Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. in Waterbury Welcomes First Female Board Chairwoman

WATERBURY, Conn. - May 20, 2015 - PRLog -- Acts 4 Ministry, Inc., a non-denominational, non-profit charitable organization serving the Greater Waterbury region, has announced that retired Cheshire elementary school teacher, Ellen Rogers, has been named the first chairwoman of their board of directors. “This is such a notable milestone for this organization,” commented Sarah Elizabeth Carabetta, executive director of Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. “Ellen has been serving on our board since 2010, and we are all very pleased she accepted this very public and important role as chairwoman through 2016.”

Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. is dedicated to building relationships with people while providing them with the basics of daily living needs. “Our mission,” explained Carabetta, “is to provide individuals and families who have suddenly lost their homes to a fire, flood or other unexpected devastation or upsetting life event to come to our facility to personally select clothing, dishes, glassware, furnishings, and other basic needs at no charge.

We partner with churches, social service agencies, and public schools to help identify and serve people with these needs regardless of their faith, race, creed, or national origin, or their willingness to participate in religious activities.” Each year the organization distributes clothing to nearly 4,000 people plus over 1,000 pieces of furniture and house wares to people of varying income levels throughout the Greater Waterbury area.

“The organization,” commented Rogers, “is growing very rapidly in donations and the number of people we serve on a daily, week-to-week basis. Collectively our board members bring an enormous wealth of intelligence, strength, and leadership which is highly instrumental in helping us achieve ongoing and increasing levels of growth. We are all community-minded, which provides tremendous insights into many aspects of the constantly changing needs of individuals and families throughout the Greater Waterbury region.”

Ellen Rogers began volunteering at Acts 4 Ministry’s facility on East Aurora Street in Waterbury in 2009.  Her energies were focused on serving the needs of visitors to the facility where they can choose housewares and clothing that meet their current urgent needs. This work eventually led her to become the organization’s Furniture Ministry/Home Visit Coordinator who schedules visits by volunteers to people’s homes to help them determine their exact needs including men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, coats, dishware, furniture, etc. In 2010, Rogers was asked to serve on the board as secretarywhere she continues to serve at the current location at 1713 Thomaston Avenue.

With her husband Dave, Rogers has been a resident of Cheshire since 1991 serving on the Board of the Cheshire High School Marching Ram Band during a 10 year period. She has a Masters’ Degree in Elementary Education, and she has taught a variety of grades in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Alaska public schools. In addition to her work with Acts 4 Ministry, she is part of the leadership team and a mentor with the M.O.P.S.- Mothers of Preschoolers group in Cheshire and is active in youth work in her church.

“Ellen has an incredible heart for the Waterbury community,” commented Carabetta. “I love the Lord and how we can serve Him at Acts 4 by caring for those in need. As board chairwoman I hope to lead and inspire the board to be God’s hands and feet helping those in need. Having lived in Connecticut for more than 24 years, and having traveled all over the world for my husband’s job, we have found the Waterbury community to be enriched with culture and a great place to serve those with the love of Christ,” stated Rogers.

Since January of 2015, Acts 4 Ministry has welcomed six new members to their board of directors, Eda Llulla, a senior financial analyst at St. Mary’s Hospital; Susie Jones-Szoldra, LCSW, of Plymouth, and a staff member with DaVita Waterbury Heights; Peter Damore of Wolcott, a business project manager with Cigna insurance; Christine “Chrissy” Jones of Waterbury, print and marketing consultant with Sir Speedy Print & Marketing in Middlebury; Timothy J. Blankenship of Southington, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial; and Teresa “Terri” Carrier of Bristol, a branch manager with Ion Bank.

Additional current members of the Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. Board of Directors include Dave Rogers, retired Project Manager IBM Corporation of Cheshire; Robert Zdanowski, CMA, Vishay International of Waterbury; and Robert Knebel, pastor of the United Methodist Church of Waterbury.

To learn more about Acts 4 Ministry, Inc., and a listing of current tax-deductible donation needs, visit www.acts4.org, or contact Sarah Elizabeth Carabetta at 203-574-2287 or via email to executivedirector@acts4.org.