May 16, 2025 • 9 mins
We spoke with Development Director John Chamberlain about The Sterling Community Center creating impactful and inclusive programs and services that engage and cultivate a thriving community in the greater Stratford, CT region.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest this morning is John Chamberlain, Development director at Sterling
Community Center.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning, Good morning Alison.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
So you are involved with the Birdies for Charity program.
Tell me why did you decide to do that.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, we are always looking for great opportunities to support
the programs at Sterling Community Center and this really seemed
like a good one. It was actually brought to our
attention by a company that has given us some corporate
support in recent years and knew about the way this
program really helps charities to get the word out to
(00:40):
donors in the community. So we were excited to be
a part of it here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So Webster Bank will donate fifteen cents for every dollar
donated to Sterling Community Center. Go to Travelers Championship dot
com and donate right now. Don't wait because you might forget.
And also your social your Facebook or your Instagram has
the in there as well.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Right it does. Yeah, and happy to tell you a
little bit more about Sterling Community Center for folks that
may not know us.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I was just going to ask you how did it
all come about.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, So, while this is our first year doing Berdie's
for charity. Sterling Community Center is an organization that has
served Stratford, Connecticut, and our region for over ninety years.
We were founded in nineteen thirty two after Cordelia Sterling,
the daughter of a c trader Captain John Sterling, donated
her home and property to the town after her death,
(01:32):
and from the beginning her will stated that she wanted
the community Center to serve all regardless of race or religion.
And I know we on the team really take that
to heart and feel like a female philanthropist in the
nineteen thirties putting that out there as her charge to
the organization that was taking shape, so forward thinking and
(01:53):
so for generations. Local families have come to us for
programs from sports, dance, art, summer camp clubs like the
local stamp collectors and scrapbookers, and we were home to
Stratford's first organized preschool back in our early days. We
continue to offer preschool and after school programs today. We
(02:16):
serve over one hundred kids during the school year through
those programs, and since the nineteen forties we've had a
summer day camp every year, so eighty years in eighty
plus years in we are serving hundreds of kids during
the summer for nine weeks. It typically sells out in
a few minutes when registration goes live, and those nine
(02:38):
weeks of camp are packed with really active, almost entirely
screen free activities, swim art, music, they do a session
where they do some science experiments and some stem So
my own boys are in Stirling Day Camp and they
(02:58):
come home, dirty, tire and raving about what they did
that day.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So the first day must be like Christmas morning when
they arrived, the big smiles on their faces. They bet
they can't wait to get there.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh yeah, they're tracking down their buddies and they're you know,
happy to see the counselor that they know from last year.
So it's a really fun time of year here and
the whole kind of campus buzzes with all the kids
because as much as we've got after school during the
school year, this is sort of like an explosion of
activity all over the place for us. So we all
(03:33):
the whole staff and all our volunteers really love it.
And then the one other huge piece of what we
do is we're also home to Stratford's largest food pantry.
So in the early nineties that was launched as it
was just a cabinet and a fridge, but over time
our pantry has grown to a set of programs that
(03:54):
we call the Resource Connection, so we are a steady
source of help for our neighbors experience that experiencing a
time of need. The Resource Connection has food pantry hours
three days a week year round, Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We also deliver food twice a month to homebown seniors
in Strafford and the volunteers that help out down there
(04:16):
also pack bags that go home with students in Strafford
Public schools that the guidance counselors have identified as being
in danger of going hungry if when they're not able
to get free lunch over the weekends. So they get
to breakfast to lunches, to dinners to take home with
them for the weekend, as well as some snacks and stuff,
(04:36):
all stuff that they can easily make themselves. So those
programs currently are serving about five thousand individuals in the
course of a year, so that's a huge piece of
what we do and it's really driven. We've got one
full time staff member managing those programs and then we've
got dozens of volunteers, a lot of retirees, lot of
(05:00):
teams as well, helping to keep that engine moving. So
it's a big piece of what happens here.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Tell me, what is it like for the people who
come to the food pantry or take advantage of these programs,
for the adults, for the youth, for preschool, do you
see a positive impact on their lives?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Absolutely? So. We really take pride in thinking critically about
the dignity of the folks who take advantage of the
food programs and really kind of approaching the customer service
that we offer to community members with the same kind
of thinking, whether they're you know, interacting with us about
(05:40):
food programs or sports or after school or soccer. And
I love having worked here a few years now when
we encounter stories like during the holidays, we have a
big toy drive to give away toys for folks to
give at the holidays, and last year a woman was
coming in with some to ways to donate and she
(06:01):
shared with a staff member that a few years back
she was benefiting from food from our pantry. She was
she was able to give presents to her kids thanks
to the toy program and at the time she was
a nursing student. So her you know, she had not
a lot coming in income wise, and now she got
her degree, she's a nurse, and she's still living in Stratford,
(06:22):
and her ability to give back to that same program
that helped her family. She she was crying, and honestly,
I kind of get a little choked up telling her story, because,
you know, we hope that there are lots of folks
