The 2009 Celebrate Southington! Award winner: Volunteering simply makes him “feel happy”

(March 30, 2009) – Growing up one of four children 50 miles from Naples, Benny Cammuso remembers one particular day when a single slice of bread was the only food in the house.  That childhood memory comes to mind sometimes when Benny heads to Southington’s Bread for Life Soup Kitchen each day, where for the past five years he has shopped, cooked, washed dishes, cleaned up and done just about every job there is to do.

Bread for Life just one of more than ten local nonprofits that benefit from Benny’s cheerful and energetic presence. The 71-year-old also mows the lawns connected to his own, rakes leaves, clears snow and drives his neighbors to appointments. He does all this without asking anything in return. Two of these grateful neighbors nominated Benny for the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain’s Celebrate Southington community service award. Benny will receive the award at the United Way of Southington’s Annual Stakeholder Breakfast, Thursday, April 16th at The Orchards of Southington, 46 Hobart Street.  The breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m., and while it’s free, reservations are required. (For ticket information, call the United Way at 628-4565.)

Benny has been a full-time volunteer since his retirement for reasons that are really very simple. “I do it because it makes me feel happy,” he explains with a smile and a shrug: “It just feels good. That’s all.”

Benny was 15 years old when he immigrated to this country from Italy to claim the right to U.S. citizenship that was available to him as the son of an American-born mother. He made the trip alone, having been told his parents and siblings would soon follow. Before he left, his mother had these parting words: “Benny, always look ahead. Never look back.” At the time, the reason for these words weren’t clear, but when he learned some months later that his mother had died of cancer, he knew that she must have suspected she was sending him off to start a new life on his own.

And start a life he did – walking six miles to work in a milk plant in upstate New York where he had settled in with relatives. He eventually moved to Southington in 1965 where he and his wife raised two children. Benny’s gratitude for the life he found here spills into a willingness to take on any volunteer job without judging its suitability or ease.

“Benny puts his heart and soul into everything he does,” according to Elden Hafford, executive director of Bread for Life, the organization that Benny has chosen as recipient of the $2,500 grant given to him by the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain in conjunction with this honor. 

The list of other organizations to which Benny serves leaves even the most energetic wondering how this septuagenarian does it: Calendar House/Senior Center (he takes care of anything that needs to be fixed); UNICO (he works their annual Italian Festival, driving to New York for grinder rolls, cooking and preparing sausage/pepper/onion grinders, and serving them), Mary our Queen Church (he’s a Eucharistic Minister for homebound parishioners); Red Cross Blood drive volunteer; Free Masons; Lion’s Club; Knights of Columbus; Sons of Italy…

When his neighbor, Susan Gagnon, broke her foot two years ago, Benny drove her children to school each day. In her nomination form, Ms. Gagnon said Benny “has a way of anticipating your needs and then meeting them before you mention or realize the need. Flowers spring up around our mailboxes, fruits and vegetables are left on doorsteps… I’ve never met a man of such kindness, generosity and selflessness.” 

Benny was one of 14 area couples or individuals nominated for the 2009 Celebrate! Southington award. The other nominees include: Bette Ann and Wally Bailey, Jobi Bieluch, Regina Ciss, Robert Cusano, Louise Gagne, David Kanute, Ron Klein, Rick Knight, Virginia Lenik, Carole Milano, Michael Payton, Bonnie Sica, and Peter Veronneau.

“As always, we had a great field of nominees this year, and are thrilled to honor Benny Cammuso as our final recipient. He epitomizes the spirit of selfless service that makes him a wonderful role model for would-be community volunteers of all ages,” said Jim Williamson, president of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain and a Southington resident.