Two Decades of Progress

Only a little more than a month ago there was a small celebration at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury. Three women lined up for a photo opportunity to mark an important occasion. Nancy Heaton, flanked by State Rep. Maria Horn, D-64, and New York Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia County), received citations for her work and for the contributions of the Foundation for Community Health (FCH) to our Connecticut and New York communities over the last 20 years.

Heaton, as president and CEO of FCH, has overseen the Sharon-based philanthropic organization as it has granted more than $21 million through 609 grants to 118 organizations, and invested thousands of staff hours to support better health in our regional communities, many that historically have been underserved.

Our front page story this week by Debra A. Aleksinas provides a comprehensive look at the foundation’s work since its inception in 2003 with a goal to promote healthier individuals and communities. Aleksinas’ story also explains FCH’s connection to Sharon Hospital’s sale back then to a for-profit company. Since the early years of the 20th century, many generous donors had contributed to the hospital to help support its nonprofit work. After it was sold, then Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal petitioned to create the Foundation for Community Health “to maintain and improve the physical and mental health of all the residents historically served by Sharon Hospital, Inc.” His move was approved in Litchfield County Court, and the charitable funds were transferred to the foundation.

FCH has met its mandate, stewarding the funds from that sale for the benefit of a rural community that stretches across 17 towns in Northwest Connecticut and the Greater Harlem Valley in New York. Approximately 52,000 people call this community home.

Under Heaton’s leadership the foundation can be credited not only for what it has accomplished in awarding grants, but how it has carried out its mission. As it states on its website, it invests “in people, programs and strategies” to improve health in our community. That includes access to food, safe and stable housing and the opportunity for positive childhood experiences, along with services for seniors, mental health support, and support for immigrants and more. It also includes supporting strategic planning initiatives, focusing on infrastructure needs, and lending a hand to build leadership skills and organizational restructuring.

What this means is that besides funding, FCH has been “focused on strengthening the capacity and sustainability of … organizations so they can do their work more efficiently,” according to Heaton.

With two decades of success under its belt, FCH and Heaton envision new growth in 2024 and have new faces on the board. In 2023, the FCH board added Jill Feldstein, of Dover Plains. She is business manager of the Louis August Jonas Foundation in Rhinebeck. Dr. Zachary McClain of Falls Village, medical director of the Wieler Health Center at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, also joined the board.

Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, Heaton said FCH will be exploring a role in statewide advocacy efforts.

We applaud Nancy Heaton and her staff at the Foundation for Community Health for their stewardship and contribution to a healthier community.

Latest News

Finding my footing: adventures in a new home
Scenes from a day of exploration and hydration in the Northwest Corner.
Alec Linden

On a cloudy Wednesday at the start of October, my girlfriend, Taylor, and I decided to enjoy the autumn afternoon by getting off our laptops and into the woods for some much needed movement. Having just moved to Norfolk as a new reporter for the Lakeville Journal, I was on the hunt for panoramic views of the landscape I now call home, accessible with the hour and a half of daylight left to us. Haystack Tower it was.

I’m not entirely unfamiliar with the landscapes of the Northwest Corner: I visited family and friends in the region as a child and would drive up on high school joyrides from my home in Westchester County. But calling somewhere home brings new meaning to a place, and I was eager to see a familiar view with a new sense of belonging.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent unveils juried art show
Leila Hawken

Chilly rain sprinkles did not keep area art lovers away from the opening of the Kent Art Association’s Fall Juried Art Show on Sunday, Oct. 13. Judges for the event were association members Liz Maynard and Conrad Levenson. The show will continue until Saturday, Nov. 2, during the association's open hours.

Kent artist and long-term resident Carolyn Millstein (above) paused for a photo next to her piece, “Near Oakdale."

SHELTER show opens at Royal Arcanum Building in Norfolk
Natalia Zukerman

“SHELTER,” an art exhibit supporting The Gathering Place opened on Suday, Oct. 12, at the Royal Arcanum Building in Norfolk, Conn. Featuring works by fourteen area artists, proceeds from sales will benefit The Gathering Place based in Torrington, Conn., which provides essential services to the homeless across 26 towns in Litchfield County. Open weekdays, this vital resource offers everything from hot showers and laundry facilities to housing assistance. The exhibit runs through Nov. 24.