Killingworth Youth and Family Services didn’t have money, and I think we paid for eight kids to go to camp that year,” says Sandy. “We have just started a new program called Senior Connections, and that is focused on advancing the health of seniors. One aspect of that is a five-part series beginning in April that is sponsored by Hartford Health Care. We don’t have a senior center here in Killingworth, so this is a program that we hope seniors will take advantage of.”
Sandy says that KWO members try to be adaptable to what the community needs, while still maintaining long-term projects, such as their scholarship program, funding, and providing opportunities for local women.
“The group is truly amazing. The scholarship is all funded by donations, such as our tag sale, and other sources,” says Sandy. “The scholarship is open to any female student in Killingworth, even if they go to a private school. The application process is detailed. We weigh very heavily any applicant’s volunteer hours, their grades of course, and also what they hope to achieve in life. We raise the $1,500 scholarship every year and, as far as the success, because it’s such a small town, we find it’s successful because many recipients keep coming back and thanking us and asking if they can help and volunteer. That’s what we consider success.”
When reflecting on why the KWO has forged such a close bond in town, Sandy says the group fills a need for residents to truly be part of the community and part of the solution.
“This group is important because it is about helping others. It’s about friendship and, ultimately, about being part of something that is bigger than themselves,” Sandy says. “Every person who joins has a deep drive to help our town and community. I think members realize it is a sisterhood, and everyone who comes in really ends up making friends, and I think it satisfies an inner need for togetherness. Feel good, to do good—it really is. We are pretty fortunate here, as a lot of people support us, especially at the pantry. We get donations form the churches, from people, from the Lions Club. It is really nice in that way. We have a great relationship with the Lions and always appreciate their help.”
Any local woman is welcome and encouraged to become a member of KWO. Visit www.kwoct.org for more information on meetings and how you can participate.
Applications for the scholarship (together with the transcript, letters of recommendation, and essay) must be received no later than Friay, March 29. For questions about the scholarship guidlines and application, contact the KWO scholarship chairperson by email at scholarship@kwoct.org.