To the Editor:

I’m writing today to encourage all Wilton residents to attend this Saturday’s (Sept. 21) Volunteer Fair from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Wilton Library, as part of the “Wilton is Where You Belong” campaign.

Obviously, this is an opportunity for the nonprofits in attendance to recruit volunteers, but what may not be as obvious is the opportunity for residents to find community, belonging, and mattering. Mattering — to feel valued and to give value — is central to our mental well-being and enables us to thrive in our lives. No matter how great our own needs, we are all needed and have something to offer.

In the 11 years that I’ve lived in Wilton, I have heard, “Well, I’m not really a ‘Wilton Person’” (with air quotes) countless times. What they are referring to is never clear to me — is it based on size of their house, type of car they drive, marital status, sexual and/or identity, race, education, religion, how long they’ve lived here, language spoken at home, whether or not they have kids, whether their kids play sports, or their own insecurities?

People confuse belonging with sameness. We are not all the same (thank goodness). We all belong. I want to formally, explicitly say that if you live in Wilton, you belong in Wilton. Now, if you really want to feel like you belong, to feel that you matter, that you are part of the Wilton community — come Saturday and see how you can volunteer.

As a nation, our civic involvement has been steadily declining and it is more than a coincidence that our civil discourse, mental health, and hope in general have taken a massive hit. Loneliness is now an epidemic and lonely people feel like they don’t matter, lose hope, and become isolated and/or angry. We can change that one person, one organization, one town at a time.

I can share from my own personal experience that volunteering and leading a Wilton nonprofit was actually a lifeline for me during a hard time in our family’s life. The truth is that I could get through my struggles at home because of the community, meaning, and purpose I felt in my volunteer work. I was stronger for it.
A strong community is a connected community. Together, with very different threads, we weave the tapestry of Wilton, the place we call home. So come Saturday to find community, connection, and meaning in whatever dose of commitment you like.

Thank you,

Vanessa Elias
Co-Founder of the Wilton Youth Council Mental Health Task Force