When he first stepped into office 12 years ago, Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy made sure the community would always have someone to turn to in times of need, something he continues to hold true to this day.
“It's really the greatest job in the world,” Clancy said. “There are so many possibilities to being trustee, not just limiting it to the description of the job. You have the ability to think outside the box and work together with so many different community groups, civic groups, churches, all just to make the community better as a whole.”
Clancy’s work in office over the years has focused on a wide range of departments within Portage Township, which he stated play their individual parts in coming together to make a great community for the area’s residents, which covers Portage, South Haven, Duck Creek, and more. Some of these, for instance, include the local senior center and cemeteries.
“When it comes to the senior center, that is the greatest thing on Earth,” Clancy said. “It's a way for our seniors to get together and socialize. There are so many things for them to do; there are just so many great things that happen in that community center.”
“Cemeteries are extremely important because they're your history,” Clancy continued. “That's where people that grew up here have their roots. Their moms, their dads, their brothers, their sisters, their aunts, their uncles – they're all there; that's their home. I have a lot of passion for that too, to make sure that those places are the best they can be.”
Other areas Clancy knew he wanted to focus on from the get-go were related to childhood and family connections.
“Growing up, I had family ties in both police and fire departments and understood their importance to the community and the importance of not only keeping our communities in good shape, but actually keeping them safe,” Clancy said. “Parks are exceptionally important; a big part of my life growing up was spent in parks and playing in parks, and I know the importance of family and neighborhood, and parks are such a big part of a community. They actually can determine whether or not somebody stays or leaves the community. They're a much more intimate part of people's lives than people sometimes realize.”
Clancy has made a hugely positive impact on the Township over the years, and while he is proud of all his hard work, there have been quite a handful of projects in recent years that highlight the main goal that he had from the moment he took office: to help others.
“I've seen a lot of great things happen,” Clancy said. “I think that one of the most favorite things that left a big impression was one time at Christmas. I remember a mom crying because she couldn't believe how many gifts her children got through our Santa Claus program; that left an incredible impression. I also remember helping somebody that was being evicted, whose husband had passed away and was in a terrible spot. Everything is really important, but the ability to help those people when they need it the most is what makes the most impact.”
The everyday work is not quite the same as coordinating special events and programs, but Clancy loves it all. Even in the day-to-day turf, he makes sure the Township is in a better state than the day before in any way he can.
“Every day is really different,” Clancy said. “When you talk about township government, all townships are really different. Most don’t have two active cemeteries; most don't have fire departments, parks, or an active food pantry. We're basically a fully-functioning government and we're very unique.”
“Recently, someone needed help and direction because a tree came down in her yard,” Clancy continued. “There was another instance where they were redoing the water lines in South Haven and someone had no water pressure. And then there was a young father who didn't have money to get his furnace fixed, and we're working on solving that today. And that's on top of all the day-to-day operational things, whether it's dealing with our firefighters and trying to help them budgeting; it's always non-stop and it's always different.”
Part of Clancy’s area of domain includes South Haven, an area of Portage Township that doesn’t have a mayor or city hall, which he has noticed is confusing for many. Realizing this, Clancy made it his mission for him and his office to be the go-to people for the area for almost anything, regardless of where it falls within the job description.
"It's not normally what the trustee does, but it’s what the Portage Township Trustee does because we're here to help people,” Clancy said. “We're like a liaison to all other governments in the county government, especially with South Haven being the largest unincorporated community in the state. So we reach out to all governments; we have a good working relationship with the schools, the YMCA, and the civic groups. We’re very active, and I think that's one thing that really makes us excel is our partnerships with all of these other groups and entities.”
At the end of the day, Clancy wants everyone to know when in doubt, the Portage Township Trustee is here to lend a helping hand.
“They say the township government is the closest to the people and I think that's when you really, really see it and feel its limit,” Clancy said.
For more information on Brendan Clancy and his office, visit the Portage Township Trustee website here.
