Closing The Deal On Clinic Opening

Jack Paulishen, an award-winning teacher at James Hillhouse High School, didn’t mince words: ​“As some of you know, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma this past August, and part of me knows that I would not be getting this award if I didn’t have cancer. Having said that, if I was running this fundraiser (which I have in the past) I’d give me an award too. (Who wouldn’t buy a $25 ticket for a guy who has cancer? LOL.)”

The humorous pitch in a recent email referencing a community service award Paulishen will be receiving from Marycare, Inc., a nonprofit international relief organization, was made on behalf of Westville’s unofficial sister city, the town of Ejemekwuru, Imo State, Nigeria. Six years ago, Paulishen and Westville neighbors held a ​“Village-to-Village” fundraiser to begin building the only health care clinic in the impoverished and isolated Nigerian village. The clinic will provide screening for malaria and typhoid, while providing prenatal care, safer childbirth, and better nutrition for the more than 10,000 area residents who presently do without.

The project received a boost last year with a fundraiser held at St. Thomas More in the Thomas E. Golden Jr. Center on Park Street. On Friday, Feb. 13, clinic supporters and friends will gather at a fundraising event, again at St. Thomas More, to celebrate the completion of the clinic’s physical structure and to raise funds for much-needed clinic furnishings, supplies, and medical staff to make the clinic operational.

The series of fundraising events was a way for Westville residents and St. Aedan’s and St. Brendan’s parishioners to thank Father Emmanuel Ihemedu, who was moving to pastor churches in the Hartford, Connecticut area. Working through the auspices of Marycare, where he serves as vice president, Ihemedu has been instrumental in raising funds for the clinic, one of several projects Marycare supports.

Friday night’s charity event will feature entertainment, cocktails, a silent auction, and words from Jack Paulishen, who said it took him a while to embrace the role of honoree. ​“While I am outgoing, I don’t like the attention — but I do like my causes,” he said. Paulishen’s leadership in hosting previous Marycare events would be reason enough for the community service award, but he and his family have a strong history of community building. As a public school teacher, Paulishen reached out to needy students, offering his home and much needed support during difficult periods.

Toddchelle Young, a former student who has flourished despite difficult family circumstances, lived with the Paulishens during breaks while she was studying at Georgetown University and later as a graduate student at Columbia University. ​“It was my teachers that raised me,” she proclaimed then.

In 2008 the New Haven public schools honored Paulishen with a T.A.P.S. award for ​“going above and beyond, inside and outside the classroom.” A proponent of experiential learning, Paulishen has traveled to Washington, DC with his students on numerous occasions, documenting the experiences as a photographer, a free service he often provides for school-related events.

Paulishen serves on the 25th Ward Democratic Committee, leads a kitchen team at Columbus House Shelter, and participated in the Community Leadership Program of the William Casper Graustein Foundation. He has served as volunteer coordinator for the AmeriCares HomeFront Project and has coordinated the food pantry at St. Aedan’s Church. In addition to his work with Marycare, Paulishen has served on the board of directors of Life Haven, a shelter for pregnant women and women with children.

Paulishen’s battle with stage‑3 melanoma has made him acutely aware of the benefits of access to good health care: ​“We live next to a world-class hospital in contrast to the people of Nigeria. One thing I am very aware of is that life is short and tomorrow is not promised to anyone — you, me, or especially the good people of Ejemekwuru. With your help, you’ll raise my spirits a little bit and help the residents of Ejemekwuru who are so very close to having their first health clinic.”

For more information or to donate please visit the Marycare website or call 860 – 710-4085.