Patron in the City: Faith Kenton
We believe that passionate individuals can spur change in their communities. We refer to those individuals as Patrons in the City.
Everyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Faith Kenton has seen firsthand her dedication to making her community a safer, kinder, and more beautiful place. In the spring of 2021, our Community Programs Director, Camryn, had the opportunity to travel to Faith’s town, Willimantic, CT, to see some of her work in person. Faith’s incredible impact was made clear just from the conversations Camryn was able to have with the people on her team, who made a point of walking her through the different areas of town that had been shaped by Faith’s vision.
As a prominent member of the Windham’s Garden Club, Faith has facilitated many sustainability-focused beautification projects in her community. She raised close to $30,000 for two such projects as a Patronicity Project Creator, qualifying her to receive $22,500 in matching grant funds from Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund.
Learn more about Faith’s two Patronicity crowdfunding campaigns: High Street Hillside and the Garden on the Bridge.
At Patronicity, we believe that passionate individuals can spur change in their communities. We refer to those individuals as Patrons in the City, dedicating their time, sweat, and tears to building vibrant communities. We recently spoke with Faith to learn more about her passion for community and how she serves as a Patron in the City.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself!
Faith: I have lived in Willimantic for 50 years, as a public school teacher with my husband and our two children, now grown. I am now 73. It’s a very small city, maybe 20,000, poor, old where the mills have closed.
I have gotten to know the town officials through various volunteer projects and have over a dozen unlicensed gardens around town with no opposition ever. I think we were ahead of the curve with the joy and benefit of a public garden.
I came late to gardening. I much prefer native plants, messy gardens, and have always known that weeds are the best.
Q: How has this project changed your community for the better?
Faith: My community has not changed a whole lot, but there are gardens now. A certain group of people do appreciate their presence and having something pretty to look at. They know that gardens are a sanctuary.
Q: What inspired you to get involved or build this project?
Faith: There was a definite need. I am very much a hands-on person with extra energy. I like working independently, and gardening is healthy and relatively inexpensive. I didn’t intend to go this far into it, but here we are!
Q: How has the community responded to the project and your efforts to build a vibrant community? What do you hope community members take away from this project?
Faith: The community has given me permission to do what I’m doing, has donated money or material, something as simple as letting me use a dumpster for my garden pickings. Many people comment as they see me and my friends working. Many will stop to admire or say, “thank you,” ask a question, or tell us about their garden work. We have been featured in the newspaper over the years, and I think it makes people think more positively about “downtown.”
Faith: As I said, no big change in town of the culture or the way people live, just a little more color and ownership of a small piece of ground near them.
We see often that dedicated community members are motivated simply by their own desires to create a more beautiful place to live. However, these efforts when multiplied can have a big impact on the overall quality of place in a community. Faith’s tenacity is what inspires us to continue our work, as sometimes something as simple as a public garden can brighten someone’s day.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
Become a patron in your city by launching your project today or donating to a project in your area at www.Patronicity.com.
