So Much to Celebrate!

June 29, 2010 - On June 10th, we marked the 5th anniversary of Celebrate New Britain; part of our annual Celebrate Our Communities! award program which seeks to recognize and honor the hard-working, selfless volunteers who truly make our communities of Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington special places to live and work.  Learn more about this year’s Celebrate New Britain award winner, and start thinking about who in your community might deserve this honor next year!

New Britain caught a lucky break when Arnold Schwartz went into selling copy machines instead of police work. When poor eyesight kept a much younger Arnold from realizing his law enforcement dream, he went to work for Xerox Corporation instead. It was there that Arnold honed his skills at working with people and fledgling projects.  Arnold Schwartz was honored for his work in the community on Thursday, June 10 at the New Britain Chamber of Commerce Annual Volunteerism Luncheon.

“I love to put programs together and solve the problems that come up along the way. This is what I used to do when I managed service for Xerox. I think it’s in my nature to be a troubleshooter,” says the retired native New Yorker.

The fruits of Arnold’s troubleshooting are spread all around New Britain, where he and his wife have made their home for the past 25 years. The new transportation program at RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) was his idea – Arnold chairs the board there. The recent expansion of the New Britain Salvation Army food pantry using HUD funding was his idea, too. He co-chairs the advisory board there.

A sampling of Arnold’s other current volunteer duties include community service officer with the police department, chair of the Commission on Aging, chair of the Plainville Area Community Television Advisory Council, and volunteer in the Mayor’s office assisting citizens who call with a problem. When he’s not in the Mayor’s office, Arnold can often be found upstairs where he works as Deputy Registrar of Voters, and out on patrol as Assistant Animal Control Officer. 

Over the years, Arnold has accepted some fascinating volunteer jobs, including coordinating disaster relief for the Red Cross. He had to give that one up when his aging body couldn’t take the middle of the night disaster calls. His all-time favorite volunteer project was the one that gave him a chance to be the public servant and sleuth he always dreamed of being. For many years, Arnold worked with Atty. General Richard Blumenthal’s office assisting seniors who had been victimized by fraud.

“My motto is that one person can make a difference and it’s always worth trying. When I started volunteering, one of my friends asked me, ‘Why are you giving everything away?’ But a lot of people my age just sit around and do nothing. And you know something? They get old really fast,” he notes, adding that one of the things that keeps him going is the need he sees out there. “I keep asking myself how I am going to find the time to do one more thing, but I can’t drop the ball unless other people are willing to come forward.”

He plans to direct the $2,500 grant that accompanies this award to the New Britain Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Some of the money will go toward paying mileage to retired volunteers who use their own cars to provide transportation for local seniors who don’t have a way to get to doctor’s appointments and other necessary errands. 

Arnold was one of 21 individuals nominated for the 2010 Celebrate New Britain! Community Service Award Program. The other individuals nominated for their volunteerism included: Glenn Anderson, Amanda Aziz, Frank Bradley, Joyce Buckley, Tamlyn Campanelli, Michael Carrier, Nancy Coughlin, Janis Jerman, Beth King, Barbara Kirejczyk, Paul Marier, Paul Martinook, Michael Payton, Kate McCue, Gary Robinson, Kathleen Sauer, Marilyn Slate, Kathleen St. Ours, William Tomasso and Cindi Whitham.