The Winchester Learning Center Accepting Sign-Ups for Toys For Tots

The Winchester Learning Center is accepting sign ups for Toys For Tots for the Town of Winchester. Call 239-7347 and they can sign families up on the phone. The cut off date is December 6th. Parents can pick their toys up at the Winchester Town Hall December 20th.

The Winchester Learning Center is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

Hundred Nights Raffle

Hundred Nights only has a few dozen raffle tickets left at $5.00 each for two paintings, Three Silos by Alicia Drakiotes and The Lake by Jim Murphy, to be drawn on December 7, 2013. More info is available at www.hundrednightsinc.org.

The Hundred Nights is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

Monadnock Worksource’s 25th Annual Champagne Reception

Monadnock Worksource’s 25th annual champagne reception will be held on Sunday, December 8th, 2:00-4:00 PM at the home of Dr. William K. Schofield in Jaffrey Center. This gathering is one of the events hosted by Monadnock Worksource to raise funds to support their services. Join Monadnock Worksource and celebrate the holiday season in a lovely home, with good food, and great company.

For tickets and directions, please call Monadnock Worksource at 924-3326.

Monadnock Worksource is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

The Energy Programs at SCS Continue to Schedule Appointments

The Energy Services programs (including Fuel and Electric Assistance) continue to schedule appointments on an ongoing basis. Households concerned with paying their heating and electric bills are encouraged to contact us to schedule an appointment. If we are unable to answer the phone, we are doing everything we can to return all calls within 24 hours.

Check out the SCS website, www.scshelps.org, for additional information about Energy Services as well as the other programs we offer!

Wishing everyone a warm and safe holiday season!

~ SCS Fuel Assistance Staff

Southwestern Community Services is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

HCS Appoints Sorenson as CEO

Cathy Sorenson, RN, BSN, COS-C has been named President and CEO at Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services (HCS). She succeeds Barbara Duckett, who retired in November after thirteen years in the leadership position. Sorenson was appointed by the HCS Board of Directors following a national search.

Sorenson has more than twenty-five years of nursing and health care management experience. She has been with HCS since 2010, as Director of Clinical Services and most recently as Chief Clinical Operating Officer, overseeing all home care programs, hospice, palliative care and the Castle Center Life Enrichment Program.

Sorenson holds a Bachelor of Science, Nursing degree from the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Nursing. She will complete her MBA in Health Administration from Franklin Pierce University in spring 2014. She holds a Certificate in Home Care Management from Suffolk University and is a Certified OASIS Specialist. Sorenson is also a graduate of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement QI Scholars Program.

Of her new role at HCS, Cathy says, “Barbara’s legacy of innovative leadership and forward thinking has positioned HCS as the preferred provider of visiting nurse, hospice, and community services in the Monadnock region It is has been my privilege to work with Barbara, and I look forward to leading HCS into the future as we navigate the challenges of providing person-centered, high quality, affordable healthcare to the people in the communities served by HCS.”

Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services is a Monadnock United Way agency providing services throughout southwestern New Hampshire from offices in Keene, Peterborough and Charlestown.

News From The River Center

Family Support NH has selected Carol Lunan as this year’s Kay Sidway award recipient for her work supporting families at The River Center in Peterborough and at The Grapevine in Antrim. Congratulations, Carol! Everyone is very proud of you! (Carol is front and center, holding her award)

Writing for a Cause

Are you interested in a project to help The River Center, but need flexibility due to family or your job? Are you organized, detail-oriented and enjoy writing? Would you like to build marketable grant-writing skills through actually writing some grants? The grant writer at The River Center is looking for a few good people who like a challenge. Come to the 4-session Grant Writing Mentoring Circle in January and February. The goal during this two month period is to have each participant gain some experience in researching, writing, and proofing grant applications. The plan is to have four 90-minute sessions, exact time of meetings will be set based on participant availability.

If you are interested, contact The River Center at 924-6800 or info@rivercenter.us.

The River Center is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

Crafty Things Are Happening at The Senior Center

The Keene Senior Center is announcing the addition of its new Arts and Craft room. The program is designed to further and update learning in the senior population while having fun. Members are encouraged to use the facility at to create and design projects of their choice, using existing materials. Classes are being offered, starting in the month of November which include box-making, jewelry designs and pinecone-creation centerpieces. The Center is always looking for volunteers from our community to help teach programs of interest for the senior population. Continuation of the arts program is anticipated to be provided on a regular basis. Donations of craft related supplies are welcomed and appreciated. If you find yourself with large quantities of glitters, glues, ribbons and other remnants of past hobbies that are no longer needed, consider donating.

The Center provides a safe and friendly atmosphere where the senior community has the opportunity to gather, learn and experience through a wide range of programs currently offered. Health and education programs are focused on increasing knowledge, flexibility and motion. Ability levels, ranging from novice to the more advanced can be seen in all programming. Social groups enjoy various activities such as singing, knitting and cards just to mention a few. Educational seminars are held on topics of interest related to daily living, geriatric care management, computer education and resources in the Monadnock Region. Membership options at the Center are affordable and adapting whether you would like to participate on a yearly basis or perhaps would like to try some of the programs and events.

