WAIM to celebrate 25th at Third Thursday

The Windham Area Interfaith Ministry will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a community open house at this week’s Third Thursday Street Festival.
Volunteers and staff will be offering facility tours and handing out anniversary cake to recognize support from residents, faith communities and local businesses.

The open house will take place at WAIM’s location at 866 Main St. in Willimantic.

“Every time someone new comes in, they’re always amazed at what we’re doing here,” said WAIM Executive Director Victoria Nimirowski.  “We want people to come in and see what WAIM does and what it’s all about.”

WAIM was created 25 years ago to organize local faith communities and residents to help meet community needs.

Today, the group includes 39 faith communities from Willimantic, Mansfield, Columbia, Coventry, Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Chaplin, Hampton, Hebron, Lebanon, Scotland and Willington.

The group gives away donated items like clothing, household goods, furniture, appliances and computers, and also invites people to participate in special assistance programs.

Nimirowski said WAIM has been much busier recently due to the current economic climate.

“We’re seeing more and more families that have never been to WAIM before. That’s the most startling thing,” she said.

Nimirowski estimates that in 2008-2009 WAIM served 3,600 households, 1,300 of which it has never served before.

Additionally, she said, that number only includes assistance with material goods and not other assistance programs.

Although WAIM relies on faith member communities to provide volunteer and financial support, it is important to get WAIM’s message out to the entire community, she said.

“Many people in the community know what WAIM does but they have never seen our facility, nor have they met our volunteers and staff,” said Nimirowski. “We wanted the opportunity to share our space and some birthday cake with all of our friends, and what better venue to do that than Third Thursday?”

With the rising need for aid and many fundraising programs, including a recent Steeplechase event and November’s upcoming Walk for Warmth energy assistance fundraiser, WAIM has been “running on all cylinders,” she said.

“We’ve been extremely busy this year, helping more new families than ever before. It’s good to take a break and have a little fun.”

For more information on WAIM, call 456-7270 or log on to www.waimct.org.