A team of longtime community partners in Middlesex County came together on Thursday, November 21 to relaunch the impactful “Buddy Bench” program on the campus of Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn.

The public-private partnership included Liberty Bank, Connor Meaney Young Memorial Fund, Community Foundation of Middlesex County and its Council of Business Partners, Interfaith Golf Tournament Committee and Middlesex Health. The latest Buddy Benches, which is the first of five to be placed in Middlesex County, have been built by Ian Young, the father of Nathan Hale-Ray High School student Connor Meaney Young, who tragically lost his life in an automobile accident in 2021.

Relaunching the Buddy Bench project in Middlesex County this year stemmed from Liberty Bank’s recent “Be Community Kind” advertising campaign that features the role a bench has as a visual representation of community and a place where people come together. The Liberty Bank Foundation also contributed $10,000 to the Connor Meaney Young Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

The idea for the original Buddy Bench program was the result of a local partnership in 2009 to create the No Bully Zone Program in area public schools. The program was extended to Rushford’s Residential Treatment Program for Adolescents Boys in 2017 when the first wooden benches were built and designated for local elementary schools to help eliminate loneliness and fostering friendship on playgrounds.

In addition to the bench at Middlesex Hospital, four more will be installed at other locations in Middlesex County, including the Portland Riverfront, ballfields in East Haddam and two other locations still to be identified.

The organizers of the annual Interfaith Golf Tournament in Middlesex County have been the inspiration for starting the Buddy Bench program and have provided significant financial support. The Rossi Group donated the lumber for the five benches and had them cut to specification.

“At Liberty Bank, ‘Be Community Kind’ means so many different things - from our nearly 14,000 hours of volunteerism, generous corporate and Foundation giving, delivering extraordinary banking experiences for our customers and so much more. But when it comes to relaunching the Buddy Bench program, ‘Be Community Kind’ means bringing longtime community partners together who share the same commitment we do to improving the lives of individuals and families who proudly call Middlesex County home,” said David W. Glidden, President & CEO of Liberty Bank. “These are more than just benches, they’re important reminders of how much we value ‘community’ and ‘kindness’ in Middlesex County.”

 “The primary goal of the annual Interfaith Golf Open at Portland Golf Club has always been to raise money and invest it in ways that will make a lasting impact on the lives of youths in Middlesex County. Thanks to the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, the Interfaith Golf Committee is proud to partner with Liberty Bank, Middlesex Health and the Meaney Young family to share our respective resources – especially Ian Young’s craftsmanship – to create a quiet site to reflect and support one another,” said David Director, Interfaith Golf Open Tournament Committee, Chair of the Community Foundation’s Council of Business Partners Fund and member of Liberty Bank’s Board of Directors.

“The Buddy Bench program is COMMUNITY at its best.  At the Community Foundation of Middlesex County, we know it’s true that great things happen when we come together and leverage our combined resources to help one another. The message on the plaque says it all:  the benches are a place for kindness, community, laughter and remembrance,” said Cynthia Clegg, President & CEO of Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

“When I started woodworking as a hobby, 8 years ago I never thought I would have the opportunity to work on such a meaningful initiative such as the Buddy Bench program. It has been an honor to work with the CFMC, Liberty Bank, and the Interfaith Golf Tournament Committee to put together these five benches and install them in meaningful locations. My hope is that these benches create a space for community members to connect and recharge. My son, Connor Meaney Young, was passionate about showing kindness and connecting with others. I know he is proud of the work these organizations are doing for our communities,” said Ian Young, the father of Connor Meaney Young. 

"To be a recipient of a Buddy Bench is an honor," said Middlesex Health President and CEO Vincent G. Capece, Jr. "For those who work at, or visit, Middlesex Hospital, this bench will be a source of strength and comfort. The Buddy Bench program is a remarkable example of several organizations working together for the good of the community, and Middlesex Health is proud to collaborate in an effort to promote kindness, friendship and unity."