The Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation has awarded $56,900 to 20 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 their 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 the places where we work and live, and helps to improve the lives of our customers, employees and the local community as a whole.”
Grants were awarded to:
- Concord Dental Sealant Coalition
Awarded $4,000 in support of the Coalition’s mission to provide oral health education, comprehensive oral disease prevention and care coordination for Concord area school children who lack access to regular dental care. - Concord Family YMCA
Awarded $3,200 for their 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. - Concord Hospital
Awarded $2,200 to help fund the purchase of backpacks filled with basic and medical essentials to pediatric patients after their stay at Concord Hospital. These patients are often discharged to foster homes, facilities or alternate living situations. Concord Hospital is a non-profit, charitable organization that meets the health needs of individuals within the communities they serve. A regional health system, their five centers of excellence include: Center for Cardiac Care, Center for Urologic Care, Payson Center for Cancer Care, the Orthopedic Institute and Women’s Health Services. - Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Manchester
Awarded $2,000 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. - Family Promise of Greater Concord
Awarded $3,000 to aid the organization’s “Pathways toward Independence” program, designed to provide stable housing for 56 individuals over the next year. Family Promise was established to provide shelter, meals, hospitality and support through a network of local congregations and an interfaith group of more than 400 volunteers. - Friendly Kitchen, Concord
Awarded $5,000 for the purchase of upgraded security and cameras. The Friendly Kitchen provides meals for the hungry through the coordination of community volunteer resources. The only soup kitchen in Concord, the Friendly Kitchen is run by volunteers who plan the menus, prepare, cook and serve breakfasts, lunches and dinners and wash dishes. - The Friends Program, Concord
Awarded $4,000 to provide critical temporary housing, support, education, training and skills for homeless families and individuals. The Friends Program is a social service organization that provides emergency housing for homeless families and medically challenged individuals; an intergenerational program that creates meaningful opportunities for seniors to work with children; a senior volunteer program that links a volunteer’s skills to otherwise unmet needs within the community; and a mentoring program for at‑risk youth. - Front Door Agency, Nashua
Awarded $2,500 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. - Harbor Homes, Nashua
Awarded $3,000 to operate permanent housing units for homeless parents, children and veterans in Greater Nashua. Harbor Homes serves low-income individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or living with mental illness and other disabilities. - Hooksett Scouts BSA Troop 603
Awarded $2,000 to allow local scouts the opportunity to attend summer camp. Troop 603 is scout-led, scout-run troop for boys and girls, aged 11 to 17. Participants are supported and guided by highly trained and committed adult mentors who “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling the values of the Scout Oath and Law.” Troop 603 empowers their scouts to develop leadership skills and independence. - 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. - Mayhew Program, Bristol
Awarded $3,000 to support tuition for Merrimack County boys, aged 10 to 18, in Mayhew’s school-year mentoring program and residential summer camp program at no cost to their families. Mayhew challenges and helps at-risk NH boys believe in themselves, work well with others and find their personal best. - Merrimack Valley Day Care Service, Concord
Awarded $2,000 for the installation of a security system to limit access to the organization’s buildings. Merrimack Valley Day Care Service offers high quality and affordable childcare services for children of low-income families and for children with special needs. - Nashua PAL, Police Athletic League
Awarded $2,000 to support the Nashua PAL’s Building on Hope project, the Nashua PAL Youth Safe Haven building. The Youth Safe Haven building will be home to afterschool and summer programming for 400 youth as well as PAL Boxing for 75 youth and adults. Building on Hope is a community organization of volunteers who work with builders, architects and designers to provide physical improvements to facilities associated with non-profits. The Nashua PAL fosters positive experiences between the children of Nashua and the members of the Nashua Police Department through sponsored sports, activities and enrichment programs. - Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter
Awarded $2,500 for the purchase of food being served and items being distributed from the food pantry to homeless and low-income individuals and families in the Greater Nashua area. The Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter provides shelter and food to those in need. They also work to end homelessness and to alleviate poverty as well as the conditions that force individuals and families with children into hunger, homelessness and poverty. - NHTI Community College, Concord
Awarded $2,500 to the NHTI Dental Hygiene Clinic for the purchase of new equipment that would allow them to expand services to more patients. The NHTI Dental Hygiene Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. The Dental Hygiene Clinic offers patient-centered care, providing students with hands-on learning and education. Students are educated and evaluated to laboratory and clinical competency prior to treating patients, and are closely supervised and evaluated. - St. Joseph Community Services, Merrimack
Awarded $3,000 to reduce hunger and isolation among low-income, homebound, older and disabled adults in Hillsborough County. Over 400 volunteers deliver Meals on Wheels and friendly visits to homebound, older and disabled adults. St. Joseph Community Services fosters independence and life enrichment for seniors and other qualified adults through nutrition, social engagement and community services. - Pittsfield Youth Workshop
Awarded $2,500 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 $2,500 to support Riverbend’s “Choices Adolescent Treatment” services, which is designed for youth outpatient programs. Riverbend Community Mental Health Center provides specialized behavioral health services to more than 7,000 adults, children and families in central New Hampshire. - YMCA of Greater Nashua
Awarded $4,000 to help fund a 6-week summer learning loss prevention program for 400 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 before September 1st.