Posted in News & Updates
NASHUA – The benefits of healthy eating are numerous for older adults and include increase mental acuteness, resistance to illness and disease, higher energy levels. Eating well can also be the key to a positive outlook in life.
Area seniors can learn more about how their nutritional needs change as they age and tips on how to overcome obstacles that being older present to healthy eating at the upcoming Seniors Count-Nashua workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, October 9 at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. The free workshop begins at 1:00pm.
Workshop presenter is Susan O’Keefe, RD, LD, Hannaford Dietician. O’Keefe will also present tips on healthy shopping and healthy snacks will be provided.
Advance registration for the workshop is requested. Please call Beth Todgham, Seniors Count-Nashua facilitator for Southern New Hampshire Services at (603) 889-3440 for more information.
Workshop participants can come early to enjoy lunch offered by St. Joseph Community Services (Meals on Wheels) in the cafeteria at the Nashua Senior Activity Center. A $2 donation is requested for diners age 60 and over; the price is slightly higher for those under 60. Pre-registration for lunch is required. Call Steve, SJCS site manager, at 882-2106 to reserve your lunch. Lunch is served from 11:45am to 12:45pm.
The workshop is one of a series of free programs offered monthly at the Senior Activity Center by Seniors Count-Nashua. The workshops provide area residents with information on resources available in the community as they age.
Past workshops have included topics on senior fraud and identity theft, senior driving issues, gizmos and gadgets to stay safe in your home, clutter control and understanding what a loved one with dementia is experiencing. All programs have been filmed by Nashua’ Education Channel 99. Programs are broadcast Mondays at 1:00pm and can be viewed on-line at http://nashua.ezstream.com.
Southern New Hampshire Services, ServiceLink Resource Center, the Nashua Public Library, and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services-Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services provide additional support for the workshops.
Posted in News & Updates
The Community Development Finance Authority has awarded Southern NH Services $1 million in tax credits for the Cotton Mill Square redevelopment, which will convert an abandoned cotton warehouse in Nashua into 109 mixed-income apartments. Over half of the apartments will be affordable to families of modest means.
Businesses can support this exciting project through the purchase of NH business tax credits. Companies purchasing credits take a 75% credit against their New Hampshire state taxes. Thus, a $100,000 contribution costs only $25,000. After other tax deductions, donations cost businesses just eleven cents on the dollar. Read More
Posted in News & Updates
Union Leader Staff Report
MANCHESTER — Remember to care for the people in your care, 35 graduates of a nursing preparatory program for immigrants and refugees were told Tuesday during their program completion ceremony.
“Know in your heart that you're going into this profession because you care about people,” said Nick Vailas, the keynote speaker for the Bringing Refugees, Immigrants and Neighbors Gently Into Tomorrow nursing program's completion ceremony, held Tuesday night at Hillside Middle School.
“For me, there is no greater way of serving your fellow man,” said Vailas, the former commissioner of the state Department of Health and Human Services. “You've got to love what you do, especially in health care.”
The after-school nursing programs offer introductory and advanced classes for students in grades 8 through 10, as well as college preparatory classes for high school juniors and seniors.
It is tailored toward students from other countries as part of an effort to increase the number of bilingual, multicultural nurses in the work force, said Jodi Harper, program coordinator. “We really have students from all over the world,” Harper said.
“This program helped me a lot,” said Ratna Gurung, who said she moved to the United States from Nepal five years ago and in the fall will be a senior at Manchester High School West. “We had to believe in ourselves.”
“I learned a lot about this nursing field,” said Alka Gurung, who also attends Manchester High School West, and said she came to the United States from Nepal two years ago.
Reprinted with permission from The Union Leader, Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Posted in News & Updates
Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties are currently accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. With the two counties programs now merged, Head Start and Early Head Start will be serving over 600 children in the southern tier of New Hampshire. Staff are working hard to get the word out in the community to insure that information reaches all eligible families
Head Start serves children 3-4 years of age providing a comprehensive preschool program with family support services. Part day and full day classes are available depending on site and family eligibility. Head Start operates in Manchester, Nashua, Derry, Epping, Greenville, Hillsboro, Hudson, Newmarket, Portsmouth and Hampton Falls.
