The Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation has awarded $55,000 to 21 non-profit organizations serving local communities. The Foundation was funded by Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) in 1997 for grant-based contributions to non-profits that enrich and improve the quality of life for residents living in the Bank’s service areas. These grants are additional to the Bank’s many local contributions in the form of sponsorships, donations and scholarships, as well as the exceptional volunteer efforts of its employees.
“Giving back has always been central to our mission,” said Linda Lorden, President of The Merrimack. “The Foundation allows us to support organizations that strengthen our communities, and it helps to positively impact the lives of our customers, employees and the local community as a whole.”
Grants were awarded to:
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua
Awarded $1,500 to assist with the club’s cultural arts program to members of the Greater Nashua community. The program includes fine art, such as painting and sculpting, performing art, such as dance and improvisational acting, as well as music education, such as guitar and piano lessons.
CATCH Neighborhood Housing (Concord)
Awarded $2,000 to support CATCH’s mission of furthering opportunities for affordable, quality housing for low to moderate income families and individuals in Merrimack County.
Catholic Charities (Manchester)
Awarded $2,500 to aid hunger relief agencies in Concord and surrounding towns. Catholic Charities is a human services organization that serves the poor and vulnerable statewide.
Concord Dental Sealant Coalition (Concord)
Awarded $4,000 in support of the Coalition’s mission to address the unmet dental needs of Concord-area children in grades K-5 from local schools.
Concord Family YMCA (Concord)
Awarded $4,000 for the Kydstop Afterschool Scholarship Fund, which makes quality childcare affordable for low and moderate income families. The Concord Family YMCA has been providing After School programming in Concord for more than 30 years, and is one of the largest providers of childcare, for both pre-school and after school in Merrimack County.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (Manchester)
Awarded $3,000 to recruit, train and supervise additional volunteers. The Court Appointed Special Advocates of NH or CASA was founded to advocate for abused and neglected children within the state court system.
Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts (Manchester)
Awarded $1,000 to help the youth of Merrimack County gain access to positive development programs through scouting.
Family Promise of Greater Concord
Awarded $3,000 to aid the organization’s case management services and its mission to help homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through a community‑based response. Family Promise was established to provide shelter, meals, hospitality and support through a network of local congregations and an interfaith group of over 400 volunteers.
Friends of Forgotten Children (Concord)
Awarded $1,000 to support the organization’s mission to assist low income families and senior citizens within Greater Concord.
Front Door Agency (Nashua)
Awarded $3,000 for affordable housing, supportive services and extensive case management to homeless women and children in Greater Nashua. Front Door serves families transitioning from crisis to self-sufficiency, offering a range of essential services to Nashua’s disadvantaged population including: shelter, food, heat, child care, transportation, supportive services and education.
Girls, Inc. (Manchester)
Awarded $3,400 to help fund the organization’s Young Women’s Leadership summer program for Nashua and Manchester area teens at St. Anselm’s College. Girls, Inc. of New Hampshire offers research-based informal education programs that encourage girls to take risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges.
Harbor Homes (Nashua)
Awarded $3,000 to subsidize the organization’s Maple Arms Emergency Shelter, which provides housing for more than 250 men, women and children in immediate need. An important access point for services, the shelter connects guests to Harbor Homes’ case management and primary, behavioral and oral health care as well as employment training. Harbor Homes serves low-income individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or living with mental illness and other disabilities.
Marguerite’s Place (Nashua)
Awarded $2,000 to help establish an emergency fund for residents that enables them to overcome common barriers to participation in the workforce or education programs such as: books, fees, license fees, prep courses needed to gain certification, uniforms, bus vouchers or child care.
Merrimack Valley Day Care Service (Concord)
Awarded $3,000 to help replace playground equipment at its facilities. Merrimack Valley Day Care Service offers high quality and affordable childcare services for children of low-income families and for children with special needs.
New Hampshire Children’s Trust (Concord)
Awarded $2,000 to champion its efforts to build proficiency and efficiency of services to families and children in the Nashua area. Providers will be trained with materials from the evidence-informed Strengthening Families series. New Hampshire Children’s Trust was founded to ensure safe, stable and nurturing relationships and environments for children by educating, advocating and collaborating. The organization invests in evidence-based prevention strategies focusing on expectant families and children from birth through age 8.
New Hampshire Historical Society (Concord)
Awarded $2,100 to underwrite participation in the Society’s on-site “Revolutionary and Early American History” education program for 350 students from Concord’s Rundlett Middle School. The New Hampshire Historical Society is the independent nonprofit that saves, preserves and shares state history, serving thousands of children and adults each year through its museum, library, education, publications and outreach programs.
Penacook Community Center
Awarded $4,500 to help fund a new phone system that will better support the staff serving children and families from Penacook and Boscawen. The Penacook Community Center provides residents of Penacook and surrounding towns with opportunities to promote, develop and maintain social, educational and recreational activities.
Pittsfield Youth Workshop
Awarded $3,000 for afterschool programming for more than 200 students in grades 6-12 in Pittsfield and surrounding towns. Pittsfield Youth Workshop offers a variety of programs, activities and trips, with the mission of empowering the youth by helping them develop useful skills, self-esteem and meaningful friendships.
Riverbend Community Mental Health (Concord)
Awarded $2,000 to expand Riverbend’s wellness service program, addressing heart disease, healthy eating, smoking cessation and more for clients with a serious mental illness. Riverbend Community Mental Health Center provides specialized behavioral health services to more than 7,000 adults, children and families in central New Hampshire.
Webster House (Manchester)
Awarded $1,000 for its summer program, where residents experience relief and healing from trauma through day and night trips. The Webster House provides a safe haven for children and teens unable able to live at home.
YMCA of Greater Nashua (Nashua, NH)
Awarded $4,000 to help fund a 6-week summer learning loss prevention program for low-income youth living in Greater Nashua who are behind in literacy grade levels. The goal of the program is to teach participating children to read at their grade level by the third grade.
The Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation was funded by Merrimack County Savings Bank in 1997 for grant-based contributions to non-profit organizations that enrich and improve the quality of life for residents living in the Bank’s service areas. Five Trustees, selected among the Bank’s Corporators and Board of Directors administer the Foundation and its activities, distributing a portion of the Foundation’s endowment each year. While not focused on a particular category, the Foundation remains mindful of the receiving organization and its contribution to the quality of life in the communities served. Applications are due annually on October 1st.