By Jason Rowe, Journal Inquirer

05/02/2006

VERNON - More than 20 community service agencies are joining forces to improve services to local residents.

For roughly a year, the Vernon Community Network has been working to find better ways to serve townspeople and to improve community relations by pooling resources and learning more about the various service organizations in town.

On Friday, the network members held a special meeting to reveal the formation of the group and talk about some of the work they have done during the past year.

Members of the network also set up information tables to inform each other about their respective organizations and the work they do around the community.

The community network is made up of service organizations such as the Hockanum Valley Community Council, The Cornerstone Foundation, Vernon Public Schools, Planned Parenthood, Vernon Senior Center, Rockville Downtown Association, and KIDSAFE CT.

In addition, Alan Slobodien, who heads the town's Youth Services Department, and Bryan Flint, Mayor Ellen L. Marmer's downtown Rockville advisor, serve as members of the community network.

Slobodien said the community network concept was borne out of the idea that the various groups and organizations could work together to offer a better continuation of social, health, and economic development services to the town.

During the past 18 months, Slobodien said, a group of roughly eight people has been working to develop a system of bylaws and meeting rules that would allow the group to come together.

Using a similar community network in Manchester as a model, Slobodien said, the Vernon Community Network is ready to go public with its work.

"We are trying to get all of us together so we know what we do for the community," said Hockanum Valley Community Council Executive Director David Engelson, who serves as the community network's chairman.

That collaboration already has paid off in several ways.
For example, a collaboration between the school system, KIDSAFE CT, and The Cornerstone Foundation paved the way for a new community center on Prospect Street, which serves roughly 50 kids.

"That collaboration was the direct result of these groups coming to the meetings and creating a dialogue," Slobodien said. "The thinking is many more of those kinds of things can happen."

Betsy Palmer-Ehrenfeld of KIDSAFE CT said it's easier to get programs off the ground because officials from various community organizations are regularly getting together to meet as a network.

"This group has helped us get rolling because a lot of the players are right there," Ehrenfeld said.

In some cases network members have offered to help out other organizations using their own client base.

Tracey Halstead of Hockanum Industries Inc. said her organization has talked with officials from Cornerstone about using some of their clients for projects around town.
And Vernon Senior Center Director Penny Rand said she has used the network as a resource for her clients.

"This group has been important to me in knowing where we can direct the seniors to fulfill their needs," Rand said.

Going forward, Engelson said the group would continue working to boost its membership and look for seed monies to help fund its efforts.

The network is also in the process of developing its own logo, officials said.

"Economy of scale is the key word of the day, that's for sure," Engelson said. "We can get together and see how we can fulfill the needs of the community without a lot of people doing the same thing twice."