Joshua Steele Kelly, MPA, CCAP

06/23/2026

I was asked last Wednesday to join Norwich resident Annabelle Reboli and some of her fellow residents of Broadway in Norwich to walk the Broadway neighborhood at night and consider some of their questions and concerns pertaining to the proposed seasonal Norwich Cold Weather Shelter that is currently being reviewed by the Norwich Commission on the City Plan. I arrived at 9pm, Annabelle and her guests were very gracious hosts that night, and it was a great two-plus hours of going over issues, coming up with ideas on what may make the proposal more palatable to the neighborhood, and otherwise working toward mutual understandings around the proposed warming shelter.

At last week's hearing, in that lengthy in-person conversation, and since then online, members of that neighborhood have posed some questions. While more will be shared between now and the next meeting on July 21st, here are some answers to questions I've heard and seen:

Q: IS THE PROPOSED OPERATION REALLY A WARMING SHELTER?
A: YES. Per a memo issued by Richard Shuck, Norwich's CZEO, dated September 15, 2025, the definition of a Warming Shelter has extended operation through the winter season, has full amenities including cots/beds and supervision, provides case management and supportive services, and residents may stay for more than one night in a row. The correct definition of this center is a "Warming Shelter" per this decree from the Norwich City Government. If TVCCA receives an updated memo from the City with new definitions listed, we will change our language to match what the City is expecting to see. Until then, we will match the City's requirement that this be defined as a Warming Shelter.

Q: IS THE PROPOSED OPERATION GOING TO EXPAND IN THE FUTURE?
A: While TVCCA does generally believe that Norwich needs more supports for homeless individuals living in the city on a year-round basis, there is absolutely NO plan to expand an operation at this site to be anything but seasonal, serving individuals in need in the coldest months of the year.

Q: WILL HOMELESS INDIIVDUALS BE AT THE SHELTER ALL DAY LONG THROUGH THE WINTER?
A: No. The shelter will only be open for public use from 7pm - 7am, with an extra hour on each side for staff to set-up and break-down the space.

Q: WILL YOU BE OPERATING THE SHELTER WITH ONLY TWO STAFF MEMBERS AT ALL TIMES?
A: NO! The shelter is sized that we may have 60 total occupants if approved by Zoning; generally, because we do not expect to reach capacity except perhaps on the absolute coldest of nights, we will have two staff members on site. When the population increases, we will have the ability to scale-up our staffing to improve the staff-to-guest ratio. If we find more staff are needed at the site, we have an opportunity to adjust as needed; we will never have fewer than two, and we will not be locked out of having more individuals on site.

Q: WHAT IS THE BUDGET?
A: Our annual budget of $125,000 was approved by the State of Connecticut's General Assembly - it is what we have to work with. We do not have a choice in how much or how little has been allocated to the project, and we plan to use every penny we can from this budget to make the shelter a success, as we have for the past two years. We will continue to advocate for increased funding with the State, and we will continue to seek donations of materials so that as much money from the budget as possible can go to support staffing at the shelter.

Q: WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACT ON NEARBY SCHOOLS?
A: Our intention is to open the warming shelter each night after school activities are over and for the shelter to be closed before school activities start up each morning. We do not intend or expect there to be any impact on schools. Guests will be directed to go to the soup kitchen at St. Vincent De Paul Place upon the closure of the shelter each morning; given the cold temperatures and our innate human desire to be somewhere safe and warm, we expect that directive to be followed.

These are just a few questions and answers for now - more to come as we get closer to the next public hearing on July 21st, 2026 at 7pm. I will see any prospective attendees there!

06/23/2026

TVCCA Board Member Spotlight: Tom Sparkman!

As part of our monthly Board Member Spotlight series, we chatted with Tom Sparkman, First Selectman of the Town of Lisbon, CT, and here’s what he had to say about being a member of TVCCA's Board of Trustees:

“The most rewarding thing about being on the Board at TVCCA is being able to see the work of both the staff and the Board being able to actually affect the lives of our clients, those who are most in need. The most heartbreaking part, though, is not being able to do more for them because of the lack of funds.

