Newtown Nonprofit Council (NNC) had its monthly virtual meeting on April 18 for local organizations to share their upcoming events and success stories.

C.H. Booth Library reference assistant and volunteer hub project coordinator Sarah Patafio started off the meeting by welcoming Lily McHugh to the group. McHugh is a Newtown High School graduate and is currently a reference librarian at the C.H. Booth Library as well as a graduate student at Emerson University.

Tripp Killin, of the Jeniam Foundation, also introduced a member to the NNC: Janice Bonsignore. She is a new employee at their Edmond Town Hall office. The group is currently undergoing a change in its technology practices, including getting new e-mails for members.

Representing the Newtown Lions Club was Katherine Simpson, who shared they “have a whole bunch of stuff going on.” She listed that they have the Lose the Litter event for Earth Day on Saturday, April 23, and are still in need of volunteers.

Newtown Lions Club is also doing a food drive to benefit local food pantries, including FAITH Food Pantry, where nonperishable donations can be brought to Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street.

Additionally, the group is starting to sell $5 tickets for the annual duck race on Saturday, June 25. “It’s such a fun event,” Simpson said.

She announced that groundbreaking began for the Adaptive Playground at Dickinson Memorial Park and that there will be an official ribbon cutting ceremony for it on Saturday, June 4.

Fellow Newtown Lions Club member Steve Bennett added that as of this week they are officially selling Mustang raffle tickets. After 30 years of raffling vintage Mustangs, the group is going in a different direction and having a “contemporary Mustang.”

Simpson said, “I think we are going to have a lot of people wanting to buy tickets, because it isn’t a vintage Mustang.”

On behalf of the Newtown Congregational Church, Simpson said there is an upcoming community tag sale on Saturday, June 11.

“It is a tag sale specifically to benefit nonprofits,” she said. “Nonprofits can get a free space, table, and chairs on the church property, 14 West Street, and sell whatever they want to.”

Individuals can also sell items with the proceeds going to a nonprofit of their choice.

Niki Giordano, of EverWonder Children’s Museum, told the NNC that the organization had successful egg hunts earlier this month with a great turnout.

She noted that their summer camps are now open for registration and include partnerships with the Newtown Community Center, Newtown Soccer Club, and the Candlewood Fencing Center.

For the latter collaboration, Giordano said, “It should be fun, interesting, and different from anything else.”

EverWonder Children’s Museum will also be hosting its Mad Hatter Tree Party with Newtown Forest Association on June 11, from 10 am to 2 pm.

She informed the group that they have continued to have more volunteers sign up to help the organization through the Get Connected, Newtown! site.

Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) representative John Boccuzzi reminded folks about the group’s Shredding Day on Saturday, May 7, from 9 am to noon, at Newtown Savings Bank, 274 South Main Street (Plaza South).

“We’re hoping to get a great turnout … it’s our major fundraiser of the year,” he said.

Boccuzzi mentioned they are cleaning yards at ten locations this Sunday in honor of Earth Day. They are also hosting Project Newtown Write to encourage middle school-aged children and older to select one of their four prompts to write about.

FONS is continuing to work on its ongoing transportation project and affordable housing input for the town, as well.

Bennett spoke once more to tell the group about Families United in Newtown’s (FUN) concert fundraiser on Saturday, April 30, at Newtown Congregational Church. He said there will be local music and cuisine for all to enjoy.

Volunteer Updates

Patafio concluded the discussion by stating the Get Connected, Newtown! data for the month of April thus far.

“We got 29 volunteers so far in April … we have gotten a lot of volunteer response, 28, which is currently one down from March,” she said.

Patafio pointed out that EverWonder Children’s Museum is in the lead when it comes to achieving the most volunteer hours through the website.

She encouraged the nonprofits’ representatives to keep posting their upcoming events and volunteer needs to the website.

To learn more or to create an account on Get Connected, Newtown!, visit newtownnc.galaxydigital.com.

To contact Patafio with questions about the volunteer site, e-mail spatafio@chboothlibrary.org.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.