The Keene Senior Center’s mission is to provide access to health and wellness programs, senior resources, and social service programs that support dignity and independence for adults 50 years and older in the community. The Center is located at 70 Court Street in Keene.

Contact the Center for additional information or a inquiries about upcoming events at 352-5037.

The Keene Senior Center is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center Receives Volunteer NH’s Spirit of New Hampshire
Outstanding Program Champion Award

Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center has received Volunteer NH’s 2013 Spirit of New Hampshire Outstanding Program Champion Award in the Nonprofit category for its signature program, America Reads, a national literacy program that helps children in kindergarten through third grade become proficient readers.

“We are thrilled that America Reads and the volunteer tutors are being recognized,” says Katharine Baird, Director of Monadnock RSVP. “The high effectiveness of this program is due to the collective effort between the America Reads Program Coordinator, Suzette Borden, schools, teachers, and volunteers.”

Since 1998, this program has grown to ten schools. Currently, 68 volunteers are working with teachers and staff to develop educational activities tailored to individual students. Volunteers make a critical impact on students’ reading, but they also demonstrate the value and joy of learning and develop mentoring relationships with students.

The Spirit of New Hampshire Award is an annual recognition administered by Volunteer NH in collaboration with the Office of the Governor. The Volunteer Program Champion Award recognizes outstanding volunteer programs that provide the infrastructure for volunteers to be successful in their service. Awards in the Volunteer Program Champion category honor excellent program management, fund development efforts that sustain volunteer programs, and commitment of time and resources to engage employees in community volunteer roles.

The 2013 Spirit of New Hampshire Awards were presented on November 14th at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire.

Monadnock RSVP, a Senior Corps program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, engages more than 300 older adults in meaningful service opportunities at 45 non-profit and public organizations in the Monadnock Region. Through partner agencies and programs, community members who are the most vulnerable and at-risk receive the support and assistance they need to meet their basic human needs, increase their ability to succeed in their personal goals and have a quality of life that spans generationally with the help of RSVP volunteers. Monadnock RSVP is sponsored by Monadnock Family Services, a Monadnock United Way agency.

Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention Benefits from Clarence DeMar Marathon

Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention is the 2013 Beneficiary of the Keene Elm City Rotary, Clarence DeMar Marathon. The Keene Elm City Rotary was able to donate $10,000 to this very worthy cause. Robin Christopherson, her staff and board were on hand race-day to hand out medals and welcome the runners to the finish line.

Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

The Low-Income Taxpayer Project Holds a Continuing Education Seminar

The Low-Income Taxpayer Project (LITP) of the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Pro Bono Referral Program is a legal aid clinic for New Hampshire residents with IRS problems. On Friday, November 8, the LITP held a continuing education seminar for over a dozen of its volunteers. The four-hour program focused on return filing and examinations and featured a panel of speakers from around New England: Barbara Stewart, LITP coordinator; Joceline Champagne, local taxpayer advocate for the Taxpayer Advocate Service; Beth Fowler, a tax attorney at the Manchester law firm of McLane, Graf, Raulerson, and Middleton; and Christine Speidel and Liz Segovis, coordinators for low-income taxpayer clinics in Vermont and Rhode Island, respectively. Each of the thirteen attorneys and accountants attending the seminar have either already accepted an LITP case pro bono or pledged to do so within the coming year.

Because the LITP is primarily a referral clinic, it depends on volunteers to reach as many people in need as possible. So far this year, for example, LITP clients have benefitted from the generous donation of over five hundred hours of volunteer time. And because of its dependency on volunteers, the clinic takes care to offer them as many support services as possible, including low-fee, high-quality continuing education seminars. These seminars keep the volunteers well-trained and prepared to render the services that LITP clients desperately need. In turn, the volunteers can earn the continuing education credit their professional associations require, hone their skills in a cost-effective way, and network with other, like-minded volunteers.

The LITP will hold its next continuing education seminar in April. The topic, “Collections,” will focus on the IRS collection machinery, with special attention given to the volunteer’s role in advocating for clients unable to pay an IRS debt.

NH Pro Bono is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

CMC/DHK Recognized by American Hospital Association for Community Outreach

The American Hospital Association (AHA)  recently awarded the Carolyn Boone Lewis Living the Vision award to Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock for its work to improve the health of its community through actions that go beyond traditional hospital care.  The award was presented to Cheshire Medical Center by AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock.

Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene is the backbone organization of “Healthy Monadnock 2020” initiative, a community-wide effort to actively engage the citizens of Cheshire County and the Monadnock Region to become the nation’s healthiest community by the year 2020.  Healthy Monadnock 2020’s strategies are intended to provide high-impact environmental and policy change that will make the healthy choice the easy for individuals and groups, such as schools, workplaces and towns.

