A Few Minutes With Mike Helechu

Last weekend, the Enfield Rotary Club was honored for its commitment to sports in Enfield with the George Daly Special Recognition Award at the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame’s annual banquet. Rotary president Michael Helechu accepted the award on the club's behalf.

Helechu is a familiar face in the community. He has been Director of Marketing & Community Relations for Allied Community Services, Inc., since 1998. Prior to joining Allied, Mike worked for Adams & Adams Building Services in Enfield; Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs; and the former Combustion Engineering in Windsor. He also worked independently for several years as a business communications consultant.

Originally from New Britain, Helechu is a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Vermont and has a master’s degree in Media Studies from Webster University in St. Louis.

He also has military roots, having served in the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980, and was a member of the Connecticut Air National Guard for 14 years, retiring in 2002.

He has been a member of the Enfield Rotary Club for 27 years. He also volunteers his time with both the North Central Connecticut and East Windsor Chambers of Commerce, as a partner for Special Olympics bowlers and as a public access volunteer at Cox Communications. He has also served as a Thompsonville Fire District Commissioner and Trustee for Enfield Elks Lodge 2222.

Helechu has been a resident of Enfield since 1980. He lives in town with his wife, Dora, and stepdaughter, Melinda Caputo. His daughter, Catherine, lives in Enfield with her husband, Ben Carlton and their son, Jacob. Helechu’s son, Peter, recently came back to Enfield after living in Putnam and Manchester.

Enfield Patch recently talked with Helechu about his prominent role in the Enfield community.

Q: You have been with Allied Community Services for quite a while. Tell our readers about Allied and what your role is at the company. As an outsider it has been amazing to see the company grow and diversify the services it offers to the community. Share with the readers the changes you have seen during the 13 years you have been with them.

A: Allied is an amazing (and somewhat complex) organization. Its roots go back to the early 1960s and a group of parents who wanted to avoid institutionalization of their children with intellectual disabilities and create opportunities for continuing education, social activities and employment. In 1964, the group established the first organized summer program for children with disabilities in the entire state of Connecticut, which came to be known as Camp Shriver, right here in Enfield. They incorporated that same year as the “Enfield Association for Retarded Children.” Thirty-five children enrolled in Enfield schools comprised the first “consumers.” EARC eventually grew to encompass eight towns. In the early days, all staff members were volunteers. It wasn’t until 1973 that the first part-time executive director was hired; her office was in the basement of one of the parent’s homes. I joined Allied in 1998. In 1999, we restructured our corporation into Allied Community Services, our “parent corporation,” and two subsidiaries: Allied Community Resources, operating in East Windsor, and Allied Rehabilitation Centers at 3 Pearson Way in Enfield, across the street from DMV. Today, we provide services and supports to approximately 160 adults with intellectual disabilities who reside in north central CT. Thanks to a forward-looking Board of Directors and a visionary CEO, Dean Wern, our organization has diversified into many areas that provide employment opportunities for our consumers, sources of income for our operations and, at the same time, important services for the community. For example, we provide transportation services to seniors and individuals with disabilities; we provide janitorial crews that clean Army Reserve facilities and town buildings; we operate a bulk-mailing service that handles more than a million pieces a year; we offer production, assembly and packaging services to businesses; we sell jewelry that is assembled by our consumers; and we operate Allied’s Attic Thrift Store at 581 Enfield St., and a donation processing center at 294 George Washington Rd.

In addition to serving consumers with intellectual disabilities in this region, Allied also reaches more than 4,000 additional consumers across the entire state and in parts of Alabama through its services as a fiscal intermediary for the Departments of Social Services and Developmental Services in Connecticut and the Department of Senior Services in Alabama. There’s so much more to Allied that I haven’t even touched on. Since my job is to communicate all of this to the public, potential business customers and consumers, as well as to our own employees and stakeholders, I will refer you to our latest Annual Report, available on our website at www.alliedgroup.org. In addition to producing informational materials, fact sheets, fliers, annual reports and the like, I get to design newspaper ads, brochures, banners, coupons, etc. I’m the in-house photographer and video producer. This is a great job. It challenges me to solve communications challenges and respond to new informational needs every day.

