Nerden

Meriden resident James Straight has served as a Nerden volunteer for five years. His sister is a camper. "I love working with the kids," said Straight, who is heading into his junior year at Platt High School .

Another volunteer, Celine Cardona, decided to help out at the camp after seeing her father do the same. "He encouraged me to do it last year. I fell in love with the program," said Cardona, a rising senior at Maloney High School in Meriden. She said her experience at the camp has inspired her to pursue a career in special education.

After volunteering at the camp for two years, this summer, Rockfall resident Brady Koba became a Nerden staff member. "My friends and I decided to give it a try, " said Koba, a sophomore at the University of Hartford majoring in special education.

Camp director Sue Chenard described Nerden as “a wonderful environment where everybody has a chance to be themselves and have a great summer."

Club members are asking for a minimum donation of $25 per-ride. Contact Ride chairman Dino Pandolfo at 860-685-0865.

The Meriden Motorcycle Club is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Camp Nerden director Sue Chenard said the club is a "great organization that helps Camp Nerden tremendously – not just monetarily – but helps out with camp projects that need to be done, such as painting. And they recently built a pergola behind the bleachers near the pool area."

Food Bank

The Middlefield Food Bank is in need of the following: peanut butter, jelly, jam, sandwich/freezer bags, coffee, tea, crackers, snacks, laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, tooth brushes, pasta, pasta sauce, tuna, and grocery store gift cards.

Volunteer

The Middlefield Volunteer Fire Company seeks volunteers age 18-plus. No experience is required; the department provides the necessary training. To learn more, visit middlefieldfirect.org, email info@middlefieldfirect.org or stop by the firehouse Mondays before 7 p.m. The department also has an Explorer program for youth ages 14 to 18.

Cat Tales

Join a wonderful and dedicated group of people a few hours a week to help care for homeless cats at Cat Tales’ main shelter. The volunteer application can be found at cattalesct.org. For more information, email: info@cattalesct.org.