The Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation has awarded $59,033 to 22 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 is 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. We were thrilled to be able to help these organizations make our communities stronger.”
Grants were awarded to:
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua
Awarded $3,500 to provide at-risk youth with academic support– especially through distance-learning brought on by the pandemic. The Boys and Girls Club inspires and enables young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Headquartered at One Positive Place in Nashua, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua offers children a safe place to belong. Along with caring adult mentors, the Club offers programs that cover everything from academics and leadership development to physical fitness and healthy eating.
Bridges Domestic and Sexual Violence and Support Services, Nashua
Awarded $2,100 to Bridges in support of their service to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Spanning Southern NH, Bridges helps make the community a safer place to live and work. They build bridges for education in local schools and workplaces, and bring healing through support groups and a confidential support line. Bridges is dedicated to empowering individuals to rebuild their lives through emergency sheltering and community resources.
Brigid’s House of Hope, Concord
Awarded $2,500 to support one month of rent and utilities for safe housing for victims. Brigid’s House of Hope is a long term, transitional safe house for survivors of human trafficking and exploitation in NH and surrounding areas.
Awarded $2,340 to provide pediatric behavioral health patients with warm and appropriate clothing while they wait for a dedicated receiving family and car transportation. The funds will also support beds and seats for pediatric patients. 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.
Community Bridges, Concord
Awarded $3,500 to supply staff with community engagement kits which include materials needed to ensure the safety of employees, the individuals they support and the community at large while engaging in daily living activities under current social expectations. Community Bridges advances the integration, growth and interdependence of people with developmental disabilities within their own communities. With a wide range of services, Community Bridges offers programs such as case management as well as therapeutic services to children, from infancy to three years of age, as well as supportive services to families.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), 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.
Easterseals NH, Manchester
Awarded $2,000 to support the opening of Easterseals’ Adult Day Program for vulnerable seniors. Easterseals NH is a leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and special needs. Programs include specialization in education and care related to autism, inclusive child care and early intervention, special education, medical rehabilitation, camping and recreation, vocational services, senior services, substance abuse services, adult day programs, community based services, individual service options, transportation services, residential service options, dental services and veteran services.
The Friendly Kitchen, Concord
Awarded $3,900 for the creation and development of a new content management system website. 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.
Front Door Agency, Nashua
Awarded $3,400 to help support homeless single mothers and their children with affordable housing, supportive services and extensive case management. 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 $2,900 to operate permanent supportive housing units for 150 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.
NAMI NH, Concord
Awarded $3,000 to help fund Ending the Silence, the educational program that aims to end the stigma and silence surrounding mental illness to NH’s youth and young adults. NAMI NH is dedicated to improving the lives of people affected by mental illness and suicide. Comprised of a network of affiliate chapters and support groups, staff and volunteers, the organization provides information, education, advocacy and support to all families and communities statewide who are affected by mental illness.
Nashua PAL, Police Athletic League
Awarded $1,300 to support the Nashua PAL Building on Hope project, the renovation of their 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.
NH Humanities, Concord
Awarded $3,000 to support Connections, the organization’s literacy program for adult English learners and new Americans within Concord and Greater Nashua. Funding will also help enhance their adult education programs including English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and immigrant programs. The mission of NH Humanities is to strengthen communities with education programs fostering reflection, discussion and connection to new ideas. Connections is offered statewide in partnership with adult learner service programs, ESOL classes for new immigrants and refugees, GED classes and prison parenting support programs.
NHTI Community College, Concord
Awarded $3,000 to help fund the purchase of two robotic mannequins to be used in the NHTI Dental Hygiene Clinic. The mannequins will serve as the basis for student practice and application. 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.
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) of NH, Concord
Awarded $1,100 to support the organization’s Farm Share program and Organic Gardening series. NOFA advocates for and educates on organic and sustainable agriculture, family-scale farming and homesteading in rural, suburban and urban areas, agricultural justice and other related policy issues. They are dedicated to facilitating the creation of interconnected healthy communities living in ecological balance.
Penacook Community Center, Penacook
Awarded $4,500 to support new before and after school programming for participating children 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.
Pine Haven Boys Center, Allenstown
Awarded $1,993 to go toward the development of an aquaponics project at Pine Haven. Aquaponics is a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water. Pine Haven Boys Center offers high quality care to children and young adults that is accessible, safe, ethical and culturally diverse to strengthen the health and well-being of clients and their families.
Awarded $2,800 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.
See Science Center (SEE), Manchester
Awarded $2,000 to provide additional science programming to title 1 schools within SEE’s service area of Nashua, Pittsfield, Hudson, Concord and Allenstown. The See Science Center engages visitors of all ages in the pursuit of science discovery through hands-on exhibits, demonstrations and programs.
Special Olympics NH, Manchester
Awarded $1,600 to support the organization’s Athlete Leadership program, which offers leadership and skills curriculum training to support athletes statewide. Special Olympics NH provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participants develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Step Up Parents, Portsmouth
Awarded $1,700 to support programming, board member training, strategic planning and engagement for the services of a part-time operations manager. Step Up Parents offers financial assistance and support to relative caregivers in NH who have stepped up to be surrogate parents to children whose biological parents are struggling with substance use disorder. In many instances, kinship caregivers must simultaneously deal with the devastating effects of addiction with their own child or relative.
Awarded $3,900 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.