"Despite the fact that our funding isn’t where we need it to be, our incredible staff is amazing in the way that they can do so much with so little. The staff really finds creative ways to get things done. While all of that is true, and they do amazing work, certainly the state and the feds need to step up and realize all the good things we do. They need to help us find more funding sources and more opportunities to help us grow.

"In the next five years I hope to see us grow exponentially. Josh Kelly, our CEO, is leading us in trying to expand staffing and acquire more resources for the people who need it most. Since Josh came on board, there’s been more planning, rather than reacting – and that’s been a big step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go."

When Tom is away from his Board of Trustees and First Selectman duties, he enjoys taking in a few rounds of golf at River Ridge in Griswold.

As part of our monthly Board Member Spotlight series, we chatted with Tom Sparkman, First Selectman of the Town of Lisbon, CT, and here’s what he had to say about being a member of TVCCA's Board of Trustees:

“The most rewarding thing about being on the Board at TVCCA is being able to see the work of both the staff and the Board being able to actually affect the lives of our clients, those who are most in need. The most heartbreaking part, though, is not being able to do more for them because of the lack of funds.

"Despite the fact that our funding isn’t where we need it to be, our incredible staff is amazing in the way that they can do so much with so little. The staff really finds creative ways to get things done. While all of that is true, and they do amazing work, certainly the state and the feds need to step up and realize all the good things we do. They need to help us find more funding sources and more opportunities to help us grow.

"In the next five years I hope to see us grow exponentially. Josh Kelly, our CEO, is leading us in trying to expand staffing and acquire more resources for the people who need it most. Since Josh came on board, there’s been more planning, rather than reacting – and that’s been a big step in the right direction. I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can go."

When Tom is away from his Board of Trustees and First Selectman duties, he enjoys taking in a few rounds of golf at River Ridge in Griswold.

06/21/2026

I was a friend of Tom.

Though limited in our time together, Tom Ward was my catechism teacher as I approached my confirmation. For those that know me, it should come as no surprise to you that I had many questions, challenges, doubts, and even disagreements when it came to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Tom was patient, caring, and unwavering in meeting my doubting mind every time. I'm sure I tested his patience greatly, and his faith was steadfast. Regardless of any disagreements and concerns I expressed, he made room for me in his heart, challenged me to find my own path to answer the questions that most plagued me, and otherwise helped my grey heart grow in a world that is too often expressed as black and white.

Even today, I have unique views on faith and religion that were not in line with those of Tom's, but because of him I have been able to find peace, strength, and comfort in my faith and meet life's challenges head on in a way that I wouldn't be able to had I not known Mr. Ward. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Rest in peace, Tom, and thank you for your wisdom, patience, and huge heart. I will miss you.

06/20/2026

Join me for a night of New England Trivia at the VFW in Waterford, CT! The game starts at 6pm on Tuesday, June 30th, and runs approximately two hours. Get your team together and get ready to play for prizes - and some true yankee bragging rights!

The cost is $15 per person ($5 discount for those on our mailing list*) to play, and your admission INCLUDES a pasta and salad dinner buffet for your enjoyment. You may have up to six (6) players on your team - tickets are limited, so gather your group and come have fun!

*Get $5 off per person by registering to be on our mailing list. Follow this link to join the mailing list now:
https://www.yankeenp.org/join-us.html

All proceeds go to support the Connecticut Yankee National Party, a political party focused on self-determination, integrity, democracy, empathy, and sustainability in our government. Paid for by the CT Yankee National Party, Josh Kelly, Treasurer. This event is NOT endorsed or sponsored by the VFW, but we are grateful to be able to make use of their wonderful organization's space.

Buy Tickets:
https://secure.anedot.com/ctynp/newenglandtrivia

06/19/2026

From the first draft of the Declaration of Independence:

"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither."

If only our founding fathers had the bravery to end slavery on this continent then and there. Generations more people, however, would be born into bo***ge.

Working on the musical 1776 at this time in history, upon the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, and most poignantly today on Juneteenth, I'm humbled by what a few men tried to do ahead of their time and devastated by what they failed to accomplish. But - that is not atypical in my review of history, distant or recent.