Early Head Start serves children 6 weeks to 3 years and pregnant women. The center based program provides child care for families who need full day care due to working, school or job training. The home based option provides weekly home visits with families to work on child development activities. Both options have a family support component to help families access community resources and work on meeting family goals.
If you would like to learn more about the Head Start program or would like to complete an application, contact Donna at 668-8010 ext.6098.
Informational materials on the Head Start and Early Head Start programs are available by contacting Pam Lane, 668-8010 ext. 6131. Brochures, handouts and flyers for your agency’s offices or waiting rooms will be provided. Head Start staff is also available to speak at local agencies about the Head Start and Early Head Start program to facilitate community referrals.
Posted in News & Updates
SNHS Summer Food Service Program: Free meals for youth 18 and under!
Youth age 18 and under will enjoy free meals again this summer through the Summer Food Service Program coordinated by Southern New Hampshire Services in four New Hampshire counties.
Over 50 sites located in 11 cities or towns in Hillsborough, Rockingham, Strafford and Carroll Counties will provide free meals to local youth. All meals are prepared following USDA guidelines and unitized for each individual child.
Meals are available at open site locations for the duration of school summer break or during structured summer programming. Breakfast, Lunch and Supper meals are available at the designated locations.
The program is designed to ensure that low-income youth continue to receive healthy meals during the summer in those areas where 50% or more of the school children receive free or reduced lunches.
There are no income requirements or registration. Any child 18 and under may come to eat.
Each year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture partners with local organizations like Southern New Hampshire Services to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer.
Summer Food Service Program locations and hours for 2012:
Manchester
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 22 through August 28. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Breakfast Sites
- Elmwood Gardens Apartments 8:45am-9:45am (83 Trahan Street)
- New Horizons Soup Kitchen 9:00am-9:30am (199 Manchester Street)
Lunch Sites
- Elmwood Gardens Apartments 12:15pm-1:15pm (93 Trahan Street)
- New Horizons Soup Kitchen 12:30pm-1:30pm (199 Manchester Street)
- Hunt Memorial Pool 12:45pm-2:45pm (Maple & Auburn Streets)
Supper Sites
- Sweeney Park 4:00pm- 4:30pm (132 Walker Street)
- Adventure Park 4:30pm- 5:30pm (324-300 Union Street)
- Kelly Falls Apartments 4:45pm- 5:15pm (463 Kimball Street)
- Beech Hill Apartments 5:45pm- 6:15pm (120 Beech Hill Avenue)
- Beech Street School Playground 5:45pm- 6:15 pm (275 Beech Street)
- Bakersville School 6:30pm- 7:00pm (36 Cheney Street)
- Maple Street Apartments 6:45pm- 7:30pm (183-199 Maple Street)
Nashua
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 18 through August 27. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Lunch Sites
- Amherst Street Apartments 12:30pm-1:00pm (525 Amherst Street)
- Bronstein Apartments 1:15pm-1:45pm (41 Central Street)
- Crown Hill Pool 2:00pm-2:30pm (27 Burke Street)
- Centennial Pool 2:45pm-3:15pm (22 Sargents Avenue)
- WIC Clinic 1:00pm-2:00pm (134 Allds Street)
Supper Sites
- David Dean Skate Park 4:45pm-5:15pm (Bridge Street)
- Major Drive Apartments 5:30pm-6:00pm (101 Major Drive)
- Los Amigos Park 6:15pm-6:45pm (40-52 Ash Street)
- Eleventh Street Apartments 7:00pm-7:30pm (11th Street)
Seabrook
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting July 9 through August 10.
Breakfast Sites
- Seabrook Parks & Recreation 8:00am-8:45am (311 Lafayette Road)
Lunch Sites
- Seabrook Parks & Recreation 11:30am-12:30pmm (311 Lafayette Road)
Derry
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 18 through August 27. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Supper Sites
- Fairways Apartments (RESIDENTS ONLY) 3:30pm-4:15pm (1 Forest Ridge Rd.)
