By Sarah Opdahl

New Fairfield resident, Marlena Sturm, was looking for a project to complete when she opened Facebook Marketplace one afternoon about six weeks ago. To her surprise, a friend was offering six 7-foot-tall toy soldiers for free. The toy soldiers had seen better days and were in need of an army of TLC. Enter: Sturm, who was ready to take on the charge with not only elbow grease, but also in an effort to give back to two of her favorite local non-profits.

Sturm had a unique goal, eventually brought to fruition, to sell two toy soldiers through a special holiday sale being offered at Danbury’s Housatonic Habitat for Humanity ReStore, then routing as much of the proceeds as possible to New Fairfield/Sherman Animal Welfare Society (NFSAW)—ReStore did one better and offered 100% of the toy soldier sale’s proceeds to the animal shelter. A devoted volunteer for both organizations, Sturm was happy to uplift each group and support their efforts.

The story became even more enriched when New Fairfield’s Park & Recreation (P&R) staff saw the toy soldiers in promotions for the ReStore event and identified them as perfect for Santa’s Workshop, which is a wonderful portion of the holiday events in town. P&R Director Linda Lull said, “We are always on the lookout for beautiful decorations for families to admire while visiting Santa’s Workshop. We called immediately, to inquire about purchasing the soldiers and the P&R Commission along with the P&R office completed the sale.”

When Sturm originally picked up the fiberglass soldiers they were in a sad state with some missing heads, cracks, broken arm brackets, a missing hat and visors, and long-faded paint. Originally proudly lining both sides of a driveway throughout the holidays, they had found their way to an outdoor storage location and the elements were not kind. Ready to take on the repairs and having worked on a fiberglass boat when she was young, Sturm had some idea of what she was getting into. She set out to research the best fiberglass, adhesive, and paint materials, and then started the project in her garage, and sometimes worked in her driveway. In the end, it would amount to more than one-hundred hours of work, from delicate fiberglass mat placement and precise construction-grade PL gluing and clamping to seemingly endless amounts of palm sanding and eventually carefully painting the soldiers.

Though the approaching deadline of ReStore’s event caused a bit of a time crunch, Sturm stayed positive through the project, saying, “I think a lot of people are looking for fun things to do, our world is a little crazy.” She describes getting “in really deep,” sometimes starting on a weekend morning and it being evening before she knew it. “I wanted to just quietly get the most money I could for them and give it to the shelter so they could work toward their new cage goal, which is a lot of money.” Sturm explained that NFSAW hopes to replace their adult cat cages at some point in the near future.

Sturm is more than happy to channel her creativity in a variety of media, from watercolor postcards to clay to woodworking and beyond, plus spend time giving back to the local community, which her family has been a part of for 45 years. For the ReStore event, for example, she is on a team of volunteers who ready items for sale by stickering and creating little vignettes. At NFSAW, she is also happy to drop off needed items and help in any way.

Sturm stressed that gratitude and giving back is extremely important to her and she will continue to find ways to pay it forward. For now she feels good about having supported both Habitat for Humanity and NFSAW, plus P&R staff are thrilled for holiday visitors to join in the celebrations. And the children who visit Santa’s Workshop will certainly find joy in the two 7-foot toy soldiers that will bring the holiday decorations to new heights.

NOTE FROM Habitat for Humanity to include as a sidebar:

At the Housatonic Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Danbury, a heartwarming collaboration recently brought community, creativity, and compassion together. ReStore volunteer and New Fairfield resident Marlena Sturm lovingly restored a pair of life-size toy soldiers, which were proudly displayed at our Deck the Halls for Habitat holiday event and ultimately purchased by a member of our local community, not only giving these beautifully restored pieces a new home, but also helping raise funds for the New Fairfield Sherman Animal Welfare Society.

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity is known for our commitment to building affordable homes and providing critical home repairs for low-income seniors and veterans. But what many don’t realize is how deeply we value supporting our fellow nonprofits. We truly believe we are stronger together, and it was a pleasure to uplift the New Fairfield Sherman Animal Welfare Society through our ReStore.

If you’re not familiar with the ReStore, it’s a hidden gem in Danbury, a thrift store and donation center that directly supports our mission. Every purchase, donated item, and volunteer hour helps fund our programs and expands our ability to serve families across Western Connecticut.

What began as a simple restoration project became a powerful reminder of how community partnerships create lasting impact, one restored treasure, one strengthened life, and one shared mission at a time.