History

March, 2007: CLCC was established as an Emanuel Lutheran Church (Manchester, CT) mission team by its Council. This action provided the IRS 501(c)(3) status required to apply for grant funding. 

July 2007: CLCC was awarded a $25,000 grant by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Deaconess Community for project start-up activities. 

November 2008: The organization was awarded a $70,000 grant over three years from Church in Society, Lutheran Services for the Elderly Endowment, of the ELCA Foundation to develop and implement the proposed Greenhouse Entrepreneurial Program. 

February 2009: Creative Living Community of Connecticut, Inc. became an independent 501 (c)(3) charitable organization. The financial functions provided by Emanuel Lutheran Church were successfully transitioned in March 2009. 

2012: A lease agreement was finalized with the Tolland County Agricultural Center, Inc., (TAC) Board of Trustees to place the greenhouse program on its property in Vernon.

June 2012: Our first microgreens were harvested in the greenhouse!   

2014: CLCC hired three part-time employees, a Greenhouse Coordinator, a Greenhouse Program Manager, and an Executive Director. 

2015: CLCC partnered with Housing Enterprises, Inc. to begin the process of developing the business plans to create the farm community. 

2016: Plans for the CLCC Community were begun by Schadler Senlau Associates.

July 2018: CLCC purchased property at 2645 Boston Tpke., Coventry, CT to build their vision and have begun the zoning approval process with the Town of Coventry.

March 2019: CLCC hires its first full-time employee, naming Patrick Byrne Executive Director. 

December 2019: CLCC hires its second full-time employee, Lexie Gondek, as Operations Manager.

June 2020: The organization hires its first staff of four adults with disabilities to work the first farming season on our Coventry property.

October 2020: CLCC opens the doors to our Farm Stand, which is the first piece of new construction on the property.