Meet Caraly Schulze, a Milford Mom with two active boys who loves to volunteer and be an impactful member of the many communities her and her family are involved with. Caraly and husband moved here in 2014 as Milford seemed like the perfect place to raise a family and with one sister who lived here (and loved it) and a year later her other sister moved to Milford. Caraly says “I couldn’t be happier to live in a coastal community with my two sisters and that my children are able to grow up with their 5 cousins in town”.
What does being an active member in the community mean to you?
Being an active adult member of this small city with a big heart makes me beam with happiness. Community has always been very important to our family and we are very active participants in many of the wonderful groups and organizations that make our community thrive.
Can you tell us more about how you are involved in the community?
My 2 children attend public school at Pumpkin Delight, and the atmosphere at that elementary school is unmatched. For the past two years I have been honored to be PTA president there. We were able to partner with other Milford groups such as Pantochino Productions (www.pantochino.com) to run our drama club, our local library, police and fire departments as well as many small businesses whom we partner with for Career Day, our Science Fair and Teacher Appreciation Week. Currently I am the treasurer of the Milford PTA Council, an organization that brings together all of the public school PTA/PTOs and Booster Clubs to engage and brainstorm together so each student can have the best experience in our public schools. We also collectively advocate to our local government bodies for the proper funding for our education budget.
Together as a family we participate in meal and snack packing for Milford Food 2 Kids (https://www.milfordfood2kids.
As a female in Milford, I also participate in quarterly meetings with Women’s Inc. I may have missed last quarter’s meeting (hey you can’t make them all) but getting together with women (who have to live in the 06460/06461) helping Women and families from our city who need it is vitally important to me. It is a great way to meet new ladies from our community and help those in need, please reach out to me via IG for an invite.
What is one of your favorite events in Milford?
One of our favorite events that brings the city of Milford together is Porchfest. (www.milfordporchfest.com) I have been our Walnut Beach/Wildermere Beach neighborhood captain since its Milford inception in 2019. We are fortunate to have so many bands and hosts that want to participate, as a matter of fact we end up with close to 100 performances throughout our city. It takes place this Saturday on September 28th, Mark your calendar!
Tell us about your day job and love of sports
For my day job I have managed sponsorships and activations for Octagon and Jack Morton Worldwide part of the Interpublic Group of Companies for 20+ years. My client since 2005 has been General Motors and the most impactful programs that I work on are the sports and entertainment properties throughout the Northeast Region. Locally I am most proud of our work on UCONN basketball, the NY Mets, the NY Giants and the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater for Chevrolet and Cadillac. My love of sports has been passed down to my two sons who play hockey for the Wonderland Wizards, baseball for Milford Little League and Hoops by the Harbor basketball. Being an active parent participant is very important to me as a sports parent. I like to be involved so that I can be informed and help enhance the programs that we participate in. I am the team manager of both of my boys hockey teams as well as the Director of Community events for the entire Wonderland Wizards Organization and started as a volunteer tee ball coach with Milford Little League and now am the Director of Sponsorship and Fundraising with the league, which if you aren’t aware MLL is the largest league in the state of Connecticut.
What would you like the takeaway to be from our readers?
If you take anything from reading this, it is that it takes many hands to run successful local programs. Everyone has a different talent and those talents collectively can enhance programs. Volunteering is so important and I guarantee that your children notice and appreciate it. You don’t have to volunteer all the time, but offering your time and talents once a month or once a season will not only fill your bucket, but the buckets of those involved in the programs. An hour or two can certainly lighten the load for those who take on the larger roles. And heck you may meet some great unexpected friends along the way through it, I know I have.