“Count your blessings” is an axiom I’ve kept in mind for much of my adult life. When I consider the mountains our consumers at Allied have to climb just to get out of the house and into work every day, when I see the smiles on their faces and their excitement to be working and earning a paycheck, I know there is nothing in my life that comes close to the challenges they face. They’ve helped me put the pitfalls, setbacks and challenges of life into perspective. As a result, bad days for me are few and far between. And now, as a grandfather, a whole new dimension to the circle of life has opened for me. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Q: I know that you are a big supporter of Enfield Stars and Special Olympics. I know from past experience that volunteering for Special Olympics is a rewarding and special experience. Tell us about Enfield Stars and why you are drawn to volunteering your time to both of these organizations. Let readers know how they can find out more information about these organizations and how they can support them with their time, talents and/or resources.

A: Allied’s Enfield Stars are Special Olympics athletes from about 12 towns in north central Connecticut. There are some 140 athletes, partners, coaches and volunteers involved with the Stars. Our Local Coordinator, Linda Burnell, has been volunteering with Special Olympics for more than 30 years. I started volunteering as a partner on a unified bowling team in 2001. Unified teams comprise athletes with disabilities and partners who are not disabled. Most of the athletes are better bowlers than I am, so I get a lot of “attaboys” and words of encouragement when I get a strike or spare. I think the Special Olympics athletes’ pledge should be adopted by all organized sports, amateur and professional: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” When you are able to see the brave attempts of each and every athlete firsthand, and when you see an athlete who is excited about knocking down 27 pins in 10 frames and who can’t wait to come back again next week, you gain a valuable perspective on life and a new appreciation for the blessings we enjoy. This year’s bowling practice sessions have just begun at Bradley Bowl. If anyone is interested in becoming a partner, coach or volunteer for any Special Olympics sports, they should call Allied at (860) 741-3701 and ask for Linda.

Q: Congratulations are in order. You just became President of the Enfield Rotary this past month. How long have you been a member of the organization? How did you learn about Rotary? Why did you decide to join?

A: I joined Rotary in 1984 when I worked for Johnson Memorial Hospital. The expectation was that being in the club would help me market the Stafford-based hospital to the residents of Enfield. I quickly learned, however, that you don’t join Rotary simply to sell products and services or promote your business. An interesting personal side note is that every job I’ve had since leaving Johnson Memorial in 1987 has come to me through a connection I made in the Enfield Rotary Club.

Rotary is a volunteer organization of 1.2 million members around the world. Members are committed to providing humanitarian service and promoting goodwill and peace around the world. Over the last 26 years, Rotarians around the world have raised nearly $200 million toward the eradication of Polio. Rotary clubs support their local communities through a variety of service projects and special events. For example, every year our Enfield club supports career-shadowing days for high school students, awards scholarships to college students and supports the Police Department’s “Toy for Joy” program. We provided a gazebo and park benches for the Enfield Senior Center when it opened in 2003, then built a community garden there in 2006 to provide fresh produce to the Enfield Food Shelf and Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. We purchased equipment to produce Amber Alert identification cards for children; we had a table at this year’s Family Day celebration on Sept. 17.

You can read more about our club’s history and service projects at our website: www.enfieldctrotary.org. Rotary has taught me that “service above self” is a mindset that’s essential for making my community, my country and the world a better place to live. Being president of the Enfield Rotary Club is truly an honor. And being a member has introduced me to some great local people.

Q: Rotary has definitely been making headlines lately with the awarding of  thousands of dollars of scholarships to area students. I understand that youngsters in town are also receiving attention from the group with the plans your group has to build a boundless playground. Can you share some information about the project, i.e. when and where it will be built? How can the community get involved in the project?

A: We’re very proud of the Enfield Rotary Memorial Scholarship Foundation. We award between $7,000 - $14,000 every year to college juniors, seniors, grad students and non-traditional students from Enfield. We’re especially proud of the students who win. We would sure like to see more applications! Our annual scholarship luncheon is one of the most uplifting events on our calendar. You can see a photograph of this year’s scholarship award winners on our website.

