Northern Middlesex YMCA Honors Middletown Police Department with Community Impact Award

Years of compassion, dignity, and partnership recognized during Annual Meeting

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The Northern Middlesex YMCA proudly presented its 2026 Community Impact Award to the Middletown Police Department during its Annual Meeting on June 9th, recognizing years of unwavering partnership, compassionate service, and commitment to caring for some of the community's most vulnerable residents.

While many know the YMCA as a place where families gather for childcare, fitness, swimming lessons, and youth programs, it is also home to 60 men who reside in the YMCA's Schwarz Residence for Men. Supporting residents experiencing homelessness, poverty, mental health challenges, and other life hardships requires strong community partnerships—and few have been more steadfast than the Middletown Police Department.

Presenting the award, Candace Crane, Vice President of Youth Development & Community Engagement, spoke about the relationship that has been built through years of responding together to difficult situations.

"Sometimes our staff call for help. Sometimes our residents call for themselves or for someone else," Crane said. "And about once a year, there's a call that no one ever wants to make."

Those moments often unfold quietly, away from public view, requiring patience, professionalism, and compassion.

"What stands out time after time is not just that the Middletown Police Department responds—it's how they respond," Crane shared. "They arrive calm and patient in situations that can be emotional and confusing. They use de-escalation skills that lower the temperature in the room and help everyone feel a little safer."

Crane noted that officers consistently treat residents with dignity and respect, taking time to explain situations, addressing individuals by name, and recognizing that every person deserves compassion regardless of the circumstances that brought them there.

"Our residents notice this. Our staff notice this," she said. "They treat a man in crisis not as a problem to be removed, but as a person who matters. That is what community policing looks like at its very best."

Rather than honoring one extraordinary event, the YMCA recognized something equally meaningful—the steady commitment demonstrated over many years.

"There was no single dramatic incident that led to this award," Crane explained. "Instead, it has been years of answering late-night calls, navigating difficult situations, and standing beside our residents and staff with empathy, professionalism, and respect."

The YMCA emphasized that the partnership extends beyond emergency response. It reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the community by ensuring every individual is treated with dignity and given the opportunity to move forward.

"The officers of the Middletown Police Department understand that the men living at the YMCA are not defined by the hardest moments of their lives," Crane said. "They see the YMCA not simply as another address on their call sheet, but as a partner in helping people stay safe, supported, and hopeful."



Accepting the award on behalf of the department were members of the Middletown Police Department's leadership team and officers whose daily work often goes unseen by the broader community.

The Northern Middlesex YMCA's Community Impact Award recognizes organizations whose dedication and partnership make a lasting difference in the lives of those they serve. Through years of quiet service, compassion, and collaboration, the Middletown Police Department has exemplified what it means to build a stronger, safer, and more caring community.

About the Northern Middlesex YMCA

The Northern Middlesex YMCA is a charitable organization dedicated to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Through programs that serve children, families, older adults, and individuals experiencing housing insecurity, the YMCA works every day to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.