Happy Juneteenth celebrate your freedom however you can today. If you get the chance between next week and July 26th, come see 1776 at the Ivoryton Playhouse and really dive into this struggle with us.

06/18/2026

How many people in Connecticut can say that their sister is Teacher of the Year at the state's Middle School of the Year?

Just one - me. And I couldn't be more proud of Sara Kelly, all the heart and soul she puts into serving and supporting the kids at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, and all the progress that school community has made over the years, over the past four with Sara's assistance and direction.

New London's teachers are the second lowest paid in the state - teachers like Sara are there not for the pay, but because they care so deeply about the kids and the community. While I hope the New London City administration continues to realize investment in its teachers is important, I'm so glad of the progress Sara and her team have made together and happy for their recognition.

Sara goes the extra mile in and outside the classroom, finding ways to connect with kids that otherwise may detest the school environment, showing up for kids at the events that matter to them outside the classroom including games, shows, and award ceremonies, and spending her own money to make sure her classroom is supported, stocked, and a hospitable place for all children. And that's not even to mention the real hard work of actually teaching in today's day and age.

Congratulations, Sara - you so deserve the recognition for all that you do❤️

06/17/2026

I'm so incredibly grateful to the dozens of individuals who came out to speak and be present to support the opening of an expanded cold weather shelter in Norwich in a partnership between TVCCA and St. Mark's Lutheran Church. We had at least 18 speak in favor, at least 13 written statements of support submitted from those who couldn't attend, and many more that came to show their support with their presence. Every comment from them helped demonstrate the need for the warming shelter and the acceptability of its proposed location. As was mentioned many times: there are homeless individuals already wandering and staying throughout parts of Norwich, including the Broadway community. Why not give them a life-saving place to stay in the winter?

Comments were also shared by around 15 dissenters, with critiques ranging from the application not being complete to being concerned that homeless individuals are criminals. I can happily say that the City's last hurdle with the application process will be jumped with the submission of an updated floor plan (an old one had already been submitted which made the application complete in our eyes, but they asked us to update it) imminently. Beyond this, the State of California has found that opening shelters decreases crime as compared to the alternative of homeless encampments remaining up and in-use overnight year round. Additionally, according to research criminalization the National Coalition for the Homeless, homeless individuals are far more likely to be the victim of violent crime against them than the general population is.

We can do better. We have a plan to do better. We must do better.

Please join us at the next Public Hearing on July 21st!

Let's save some lives, Norwich!

06/16/2026

TOMORROW (Tuesday, June 16th): Join me at Norwich City Hall to advocate for much needed, LIFE-SAVING services for the unsheltered residents of Norwich!

TVCCA has put forward a proposal to expand Norwich's seasonal cold weather shelter to increase capacity from 16 guests to 58. This would be done with the help of St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 248 Broadway, which has sufficient space to allow for an expanded shelter and has expressed interest in partnering with TVCCA to make it happen. These kinds of partnerships fill me with joy: it's wonderful to see so many chipping in to do God's work to keep folks out of the cold and in a safe, stable environment while they take steps on the way out of poverty.

According to the CT Insider, eight homeless individuals died in Connecticut due to the cold in the first six weeks of 2026 alone. Together, we can do more to stop this.

We've heard concerns from neighbors, and we're prepared to address each and every one. To get this over the finish line, though, we need your support: please come out and say a few words in support of the cold weather shelter tomorrow if at all possible. If you'd like to submit something in writing, however, please reach out to me at [email protected] and I'd be happy to send you a sample letter of support!

The Reverend Eric Heinrich of St. Mark's Lutheran Church will be leading prayer outside Norwich City Hall tomorrow at 6:30pm. I will be there with him. Please join us - and please wear red in support of the people this shelter will serve! Red for warmth, red for the blood we want to keep pumping through every resident's heart, and red for the love we show our neighbors!

06/13/2026

TONIGHT - come see me Losing My Mind 👀 As well as plenty of other terrific performances!

All proceeds go to support the Madison Arts Barn :)