Last year, our club endorsed a vision to build an accessible playground in Enfield. We’re still in the early stages of this project; we’re moving slowly and deliberately because it is one of the largest and most expensive projects ever undertaken by our club. We have been discussing fundraising strategies, identifying subcommittees, researching similar projects in other towns, discussing siting alternatives, collecting information about equipment vendors and taking names of people in the community who are interested in assisting us. We are preparing an outline of the project to present to the Enfield Town Council in the next month or two. We will ask for their approval to install the playground on town property. We won’t start moving at full speed until we have their endorsement.

Q: This past Saturday, as we mentioned earlier, the Enfield Rotary received the George Daly Award from the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame. Tell our readers how the local Rotary been involved in local sports?  

A: Let me start by saying that it was an honor for the Enfield Rotary Club to receive this recognition from the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame. Back in the 1950s, a couple of Rotarians helped establish the Thompsonville Little League. I wish I had their names, but our club’s historical records prior to the 1960s are incomplete. Not only did these Rotarians help get the league started, but apparently one of them also provided land for a ballpark. The Rotary Club has sponsored one of the teams in the league every year since its inception. In 1993, one of our members learned that the high school girls’ basketball teams at both Enfield and Fermi had little or no funding for uniforms and equipment. Larry Tracey brought an idea to the club to organize and sponsor a holiday basketball tournament. The “Enfield Rotary Classic” girls’ basketball tournament was born. Every year between Christmas and New Year’s, Enfield, Fermi and two visiting teams play a two-day tournament. Rotarians prepare a program with paid ads, sell tickets, snacks and soft drinks at the games, purchase trophies, awards, etc. In addition to the companies and organizations of our Rotarians, many local businesses and players’ families support the tournament. All proceeds are split evenly between the two teams. Last year, each team received $1,200. I believe we have donated more than $10,000 to the girls’ basketball teams since 1993. It will come as no surprise that Larry Tracey received the George Daly award in 2008 for his commitment to sports on local and statewide levels.

Q: What are some of the other organizations you belong to in town and why do you personally feel so committed to being involved in your community?

A: I served as a Commissioner in the Thompsonville Fire District for three years and as a Trustee for Enfield Elks Lodge 2222. I had to curtail some of my volunteer activities, however, because I was spreading myself too thin and it was beginning to affect my health. So today it’s limited to Rotary, Special Olympics three months a year, the East Windsor Chamber Board of Directors, acting in the Asnuntuck Community College Foundation’s annual murder mystery, and volunteering as a cameraperson and control room technician at Cox Public Access. I also attend and support most of the events sponsored by the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. For me, involvement in the community helps other people; helps make Enfield a better place to live as well as a fun place to live; and introduces me to people who are really making a difference.

Q: You really do seem to follow Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self" but I do know that you are really a Renaissance Man and have some fun hobbies you enjoy as well. Can you tell us what you like to do in your free time? 

A: First of all, I have to disqualify myself from being called a Renaissance Man. Despite the laughter and chiding I hear from my wife, children and co-workers every day, I don’t have a cell phone and refuse to get involved with “social media” such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. In my opinion, they de-personalize communications, drain money out of your wallet (cell phones and their calling/texting plans), they’re awful time-wasters and can be dangerous if people are distracted by their devices. On top of that, the lengths to which people will go to bother you with worthless minutia (“I went to the store today”) are limitless. I realize people can be productive and get more work done if they use cell phones judiciously, but most people don’t know the meaning of that word. Even though I’m clearly old-fashioned, I do have some “modern” skills and fun hobbies. I’ve been using Mac computers since 1987, learned desktop publishing and taught myself how to use PhotoShop. I enjoy restoring and retouching old family photos for people.

I learn new things about computers and software every day and subscribe to training courses on the internet to enhance my PhotoShop skills. I enjoy learning new things. Thanks to the great people at Public Access TV (Continental Cablevision in the “old days,” then Media One and now Cox Communications), I learned video production and have applied those skills to many of the jobs I’ve held through the years. I’ve been a photographer since college. My photos—film and darkroom work in the early days; digital and computer editing now—have been published and have won awards. I like to golf and bowl, although I’m not very good at either sport. In fact, my 91-year-old father is a better golfer than I am. Bless his heart for having had the patience to teach me the game.