Bio

Rev. Tammy Torelli is a mother of 7 beautiful children. She lives with her family in CT where she is the Pastor of a family orientated church. She spent much of her life in NY working for the Department of Labor Job Corps program. Through this experience, her passion for helping people in need and advocating for people to become the best version of themselves grew. Her work allowed her to combine her love for people and her love for God in one place. In moving to CT she has been able to serve God and her family full time in local parish ministry. She is blessed to have six daughters and one son. Her family is her number one priority and the foundation of the passions she enjoys in life. Together they enjoy traveling, going on mission trips, and taking leadership roles in their community. Her children enjoy community activities like karate, drama productions, Girl Scouts, and volunteer work.

Parenting Philosophy

I always knew I wanted children. I believed that two or three would be the perfect number and then suffered with infertility for 7 years. A second child seemed impossible. Then I conceived and then again, and again. People often say my prayers to God were backed up and God answered all at once. When my prayers were complete by giving birth to some, and choosing some, I am the mother of 7 beautiful children. One day we were a family of 7. On a sunny September day two of our nieces were removed to foster care, then we were a family of 9. There are 6 girls and 1 boy. Our only son, Lucas, is the oldest. The girls are 15. 14. 13. 12. 11 & 9. We have a neuro spicy home. There are lots of over lapping conditions which means our home looks different than many homes. Our family DNA thrives on this diversity. We embrace diversity, steer diversity, look for it, and share it with those around us. Knowing this my parenting philosophy will make a little more sense. We are raising strong, confident people who will someday be independent adults who contribute to society and embrace the personal best they have become. That is the blanket goal for each of my children. How they reach it varies greatly by child. They are bright, curious, strong willed, ready to face challenges, and always ready to become engaged in the next wonderful something.

Motherhood and Community

Our family has made a commitment to our church. In this setting we are able to both give and receive the support it takes to raise a big family. The children have dedicated people who surround them in Sunday School and as a church family. They get to experience fun things like singing in the choir, Christmas plays, and participating in community activities as a part of the church. What our church offers us is community and a feeling that we belong here. It is hard for kids to feel accepted and wanted, especially in the teen years. Our engagement in our church helps us to all know there is a place to go when we need to a quiet friend to sit next to and sort it out. We are a Girl Scout family through and through. We are involved in GS as a family. From camping to earning money management badges, we participate in almost everything offered in our town. The girls have learned leadership skills by running events like Tea parties, Camporee to Halloween Parties, and even the Father Daughter Dance. They get involved in planning, budgeting, and executing the plans they have prepared. We love the sense of community among Girl Scouts. It has made a tremendous impact on our family and will continue to do so as they each strive for the Gold Award! We travel as a family. There are many of us and it can have its bumps, but we love to be together. In the last few years we have driven from NY to PA, all the way to NC, and experienced all of the New England states. We love stopping along the way at battle grounds, lakes, national parks, and even a submarine. The girls and I plan our trip, set a budget and off we go. Our best trip was to Outer Banks to see the wild horses. This year we went to Lancaster PA to experience the Amish way of life. Tying in two of our great loves, we often complete at least one GS badge from the region we visit learning something new.