“Our collective commitment to work together to become the healthiest community in the nation is reinforced by the engagement of new partners and Champions willing to help make the healthy choice, the easy choice for everyone in the Monadnock Region. Awards like this inspire others to get on board.” Liz Coppola, Healthy Monadnock Advisory Board Chair.

“Becoming the healthiest community is a significant challenge and it’s one that Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene is ready to meet,” said Umbdenstock. “By reaching out to the community and partnering with organizations that touch every part of community life, Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene has made this vision possible. I am pleased and honored to recognize them for their on-going efforts to meet the health needs of the communities they serve.”

Art Nichols, CEO/President of Cheshire Medical Center shares: “To receive the Carolyn Boone Lewis award is a tremendous honor for our staff, our physicians, and most of all, our community. Our vision, to become the healthiest community in the nation, is ultimately an attempt to change how we as Americans perceive our health, and to create an awareness of the importance individuals play in determining their own health status. This requires an interplay among health professionals, educators, employers, and all citizens; in this regard, the Monadnock Region has a significant advantage — a rich history of social capital that is pervasive, and has emerged to embrace Healthy Monadnock 2020. Without the community behind us, our efforts would fail. We are all in this together.”

Established in 1996 and first presented in 1998, the Living the Vision Award recognizes institutions or individuals living the AHA’s vision of a society of healthy communities where all individuals reach their highest potential for health. In 2002, it was renamed the Carolyn Boone Lewis Living the Vision Award, in memory of the first hospital trustee to serve as AHA chair.  An important element of the award is that a hospital must be recognized as a leader and nominated by others in the health care field. 

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, nearly 5,000 hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 43,000 individuals. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information visit the website at www.aha.org.

For information about Healthy Monadnock 2020, to view the current list of Healthy Monadnock 2020 Champions, and to see how you can become a Champion, please visit www.healthiestcommunity.org or call (603) 354-5454, Ext. 3930.

Junior Girl Scout Troop 10805 from Rindge Recently Volunteered
at The Community Kitchen

The Junior Girl Scout Troop 10805 from Rindge, recently volunteered at The Community Kitchen. Not only did they help serve dinner, the girls sang Christmas songs and wished each person a Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo 1: Elyse, Kaylee and Sara. Photo 2, Back: Leaders Helene, Becky and Marianne Front: Elyse Sara and Kaylee.
Photo 3: Kaylee, Sara and Elyse.

Agency/Program Wish List

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New Hampshire
L-shaped office desk — 352-9536, ext. 106

The Community Kitchen
Delivery drivers to deliver take-home food boxes on Thursday mornings; depending on the route, it would take 1-2 hours; volunteers need their own vehicle and be able to lift about 40 pounds — 352-3200

Contoocook Valley Transportation Company (CVTC)
Volunteer drivers for the Eastern Monadnock region — 877-428-2882, ext. 5

Keene Day Care Center
Washable markers, balls (any kind) — 352-2129

Hundred Nights
Heat-and-eat meals, cereal, fresh fruit, coffee, hot chocolate, tea, sugar, toilet paper, paper towels, feminine products, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, gently used warm clothing, boots, and long underwear — 352-5197

Keene Senior Center
Gardening hand tools for vegetable garden, paper towels, paper napkins, disposable coffee cups, IT volunteer to help with computer problems — 352-5037

MAPS Counseling Services
An acoustic guitar for an adolescent client who comes from a very impoverished background — 355-2244

Monadnock Adult Care Center
Sewing machine — Chris, 5322427

Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency (MPS)
Someone to tune our piano, twin-sized comforter, beading supplies— 352-5093

Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention
Toilet paper, paper towels, household cleaning supplies (kitchen spray, bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, etc.) —
352-3782

Monadnock Family Services
Three or four small couches to use in their Therapy Offices— Sandy Jones, 283-1655

Phoenix House Keene Center
Bicycle(s) in good working condition, area rugs, towels, percussion instruments — Mary, 358-4041

The River Center
Acrylic craft paint (in bright colors), copy paper, paper towels, toilet tissue, Kleenex, liquid hand soap refills, coffee, playhouse, shed, kid-sized picnic table — 924-6800

The Samaritans, Inc.
Individually packaged snacks and/or beverages, crossword and Sudoku puzzle books — 357-5510

Southwestern Community Services
Plastic sealable totes with lids (large and medium), metal dressers, metal living room furniture, metal or tile tables for kitchen & living room, metal kitchen chairs, energy efficient light bulbs, personal care items, 35-gallon trash bags, twin sheets, new pillows, bath towels — Cathy Thornton, 352-7512, ext. 4295

Southwestern Community Services Energy Services
Any donations to Fuel Assistance, Electric Assistance, or Weatherization provides 100% direct assistance to clients in the form of preventing electric disconnects, providing emergency fuel deliveries, etc. — Keene, 352-7512 or
Claremont, 542-9528

Winchester Learning Center
Metal Tonka trucks and wagons, large and small, new or old — 239-7347