like that nurse who are able to use these programs
if they're in a tough spot and find the kind
(06:42):
of stability that let's them really find their way.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Absolutely, I think there's so many you just don't know
about it. You know, people can they can donate, they
can volunteer, they can also sponsor.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah. Absolutely, we have lots of great local companies and
regional companies that sponsor. We do events throughout the year,
Like we actually have a golf tournament of our own
in late September that gets a ton of great support
from local companies. A lot of pizza shops and other
businesses sponsor sports teams. So we run recreational soccer in
(07:19):
the town of Stratford. We've got like six hundred kids
out on the fields every Saturday, and you know, we
have a lot of really great local businesses that have
their name right on the back of little Timdy's jersey
as he's out there trying to you know, get the
lands a game winning goal that for his team.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
I love that you were originally called the Sterling House
Community Center, but that's changed.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah. In October of last year we kind of hit
the culmination of the launch of a rebrand to call
ourselves sterling Community Center. We still plan and always will
call our main building Sterling House, So you know, we
sort of as wayfinding the meeting is happening at Sterling
(08:03):
House tonight at six. But we've grown and so now
we ran some numbers in the last few years and
around fifty percent of the activities that we're doing are
not in the house itself. We have benefited by a
local family who lost their daughter in a tragic accident,
built a turf field facility that's behind the building at
(08:26):
Sterling House called Aerons Gym in her honor, and we
have a lot of programs back in Erin's Gym. We
have a lot of things that are going on out
in Stratford schools, like our basketball leagues play in the
gym's in Strafford school buildings, So being in lots of
parts of town, we realized it was time to have
a name that could catch all of what we do
(08:48):
and then we could kind of always point people to
come and find us at Stirling House if they need
to get oriented or fine, fine where to go.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So look at the job you have now, you're cell Blast.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thank you. I really it is a blessing. It's a
wonderful place to work. Like I said, my boys come
here at the summer camp. Two of them are in
the preschool right now, and it's a wonderful place to
be involved, to bring the kids and to give back.
So yeah, I'm really proud to be a part of
(09:21):
the team here at Throwing Community Center.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm speaking with development director John Chamberlain from the Sterling
Community Center. If you want to hear more about their programs,
their athletics, get involved, but especially to make a donation,
go to their social media pages or go to Travelers
Championship dot com and make that donation for Bertie's for charity. John,
thank you so much for being here today and for
(09:44):
sharing your story and serving the community.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Thank you, Allison, it's really been a pleasure talking with you,
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. My
guest this morning is John Chamberlain, Development director at Sterling
Community Center.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning, Good morning Alison.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
So you are involved with the Birdies for Charity program.
Tell me why did you decide to do that.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, we are always looking for great opportunities to support
the programs at Sterling Community Center and this really seemed
like a good one. It was actually brought to our
attention by a company that has given us some corporate
support in recent years and knew about the way this
program really helps charities to get the word out to
(00:40):
donors in the community. So we were excited to be
a part of it here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So Webster Bank will donate fifteen cents for every dollar
donated to Sterling Community Center. Go to Travelers Championship dot
com and donate right now. Don't wait because you might forget.
And also your social your Facebook or your Instagram has
the in there as well.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Right it does. Yeah, and happy to tell you a
little bit more about Sterling Community Center for folks that
may not know us.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I was just going to ask you how did it
all come about.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, So, while this is our first year doing Berdie's
for charity. Sterling Community Center is an organization that has
served Stratford, Connecticut, and our region for over ninety years.
We were founded in nineteen thirty two after Cordelia Sterling,
the daughter of a c trader Captain John Sterling, donated
her home and property to the town after her death,
(01:32):
and from the beginning her will stated that she wanted
the community Center to serve all regardless of race or religion.
And I know we on the team really take that
to heart and feel like a female philanthropist in the
nineteen thirties putting that out there as her charge to
the organization that was taking shape, so forward thinking and
(01:53):
so for generations. Local families have come to us for
programs from sports, dance, art, summer camp clubs like the
local stamp collectors and scrapbookers, and we were home to
Stratford's first organized preschool back in our early days. We
continue to offer preschool and after school programs today. We
(02:16):
serve over one hundred kids during the school year through
those programs, and since the nineteen forties we've had a
summer day camp every year, so eighty years in eighty
plus years in we are serving hundreds of kids during
the summer for nine weeks. It typically sells out in
a few minutes when registration goes live, and those nine
(02:38):
weeks of camp are packed with really active, almost entirely
screen free activities, swim art, music, they do a session
where they do some science experiments and some stem So
my own boys are in Stirling Day Camp and they
(02:58):
come home, dirty, tire and raving about what they did
that day.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So the first day must be like Christmas morning when
they arrived, the big smiles on their faces. They bet
they can't wait to get there.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh yeah, they're tracking down their buddies and they're you know,
happy to see the counselor that they know from last year.
