It’s not magic*
Resolved: Group will bloom again
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
Ice can be a nuisance. It can be devastating. But in this case, it’s a motivator.
Together We Blossom, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization ”supporting and empowering our community one kiddo, one adult, one family at a time,” discovered over the weekend a pipe had leaked in their boutique space and about a quarter of the donations for those in need was “drenched,” ruined.
Organization leader Rhianna Curotto said she looks at this as a sign. “There has to be some good from this.”
What it did was steel their resolve.
So she, organization members Wendy Lynch, Lynch’s daughter Haleigh and her husband Dustin Curotto and others, went to work. Because the space, which was donated, is unusable, they salvaged what they could and within a day, they had put together a plan. They are trying to raise $25,000 to cover the rent and utilities for a more permanent location for one year-plus. The location would afford them the ability to be open more than two days per week for programs and service. It would also help them buy diapers, wipes, toiletries and more.
The group has a Donor Box: https://donorbox.org/bloom-again-a-new-home-for-blossom
Donations can go through Venmo or Paypal. The 501c3 can also take checks made out to Together We Blossom, PO Box 369, N. Grosvenordale CT 06255.
Updates on the group’s FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/togetherweblossom23
Should she have a fairy godmother out there somewhere, another donated space is what she’d wish. What would be perfect is a handicapped accessible, 800 square foot space. She’d like a space within the space to allow them to take in and sort donations.
Curotto, who works at Wayside youth and family services in Charlton, started the group is 2023. Originally she was looking for something outside the home for kids to participate in. She started crafts programs at the Webster library for kids and their parents. Then they thought to themselves, “There has to be more we can do.”
She and Wendy Lynch, Haleigh Lynch and her husband Dustin Curotto, centered the word “grow” in their heads when it came time to name the group. They wanted a unique name. “We thought ‘What is it we will do? Grow.’ So grow became blossom. And because it is a community effort, Together We Blossom was born.
They began with some reduced-rate space at a storage place in Thompson and promptly outgrew it. Then, six months ago, St. Mary’s offered some of their space on the lower level. The need was tremendous and Curotto estimated they’ve helped some 250 families.
She said what sets the group apart is “one of our goals since the beginning is to stay as grassroots as possible. Some grants are restrictive. Grassroots allow them to reach a lot more people.” For example, she said, some of the families they help are just above the threshold but they still need help.
Community and organizations have always been a big help. They’ve been allowed use different spaces for programs, including empowerment workshops and more. United Services has helped; so has EASTCONN and others.
The donations plan is launched but they’re not sitting back. No. Curotto and the Lynchs are making toiletry bags that will be distributed at local libraries. “There are people in need and we need to stay visible, helping,” she said.
“The need is 1000 percent there,” she said.
*Editor’s note: Some tend to think these programs drop out of the sky. But behind the scenes are dedicated volunteers who worked relentlessly to make this “magic” happen. It’s not magic; it’s hard work.
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