The ‘Lilla’ Memorial Fund Aspires To Assist The Neediest Of The Needy

By Nancy K. Crevier

In every town there are pockets of children and families who fall into the cracks of society, burdened with financial problems that are more than social services can handle. When parents lose employment or become unable to work, home payments or rent payments can easily fall behind. Shut-off of utilities is a threat when payments cannot be made. The little extras that ease life, such as child care or summer camps, are often beyond the reach of families in financial straits. All of these stressors exacerbate an already bad situation, and frequently it is the children who suffer in their ability to take part in school or in after-school activities.

Newtown resident Karen Keating grew up with a mother who had always emphasized the importance of caring for others. When Hazel Lillian Nelson, known as “Lilla” to her friends and family, died in October of 2006, the family knew that they wanted their mother’s memory to live on in a way that held real meaning.

“Growing up, my mother very much set an example of helping others,” said Ms Keating. “She was always an educator, and was a first grade teacher for a short time, even though after she had children she chose to stay at home. She was a Literacy Volunteer and when my sister, Kris, a teacher at Sarah Noble School in New Milford, told her of the troubles she saw every day at school, she was very concerned. She was always a loving, caring individual toward children.”

Both Mrs Nelson and her husband, Gil, volunteered in her sister’s classroom after moving to New Milford six years ago. “My mother would go in and read to the children and my father would speak about his experiences in the Korean War. They were very involved in the schools until complications from my mother’s rheumatoid arthritis set in and she could no longer get around easily,” Ms Keating said.

Seeing the needs of some of New Milford’s poorest children first hand was difficult for her mother, said Ms Keating. “It was dear to her heart that something be done to help these children.”

Keeping all of this in mind, Ms Keating, her sister Kris Kivela, her brother Hal Nelson, and her father decided that in lieu of flowers at the funeral, they would put together a memorial fund for children in desperate situations. Contributing seed money of their own, as well, The Lilla Fund, formally known as The Hazel L. “Lilla” Nelson Memorial Foundation, Inc, was created in December of 2006.

The Lilla Fund is set up to help the neediest of the needy kids in New Milford, Ms Keating explained. “It’s objective is to provide short term aid for things that typically fall through the cracks that are beyond the budget of social services. These are financial needs that other agencies cannot help with, things like field trips, or when finances are affected by severe health issues in a family,” she said.

The Lilla Fund is fully accredited by the State of Connecticut and the US Department of the Treasury and the philanthropic organization provides direct financial aid to the very neediest of more than 5,000 elementary, intermediate, and high school students and their families enrolled in a New Milford Public School. The Lilla Fund will support projects that “contribute to the ability of New Milford students to physically, mentally and/or emotionally adapt to the education curriculum,” according to literature provided by the foundation. Specifically, these are resources students need to complete educational objectives and for which no school funding is available. The foundation tries not to duplicate assistance provide by other local social services, said Ms Keating, acknowledging that many fine services are in place to help families. “This is for the neediest of the needy only,” she emphasized.

In the one year that the foundation has been providing assistance, The Lilla Fund has offered financial assistance to families facing eviction from their homes due to nonpayment because of unemployment or injury; has paid fees to Parks and Recreation for summer camp for a child who had lost his father, and whose brother suffers from cancer; and has provided emergency electric assistance to avoid shut-off for a single parent family and helped the family set up a budget plan. The Lilla Fund has also given emergency rent assistance to a single mother who was recently hospitalized and is in therapy, unable to work. A total of nine New Milford families and 15 children have benefited from the foundation to date.

On behalf of The Lilla Fund, Ms Keating worked this fall with Tina Fiorella, director of Christian Education at Newtown Congregational Church where Ms Keating is a member to sponsor two New Milford children in need of back to school necessities. “The Sunday School donated two full school outfits for each child, as well as school supplies. They also included birthday gifts, as one of the children had a birthday at the time. It was a wonderful gesture,” Ms Keating said.

The family’s hope, said Ms Keating, is that as the foundation grows they will be able to offer further outreach. The fund relies completely upon donations, all of which are distributed directly to eligible recipients.

Tax exempt contribution can be made to The Hazel L. “Lilla” Nelson Memorial Foundation, Inc, 10 Wood Creek Road, New Milford CT 06776. Donations can also be made directly to one of the directors, Kris Kivela, Sarah Noble Intermediate School, 25 Sunny Valley Road, New Milford; Rev Michael Moran, First Congregational Church, 36 Main Street, New Milford; Dr JeanAnn Paddyfoote, superintendent New Milford Schools, 50 East Street, New Milford; Bonnie Strid, assistant vice president, Union Savings Bank, 41 East Street, New Milford; or Peg Molina, director of Social Services, 40 Main Street, New Milford.

“This fund will honor my mom and her desire to help children,” Ms Keating said. “That was her passion.”