- Franklin Village Apartments 5:00pm-5:45pm (4 Laraway Court)
- Hood Park 6:00pm-6:30pm (14 Rollins Street)
Portsmouth
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 18 through August 24. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Supper Sites
- Operation Blessings 4:30pm-5:30pm (600A Lafayette Road – behind building)
Dover
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 18 through August 17. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Breakfast Sites
- Dover Housing Authority Seymour Osmond Community Center 8:00am-8:30am (40 Hampshire Circle)
- Dover Housing Authority Mineral Park 8:35am-9:05am (Mineral Park Drive)
- Woodman Park Elementary 8:30am-9:00am (11 Towle Avenue) - From July 9 – August 10
Lunch Sites
- Dover Housing Authority Seymour Osmond Community Center 12:00pm-12:30pm (40 Hampshire Circle)
- Dover Housing Authority Mineral Park 12:45pm-1:15pm (Mineral Park Drive)
- Woodman Park Elementary 11:30am-12:00pm (11 Towle Avenue) - From July 9 – August 10
Somersworth
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 25 through August 17. Meals will not be served July 4th. No lunch served at site on Tuesdays & Thursdays
Breakfast Sites
- Somersworth Recreation Millenium Park 8:30am-9:00am (99 Stack Pole Road)
- Somersworth Recreation Noble Pines 8:30am-9:00am (45 Grand Avenue)
Lunch Sites
- Somersworth Recreation Millenium Park 12:15pm-1:15pm (99 Stack Pole Road) No Tuesdays and Thursday meal service
- Somersworth Recreation Noble Pines 12:14pm-1:15pm (45 Grand Avenue) No Tuesdays and Thursday meal service
Farmington
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting June 26 through August 17 (Fernald Park Suppers) and June 25 through August 17 Henry Wilson Middle School Playground and Fernald Park Breakfast. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Breakfast Sites
- Fernald Park 8:30am-9:00am (Central Street) Starts June 25th
Lunch Sites
- Henry Wilson Middle School Playground 11:30am-12:00pm (51 School Street) Starts June 25th
Supper Sites
- Fernald Park 5:15pm-6:15pm (Central Street) Starts June 26th
Ossipee, Effingham & North Conway
Free meals served Monday through Friday starting July 10 through August 9. Meals will not be served July 4th.
Breakfast Sites
- Ossipee Central Elementary School 7:45am-8:15am (68 Main Street) Serving Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday only
- Effingham Elementary School 7:45am-8:15am (6 Partridge Cove Road) Serving Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday only
Lunch Sites
- North Conway 12:00pm-12:30pm (174 Grove Street) July 3rd through August 10th (except July 4th)
- Effingham Elementary School 11:30am-12:00pm (6 Partridge Cove Road) Serving Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday only
For more information contact: Patty Carignan, SFSP Coordinator at (603) 668-8020, ext. 6048; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Posted in News & Updates
By KATHY REMILLARD
Union Leader Correspondent
GOFFSTOWN — As gardening season approaches, a handful of plots are still available at the Goffstown Community Garden, located next to the police station on Route 114.
The garden is managed by Southern New Hampshire Services, and Valerie Carignan, the program coordinator, said about five of the original 50 plots remain.
“But there is always someone who decides not to garden, and more become available,” Carignan said.
The plots are 30 feet by 30 feet in size, and are free to low-income participants, Carignan said. Those with an income that falls above the guidelines are asked to make a donation.
Gardeners began planting over Memorial Day weekend and expressed appreciation for a program that allows them access to healthy fruits and vegetables, and gets them involved in the process as well.
“I have a garden here every year,” said Hava Causevic of Manchester, who began using the program four years ago.
Causevic is growing peppers, potatoes, beans and pumpkins. She is permanently disabled and said that being in the garden helps her to relax.
Causevic said she shares some of the bounty from her garden with other people she knows who are in need.
“It really makes people happy,” she said.
Donna Hodgdon of Goffstown used to participate in the program with her own children, who would help her in the gardens.
“It was a lot of fun for them,” she said, “and having the extra food was always nice.”
Hodgdon's children are now grown, but she's come back to the garden because of the tight economy.
“The economy is tougher than it used to be,” she said.
Hodgdon said she is looking forward to having her grandchildren work with her in the garden.
The land for the plots has already been rototilled, and this year water spigots are available in the gardening space eliminating the need for gardeners to haul in water.
“It gets better every year,” said Causevic.
