Community Connections Incorporated Cares For The Community
by Denise Wright
Chaplain Michael Needham realized a need in the Nassau community several years ago when a transient man came into the Nassau Library during a snowy evening with nowhere else to go.
Needham talked with Pastor Dion Marquit from the Grace United Methodist Church about the need “to do better for our local community.” Needham, who has worked with poverty and homelessness in the past, and Marquit called a meeting of local government, churches, food pantries, and law enforcement to determine how we could best help local citizens. Originally it was called the Nassau Resource Committee, which later changed to the Nassau Community Connections, Inc, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that is a “community based initiative to serve and help people in need in the Town of Nassau.”
The organization’s goal is to support the two local food pantries, New Hope for Life Ministries, The Gathering Place and Nassau Resource Center that the Nassau Reformed Church sponsors. These food pantries serve approximately 180 people per month. According to Needham, creating a community resource guide that could be provided to businesses and local organizations to “help access services” was a focus of the organization. Besides supporting the food pantries, Nassau Community Connections has offered financial support for community child care and assists “individual transient persons and victims of domestic abuse.” The current goal is the “installation of a community center in the Village of Nassau” that will “serve to help people access services they need.” Needham commented that the community has been extremely receptive. Most of the “faith organizations from the town participate in our efforts as well as local businesses, the Veteran’s Association, and local government.” The website has had over 13,000 visits, and “people contact us when they are aware of someone locally in need.”
As President and “founder” of Nassau Community Connections, Needham has a strong calling to “help incarcerated and impoverished people.” “I am concerned about some of the division I see in our world, and I can’t fix the bigger picture of national or international affairs, but I can work to strengthen my community, a community that I believe in,” Needham stated. He truly appreciates all community support and the active meeting members and welcomes all residents to participate. “If a person would like to participate on the committee, they can email me at mneedham51@hotmail.com, visit the website nassau
resourcecommittee.org or visit their Facebook page Nassau Community Connections which allows residents to see how active they are in the community and if they can also donate on both pages. If people prefer to mail a donation, it can be sent to Nassau Community Connections Inc., 573 Columbia Turnpike, Suite 3, East Greenbush, NY 12061. Needham describes the Town of Nassau as having “a powerful sense of community and care.” Town supervisor, David Fleming, has worked with Nassau Community Connections and truly appreciates its dedication to the Nassau community. He commented, “their kindness and commitment to helping those in need and supporting those that serve are what servant leadership is all about. Their cooperative efforts to pool resources to focus on issues many forget about is an example for other communities.”