By Kelly Kandra Hughes
Photo by Jon Barbagallo

New Year’s may have come and gone, but many of us are still grappling with our New Year’s resolutions. For anyone in Norfolk who included give back to the community as a resolution in 2019, we have good news for you—there are many ways you can help right here in town.
Two of the greatest local volunteer needs are with the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance (NLCA) and the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD). Both rely 100 percent on volunteers to keep these vital services running, and there are a variety of volunteer positions available, such as ambulance or fire truck driver, emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, or firefighter. These volunteer positions are great options for people who are looking for a more active way to help out. As Second Assistant Fire Chief Jon Barbagallo says, “You can know that you made a difference in someone’s life, and you can live out your childhood dream of driving a fire truck.”
The NVFD also has options for teens to get involved in emergency response services. That’s how Thalyia Newman began volunteering with the NVFD. When she was 14 years old, Newman joined their Fire Cadet program, which teaches young people the basics of firefighting and allows them to ride along in the fire truck to calls. Eight years later, she is now also a certified firefighter, vice president of the NVFD administrative offices and codirector of the cadet program. Newman says that “the Norfolk Fire Department is a second family for me. It’s a way to be involved in something greater than yourself and be giving back to the community all at the same time.”
Except for the NVFD cadet program, time commitments for NVFD and NLCA volunteer positions are variable. Even as little as a six-hour volunteer shift once a month can make a big difference in ensuring the town has the emergency resources it needs. Several volunteer positions, such as ambulance driver or fire truck driver, can be trained in-house, whereas more specialized responders such as EMTs or firefighters need additional, outsourced training. For more information on volunteering for the NLCA, check out their website at norfolkambulance.com/volunteer; for more information on volunteering for the NVFD, go to www.norfolkfire.org/nvfd.
Individuals looking for less physical ways of volunteering should head over to Town Hall. There are currently 20 different boards and commissions that keep the town running smoothly and contribute to making it a wonderful place to live. Examples include the Economic Development Commission, the Farmers Market Committee, Rails to Trails and the Recreation Committee. A full list of the boards and commissions is available on the town website (norfolkct.org), as is the meeting schedule for each one. Although a lot of the positions are elected or appointed, you can begin to get involved simply by attending one of the meetings, which are open to the public. According to Town Clerk Linda Perkins, “If you’re interested, just show up and check it out.”
Another volunteer opportunity is Norfolk NET (Networking Everyone Together). This collaborative, grassroots organization, which has the goal of alleviating poverty in Norfolk, meets at the Hub (2 Station Place) at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month. NET brings together representatives of five town organizations—Town of Norfolk Selectman’s Office, Botelle Elementary School, Northwestern Regional High School, Immaculate Conception Church St. Martin of Tours Parish, and Church of Christ Congregational (UCC)—to ensure that those who need resources in Norfolk receive them. Erick Olsen, pastor of the Congregational Church and one of the driving forces behind NET, encourages anyone who is interested to come to a meeting. “There’s a beautiful mosaic of people in town; we are open to everyone. If you have any ideas of how we could collaborate more effectively, we would love to hear it.”
Anyone who is interested in creativity and thinking outside the box would be a great volunteer for NET. During their meetings, NET’s volunteers brainstorm new ideas for how to achieve the organization’s goals, as well as ways for people to form new connections with each other. For example, as a result of ideas discussed during meetings, NET has now hosted two community roundtables where individuals offer the gifts they can share, such as tutoring, offering rides, and providing financial advice, as well as the resources they’d like to receive, such as firewood, help with painting, or technical support for a Mac computer.
These opportunities are just a few of the many ways people can volunteer in town. No matter what you’re interested in or who you’d like to help, chances are there’s an organization that could use your talents. One thing is certain: Norfolk would love to have you!