So it's a really fun time of year here and
the whole kind of campus buzzes with all the kids
because as much as we've got after school during the
school year, this is sort of like an explosion of
activity all over the place for us. So we all
(03:33):
the whole staff and all our volunteers really love it.
And then the one other huge piece of what we
do is we're also home to Stratford's largest food pantry.
So in the early nineties that was launched as it
was just a cabinet and a fridge, but over time
our pantry has grown to a set of programs that
(03:54):
we call the Resource Connection, so we are a steady
source of help for our neighbors experience that experiencing a
time of need. The Resource Connection has food pantry hours
three days a week year round, Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We also deliver food twice a month to homebown seniors
in Strafford and the volunteers that help out down there
(04:16):
also pack bags that go home with students in Strafford
Public schools that the guidance counselors have identified as being
in danger of going hungry if when they're not able
to get free lunch over the weekends. So they get
to breakfast to lunches, to dinners to take home with
them for the weekend, as well as some snacks and stuff,
(04:36):
all stuff that they can easily make themselves. So those
programs currently are serving about five thousand individuals in the
course of a year, so that's a huge piece of
what we do and it's really driven. We've got one
full time staff member managing those programs and then we've
got dozens of volunteers, a lot of retirees, lot of
(05:00):
teams as well, helping to keep that engine moving. So
it's a big piece of what happens here.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Tell me, what is it like for the people who
come to the food pantry or take advantage of these programs,
for the adults, for the youth, for preschool, do you
see a positive impact on their lives?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Absolutely? So. We really take pride in thinking critically about
the dignity of the folks who take advantage of the
food programs and really kind of approaching the customer service
that we offer to community members with the same kind
of thinking, whether they're you know, interacting with us about
(05:40):
food programs or sports or after school or soccer. And
I love having worked here a few years now when
we encounter stories like during the holidays, we have a
big toy drive to give away toys for folks to
give at the holidays, and last year a woman was
coming in with some to ways to donate and she
(06:01):
shared with a staff member that a few years back
she was benefiting from food from our pantry. She was
she was able to give presents to her kids thanks
to the toy program and at the time she was
a nursing student. So her you know, she had not
a lot coming in income wise, and now she got
her degree, she's a nurse, and she's still living in Stratford,
(06:22):
and her ability to give back to that same program
that helped her family. She she was crying, and honestly,
I kind of get a little choked up telling her story, because,
you know, we hope that there are lots of folks
like that nurse who are able to use these programs
if they're in a tough spot and find the kind
(06:42):
of stability that let's them really find their way.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Absolutely, I think there's so many you just don't know
about it. You know, people can they can donate, they
can volunteer, they can also sponsor.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Yeah. Absolutely, we have lots of great local companies and
regional companies that sponsor. We do events throughout the year,
Like we actually have a golf tournament of our own
in late September that gets a ton of great support
from local companies. A lot of pizza shops and other
businesses sponsor sports teams. So we run recreational soccer in
(07:19):
the town of Stratford. We've got like six hundred kids
out on the fields every Saturday, and you know, we
have a lot of really great local businesses that have
their name right on the back of little Timdy's jersey
as he's out there trying to you know, get the
lands a game winning goal that for his team.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
I love that you were originally called the Sterling House
Community Center, but that's changed.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah. In October of last year we kind of hit
the culmination of the launch of a rebrand to call
ourselves sterling Community Center. We still plan and always will
call our main building Sterling House, So you know, we
sort of as wayfinding the meeting is happening at Sterling
(08:03):
House tonight at six. But we've grown and so now
we ran some numbers in the last few years and
around fifty percent of the activities that we're doing are
not in the house itself. We have benefited by a
local family who lost their daughter in a tragic accident,
built a turf field facility that's behind the building at
(08:26):
Sterling House called Aerons Gym in her honor, and we
have a lot of programs back in Erin's Gym. We
have a lot of things that are going on out
in Stratford schools, like our basketball leagues play in the
gym's in Strafford school buildings, So being in lots of
parts of town, we realized it was time to have
a name that could catch all of what we do
(08:48):
and then we could kind of always point people to
come and find us at Stirling House if they need
to get oriented or fine, fine where to go.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So look at the job you have now, you're cell Blast.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Thank you. I really it is a blessing. It's a
wonderful place to work. Like I said, my boys come
here at the summer camp. Two of them are in
the preschool right now, and it's a wonderful place to
be involved, to bring the kids and to give back.
So yeah, I'm really proud to be a part of
(09:21):
the team here at Throwing Community Center.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm speaking with development director John Chamberlain from the Sterling
Community Center. If you want to hear more about their programs,
their athletics, get involved, but especially to make a donation,
go to their social media pages or go to Travelers
Championship dot com and make that donation for Bertie's for charity. John,
thank you so much for being here today and for
(09:44):
sharing your story and serving the community.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Thank you, Allison, it's really been a pleasure talking with you,
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