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Together with You,
Building Safe, Stable and Nurturing
Families and Communities
for both Our Present and Our Future | |
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2010 Board of Trustees
Janice Fitzpatrick, Treasurer
Candia
Raymond Gagnon,
Claremont
Sen. Peggy Gilmour RN,
Hollis
Rep. Anne Grassie,
Rochester
Courtney H.G. Herz, Esq.,
Secretary, Hopkinton
Peirce Hunter, M.D.,
Chair, Bow
Kristina Ickes, MBA,
Candia
Audrey Knight, MSN, RN,
Hopkinton
Robert MacGowan,
Webster
Rep. Betsy McKinney,
Londonderry
Lauren Noether, Senior
Assistant Attorney Gen.,
Concord
Malcolm Smith, PhD, CFLE,
Durham
Brenda Tibbetts, Vice Chair, Colebrook |
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Liani Perez-Moscoso, University of New England
Volunteers
RSVP of Merrimack Co.
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 Dear Friends:
The quote by W. J. Cameron, "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action," is so true, and a great way to live our lives. Look to the 20 Ways to Give Thanks, ideas which we borrowed in part from Prevent Child Abuse Illinois. We don't always express our gratitude for the help, kindness or love we receive from others in our lives. Thanksgiving is one opportunity to sit back and reflect upon these gifts and what a gift gratitude is to others who touch our lives in so many ways. NHCTF Intern, Liani Perez-Moscoso, a grad student in social work at the University of New England, has pulled together an important focus on family dinners and the opportunities for education and bonding that they create with your children. Click on the video, the Value of the Family Dinner, Part II for some compelling ideas. We are grateful to Liani for her help in editing this newsletter. We are gearing up for our annual Unsung Hero Awards celebration in February. Be thinking about that special parent or caregiver that you'd like to thank by nominating them for this award. Monetary and in-kind sponsors for this event are also being sought. We at the NH Children's Trust Fund would like to wish you a warm and loving Thanksgiving with friends and family. With gratitude for all you do to strengthen families and keep children safe from harm. Keryn Keryn Bernard-Kriegl Executive Director
Maximize your dollar!
For every dollar you donate to the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund, we are able to leverage federal dollars through our Community Based Child Abuse Prevention contract. This means your dollar goes farther to help us build safe, stable and nurturing families and communities. |
On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.
~William Jennings Bryan
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 Twenty Ways to Give Thankstaken, in part, from Prevent Child Abuse Illinois |
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 1. Tell family members and friends why you are thankful for them.
2. Read a Thanksgiving story with your family on Thanksgiving day.
3. Invite a neighbor or friend to join in your Thanksgiving meal.
4. Think of someone who has been meaningful in your life: a relative, your healthcare provider, your pastor, a friend. Write them a note of appreciation.
5. Help other families in your community by donating canned goods to a local food pantry.
6. Send care packages to those serving our country. These packages don't have to be big or expensive. Even small items like toothpaste and lip balm can make a big difference in the daily life of a soldier.
7. Prepare a Thanksgiving basket filled with special treats to give to a family or your favorite charity.
8. Make a tradition of going around the dinner table once a week and saying one thing that happened in your day that you were thankful for.
9. Give back to your community by volunteering at a local charity, library or senior center.
10. Go around the dinner table and have each family member tell their favorite family memory. This will bring lots of smiles and laughs as memories are shared.
11. Do a family project of writing a poem about what you are thankful for together.
12. Attend an ecumenical thanksgiving service. Invite one of your friends of a different faith to join you.
13. Talk to your children about how to show thanks. Have them write a thank you note to teachers, grandparents or others who have given them gifts or special attention.
14. Gather old toys and clothes and donate them to a homeless or battered women's shelter or a thrift store.
15. Do something unexpected for someone you love.
16. As a family, look at this list and come up with the traditions you'd like to adopt or come up with some new ones.
17. Start a Gratitude Journal. On a daily basis look for things in your life to be thankful for and write them down each evening before going to bed.
18. Give your time and energy to someone who may need it.
19. Smile and say hello to someone you do not know.
20. Tell your children how special they are and that you are thankful for them.
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Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.
~W.J. Cameron
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Family-Time Meals:
Opportunities for Education and Bonding;
Topic: Teaching Gratitude to Our Children |
 During this time of year, The days get colder and shorter, and signs of the coming holiday season are beginning to show. Thanksgiving brings together festive foods and the gathering of family members from both near and from afar. It is a day that offers a great opportunity to teach our children the value of family mealtimes together, and about the ritual of expressing gratitude for the many things we hold dear in our lives, a ritual that can be continued throughout the year.
In the attached video you will meet Dr. Christine Carter and Ms. Kelly Corrigan discuss the value of Family Dinnertime rituals including giving thanks. |
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John Fitzgerald Kennedy |
Unsung Hero Awards
Nomination Forms Available in December |
February has been designated Parent Recognition Month in New Hampshire. To celebrate, the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund is honoring 28 parents, one for each day of February, for the exceptional jobs they are doing as parents every hour of every day.
Think about the parents around you that deserve a little extra recognition. In December, we will send out an email with a link to the nomination form which will be posted on our website. Think of a parent or a caregiver you would like to have honored for the great things they are doing to strengthen their families and their communities.
This individual does not have to be a biological parent they can be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, foster or adoptive parent. They need to show dedication and love for their family. It could be through community or school efforts or at home.
For the past three years, the Governor has joined us to honor these Unsung Heroes. We are looking forward to another exciting event in 2011 when we will honor 28 parents for the 28 days of February!
View pictures here from the 2011 Unsung Hero ceremony held at the State House with Governor Lynch. |
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Unsung Hero Award Sponsorships Available
Donations of items for 28 award recipient giftbags also needed
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Join Us on December 22
Concord Boloco hosting 12 Days of Giving |
We will have a booth set up with NHCTF information, give-aways, and additional donation opportunities.
 Boloco is located at 10 Fort Eddy Road in Concord.
Join us! Invite your friends, colleagues; bring your family! |
Board Members and Volunteers Wanted
Join Our Team! |
Board members and volunteers are needed to assist our statewide child abuse and neglect prevention agency in fulfilling our mission. The NH Children's Trust is a small nonprofit agency looking for a few individuals who want to learn skills while contributing to our success.
We are looking for experienced board members who are passionate about strengthening families and keeping children safe. Our governance board's key responsibilities will include mission-driven decision making; excellence- driven oversight; resource development and fiscal responsibility; public relations and outreach.
Volunteer tasks may include writing articles, grant proposals and letters, updating our web site, data entry, fundraising, creating marketing materials such as audio or video PSAs, pamphlets, Power Point presentations, building relationships, organizing public education campaigns, serving on committees, and more!
Volunteers may receive letters of recommendation or school credit in addition to building skills and relationships. College students and others are welcome. Give Keryn a call at 224-1279 or email Keryn to discuss joining our team.
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"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Cicero |
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund was established in 1986 by legislative statute RSA 169-C:39 to support programs in New Hampshire that work to prevent child abuse and neglect. Our focus is primary prevention initiatives that keep children safe and families strong.
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund believes that the most effective way to keep our children safe from abuse and neglect is to foster the development of strong families. The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund advocates for positive change in both state and federal policies that effect children and families.
The New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund is the New Hampshire chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America.
To find out more about our programs and partners, go to our website.
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Concord, New Hampshire 03301
(603) 224-1279
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