Though Jon Lorensen has four auto dealerships along the shoreline, including Westbrook Honda and Westbrook Toyota, he is locally known for much more than car sales.

"He cares about a lot of things in our community," says Kim Bratz, Westbrook's tax collector and chair of the town's Youth & Family Services (WYFS) board. "He comes to meetings and shows his support. You could go to him for anything and this community is lucky to have him."

Jon has made helping out Westbrook and its organizations one of his top priorities, though it hasn't always been easy to give back.

"When you're young and starting out a business, you're nervous, unsure of cash flow, and you try to keep your hand in your pockets," says Jon. "But then when you get more accomplished, you realize you can reach out and help people."

Jon started his community outreach when he started his career by tapping into a readily available resource for him-cars. Every year since it was established in 1982, Westbrook Honda has donated a brand new car outfitted with a second set of pedals to Westbrook High School's driver's education program. The school board presented him with a plaque recognizing 30 years of helping their program.

"It's an easy thing for me to do," says Jon (joking that he's happy not to be the driver's ed instructor, who must have "nerves of steel").

As his career blossomed, more members of the community reached out to Jon for help. Now, in addition to running his business, Jon is involved in the Chamber of Commerce, the Old Saybrook Historical Society, the Hope Partnership, the YMCA, local schools and sports, WYFS, and several other local charities and fundraisers.

"We're a major donor to WYFS, so they have the funds they need to get the job done there, which is so important," says Jon, complimenting Bratz for her dedication. "WYFS does so much for the community-they provide counseling for families and children, provide information for people dealing with emotional issues who don't know where to turn, they offer after-school activities for kids, and so much more."

While many of his charitable ventures benefit children, another important cause Jon supports is the Hope Partnership, "a non-profit organization dedicated to developing affordable workforce housing opportunities in Southern Middlesex County," according to its website hope-ct.org. A fundraiser for the organization was held on Sept. 25.

"This organization is very necessary, especially on the shoreline, because it's expensive to live here," says Jon. "People who work in our businesses have to drive from miles and miles away to get to work."

There are several things that Jon enjoys about giving back to the community. He's quick to note how many people he has met through the various organizations with which he's involved who he can now call friends. He's also inspired by what he sees.

"It's encouraging to see that there are so many people who want to help contribute to a better quality of life for the people helped through these organizations," says Jon. "Being involved brings a feeling of pride and satisfaction. When you see the result and the people enjoying the result of your work, it brings a smile to your face."

Jon loves Westbrook's "shoreline environment" and its proximity to Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River. It was Jon's love of the water that brought him to Westbrook from his hometown of Bethlehem, Connecticut. In the 1970s, he acquired a boat, which he docked at Pilots Point.

Now, one of Jon's favorite pastimes is boating on Long Island Sound, especially when his grandsons are onboard.

"My six year-old grandson loves to steer the boat and he wants to learn to navigate, too," says Jon, who is married with one son. "I have a small boat with an outboard motor and I like to go putting around the Sound."

Between his dealerships and his volunteer work, Jon doesn't have much free time, but he is happy with where he has ended up.

"One day I was in college, the next day I was doing something different and that led to an auto dealership, which led to where I am today-it's fun to have so many people around you between employees and customers and it's changing all the time," says Jon.

He also has a suggestion for small business owners hoping to get involved in their communities

"To begin getting involved, start with your Chamber of Commerce. It's a whole group of like-minded business leaders and local politicians," he says. "You can network with them, find out what's going on in the community, and what the needs are. The Chamber's a great place to start."