Carignan said the benefits of the community garden are twofold.
“Having a garden helps participants to become more self-sufficient,” she said, and it helps them to eat healthier by growing fresh veggies and fruits.”
For more information on how to apply for a garden plot, call 668-8010, ext. 6042, or log on to snhs.org and download the application.
Reprinted with permission
The Union Leader
May 28, 2012
Posted in News & Updates
By AARON SANBORN
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May 15, 2012
EXETER — The town is currently home to a massive weatherization effort targeting manufactured homes.
Southern New Hampshire Services is attempting to weatherize about 100 homes in the town's four manufactured-housing parks: Exeter River, Icy Hill, Exeter-Hampton and Powder House.
Crews from Southern New Hampshire Services were at the Exeter River Landing last week weatherizing several homes.
According to Rick Minard of the nonprofit New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, weatherization is an option usually offered from the state's five community action programs to those who apply for fuel assistance each winter. Fuel assistance is awarded based on income levels.
The effort was expanded this year. The Community Loan Fund is working through the community action programs to weatherize manufactured homes in co-ops statewide with a $2 million grant from the N.H. Public Utilities Commission using money from its Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund, according to Minard.
Minard said the U.S. Department of Energy has contributed a $600,000 grant to the project. Statewide, the grants should weatherize about 425 manufactured homes in 20 resident-owned communities by the end of the year. The home energy audits and weatherization services are free.
Minard said the average per-home weatherization cost is $6,500, adding that the weatherization work reduces a household's energy consumption by about 25 percent. "That would be a huge impact on home energy costs in Exeter," he said.
Exeter River co-op resident Grant Clough took advantage of the opportunity.
"This place is nice, but you wouldn't want to wear a hat in here because it would blow off," he joked about the drafts in his home.
Clough said he typically spends about $1,400 a winter on heat, and he is optimistic the weatherization will help bring the cost down. "This should be a big help," he said.
Clough said he is conscientious about his energy usage and often unplugs appliances when he's not using them.
Ken Cantara, the energy auditor that worked on Clough's home, said prior to the weatherization services, he measured 1140 CFMs in Clough's home. CFM is short for cubic feet per minute, a measurement of the velocity at which air flows into or out of a space.
After insulation was added and some duct work was done, the CFM measurement in Clough's home was cut to 700 CFMs, according to Cantara. "He'll save about 100 gallons of fuel a year, based on my past experience," Cantara said.
Cantara said Clough should also save in the summer on air conditioning costs.
In addition to the weatherization efforts, energy auditors also conduct carbon monoxide readings on homes and check for other safety issues, such as gas leaks. "We don't want to go through with the weatherization process and make a problem worse," Cantara said.
Crews fixed a gas leak in Clough's heating system prior to doing the work on his home and installed a new carbon monoxide detector, Cantara said. He said it usually takes three to five days to complete weatherization efforts in a home.
Minard said weatherization is cost-effective. "You make this type of an investment in a home and it will last a long time," he said.
This may also be the last time the services are offered on such a large scale, according to Minard. He said the state Legislature is looking to cut the Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund. "I don't think they understand how important it is for the community," he said. "If we lose that funding, it will be a shame because the feds won't be there to pick up the tab."
Homeowners must qualify for fuel assistance to be eligible for the program. Anyone who is interested in weatherization but who does not already receive fuel assistance is asked to call Southern New Hampshire Services at 895-2303 or Rockingham Community Action at 431-2911.
Reprinted with permission.
Posted in News & Updates
If you are one of the 135,000 veterans living in New Hampshire, you can help NH’s veterans receive the care they need.
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) are the signature injuries of war. Vets from all branches of the military and all conflicts are asked to SHARE (Survey Helping to Advance Recovery Efforts) their experiences in an effort to benefit today’s Veterans dealing with post-combat injuries as well as veterans for years to come.
The survey has been developed by the NH Legislative Commission on PTSD and TBI. The brief survey is completely confidential and can be completed on-line by visiting www.nh-veteran.com.
A downloadable version of the survey is available. When completed, the survey should be mailed to:
Commission on PTSD & TBI
109 North State St., Ste. 2
Concord, NH 03301
NH Veterans SHARE Flyer
NH Veterans SHARE Survey
