As Middlesex United Way enters our 91st year of serving the greater Middletown community, we are deeply grateful for the partnerships that are rooted in community engagement, volunteerism, and service. The Jewett Center for Community Partnerships (JCCP) has stood along stood alongside us for many years – supporting critical county-wide projects and making connections to people and departments across campus on our behalf. We’re proud to see that relationship growing.
Beyond the JCCP’s stewardship of the United Way’s annual campaign, which has helped raise nearly $2.5 million since 2001 and support the work of grantees like Steam Train, Oddfellow Playhouse, Middletown Works, and others, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating on several projects in recent years.
In 2024, we began a partnership to host the Children’s Community Book Fair – an initiative which aims to provide educational reading materials for children, with a focus on children of color. Our team participated in planning sessions, promotion, and collecting reading materials that would be handed out at the fair. The book fair, now an annual event hosted on campus, was attended by 125+ young people and nearly 20 authors earlier this year.
Watching a child’s eyes light up when they see a book they’re excited about is really what it’s all about,” said Whitney Mooney, Director of Development at Middlesex United Way. “We’re proud to be a part of this project and look forward to being a part of the 2027 planning committee.”
Middlesex United Way will also be working closely with the JCCP on a new initiative under development. The Middlesex Fellowship Project aims to address loneliness and feelings of isolation among senior citizens by providing opportunities for connection. We hope to recruit student volunteers to be paired with seniors from across Middlesex County. In addition to providing company, students will support the seniors’ digital literacy in an ever-evolving world of technology.
As the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships celebrates 10 years, we’re grateful for the continued partnership and look forward to finding new ways to serve our community together.
Learn more about how to support this year’s United Way Campaign here! Listen to this episode of Engage Radio to learn more about the caring community that supports this work.