Portland, Cromwell officials join to hand out masks

CROMWELL — Officials from Cromwell and Portland have combined forces to get protective face masks to the two towns’ most vulnerable residents.

State Rep. Christie Carpino, D-Portland/Cromwell, Portland First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield, Town Clerk Ryan J. Curley and Selectman Ralph R. Zampano on Wednesday handed out masks to senior citizens outside the Adams IGA on Marlborough Street in

Portland.

Carpino and Cromwell Mayor Enzo Faienza handed out masks at Cromwell Town Hall Friday, and Carpino and Bransfield planned to be at the Portland Post Office Saturday to hand out more masks, on a first come, first served basis.

The masks were provided by Masks for Heroes, a foundation begun by Madison residents Bob and Amy Stefanowski to provide masks for first responders

and front-line medical personnel amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A financier and investor, Bob Stefanowski was a Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2018.

“Masks for Heroes was kind enough to donate 1,000 masks – 500 for each town – for the most vulnerable citizens,” Carpino said. “I immediately reached out to Enzo (Faienza) and Susan (Bransfield),” both of whom enthusiastically joined the effort.

“We are very committed to doing everything we can to stop the COVID-19 virus,” Bransfield said Thursday.

“And one way to keep people safe is to provide as many residents as possible with face masks,” she said.

Thanks to Masks for Heroes, Portland has been able to offer two-packs of masks to some 250 residents. The Stefanowskis “have gone above and beyond to help keep the public safe,” Carpino said.

“Their generosity and kindness should not go unnoticed, and they should be recognized and thanked for what they have done,” she said.

Carpino said this week’s effort was not the first time the Madison couple had stepped forward.

Quietly and without any effort to draw attention what they were doing, the Stefanowskis “very early on, helped get masks for the folks on the front line, the first responders” as the virus was just beginning to tighten its grasp on the country, Carpino said.

With the support of Faienza and Bransfield, Carpino was able to provide masks to residents in several nursing homes in the two towns.

Carpino said she was equally pleased and proud of the way in which so many people joined the effort, including Portland Fire Chief Robert Shea.

“And Mary Dickerson (the town’s economic development coordinator) also had a hand in this,” Carpino said. “On the local level, this was definitely a team effort.”

jmill@middletownpress.com

Contributed photo State Rep. Christie Carpino and Portland First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield hand out face masks outside the Adams IGA on Marlborough Street in Portland.