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July 2015

Mark Your Calendar:

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Your Money, Your Goals Financial Empowerment Training Workshop
Your Money, Your Goals is a financial empowerment training toolkit brought to you by Monadnock United Way and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Dates: Tuesday, July 21 and Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Time: 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Place: The River Center, 46 Concord St., Peterborough, NH
Cost: Free, but registration is required.
For more information on the Your Money, Your Goals program, contact Kelly Brigham-Steiner at 603-352-4209 or [email protected].
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FREE Home Buyer Seminar
Thinking about buying a home? Learn how to navigate the home buying process, step by step.
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2015
Place: Railroad Square Senior Housing Community Room
49 Community Way, Keene, NH 03431
Register online at HOMEteamNH.org, or call 866-701-9097.
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21st Annual NH Association for
Infant Mental Health Conference

Featuring Vincent Felitti, MD, Co-principal Investigator, The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, CA.
Dates: Thursday, September 24 and
Friday, September 25, 2015
Place: The Mountain Club on Loon, Lincoln, NH
For registration information, visit nhaimh.org.
Please contact Ellyn Schreiber at 225-4153 x278 for more information or to add your name to the brochure mailing list or email list.
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Workforce Development:
Investing in the Future Workforce
A Regional Business Summit, Presented by Impact Monadnock in Partnership with the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce.
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Time: 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
Place: Centennial Hall, Alumni Center, Keene State College, 232 Main St., Keene, NH
Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Keynote Speakers: Lisa Ventriss, President and chief spokesperson of Vermont Business Roundtable; Matt Mowry, Editor of NH Business Magazine; Dr. Anne Huot, President, Keene State College; Dr. Emily Porschitz, Assistant Professor, Keene State College.
Sponsors: Monadnock United Way, Keene State College, and ReadyNation.
For more information, email Nikki at [email protected],
or call 352-4209.


In This Issue:

On the AirMay on WKBK…

The guest on “The Dan Mitchell Morning Show” at 8:10 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2015 will be The River Center.

WKBK regularly features a Monadnock United Way agency on the third Wednesday of each month.

Schedule is subject to change without notice.

SAVE THE DATE:
Live United by Serving

On Friday, September 11, 2015 the Monadnock United Way will be collaborating with Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center, Southwestern Community Services, Gordon-Bissell American Legion Post, and other partners to sponsor a day of volunteer opportunities to serve people and families across the Monadnock region. Projects will include supporting veterans and helping children and families in need. More information will be available in the weeks to come, but be sure to save the date and “LIVE UNITED” by serving!� Please contact Nikki at [email protected] or 352-4209 for more information.

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Marjorie Droppa, PhD, Named Full Time Project Director for Impact Monadnock Early Childhood Development Initiative

Marj Droppa, PhDThe Board of Directors of Impact Monadnock has named Marjorie Droppa, PhD, the Project Director for a new Collective Impact initiative focusing on early childhood development in the Monadnock Region. Dr. Droppa had been acting as interim Project Director since February. Dr. Droppa is excited about being named as the permanent Project Director and will continue her work alongside Monadnock United Way (MUW) and Spark NH building a coalition of support in the community for the initiative, including establishing an infrastructure to provide leadership, funding and resources, and creating an action plan that can sustain the long-term viability of the early childhood initiative. Earlier this year, Impact Monadnock chose MUW in partnership with Spark NH to serve as the backbone organization for the early childhood development initiative. The initiative targets all children in the region from birth to age 5 and their families. Funding for this initiative is provided through grants secured by Impact Monadnock.

Dr. Droppa is a former Assistant Professor of Health Science at Keene State College specializing in health promotion and community health. She has research expertise and scholarly publications in the health and wellness fields and developed a new survey tool to assess risky health behaviors among young adults. Prior to Keene State College, Dr. Droppa was an adjunct professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC); an Assistant Director of Wellness Programming at TAMUCC; and a newspaper journalist in the UK, the Persian Gulf and the US. Dr. Droppa moved to Keene in 2010 and has been involved in a variety of community organizations including the Keene Family YMCA, Healthy Monadnock 2020, and the Keene Board of Education.

For more information, to share ideas, or to schedule a visit from Dr. Droppa to talk about the early childhood initiative, please email her at [email protected] or call 603-352-4209.

About Impact Monadnock
Impact Monadnock, a local non-profit organization focused on using a Collective Impact approach to achieve meaningful and sustainable social change in the Monadnock Region.

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Your Money, Your Goals Financial Empowerment Training Workshop

Your Money, Your Goals is a financial empowerment training toolkit brought to you by Monadnock United Way and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Your Money, Your Goals training workshop and toolkit are designed to help train frontline staff to better understand discussions regarding financial literacy and empowerment. The information provided, will help educate them on the concepts around financial empowerment managing money more effectively.

Some of the topics discussed in the various modules of the toolkit include dealing with debt, managing cash flow, getting credit reports and scores, and much more. Frontline staff will be able to use the toolkit, and develop a program tailored specifically to fit the needs and requirements relevant to the individuals and organizations they serve.

The Your Money, Your Goals training is very beneficial to a wide range of community organizations and human service agencies, and will help the frontline staff of these programs better understand their needs.

Consumer Financial Protection BureauDue to success of the spring Your Money, Your Goals workshop, Monadnock United Way will be facilitating another two-part financial empowerment workshop for service providers and frontline staff on Tuesday July 21, 2015 and Tuesday July 28, 2015. Each session lasts for three hours, from 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., and will be held at The River Center, 46 Concord Street in Peterborough.

Monadnock United Way staff and Intern, Sean Ballard, will be facilitating the training. This training is free for frontline staff. This training also links to the Community Well-Being report that identified the need for economic opportunity and this is a resource to empower individuals to assess their money, situation, hopes, dreams and goals.

For more information on the Your Money, Your Goals program, contact Kelly Brigham-Steiner at
603-352-4209 or [email protected].

Support for this program is made possible through a grant from the Bank of America Foundation.

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Volunteer Opportunities With MCVP

MCVP is eager to have you join them as a volunteer, with training beginning in the Fall. If you are looking for an opportunity to help those in your community, and any of the options listed below are appealing, call Jan Richards, Direct Services Coordinator at 603-352-3782, and ask to join the MCVP team.

  • MCVPCrisis Hot Line Advocates
  • Shelter Volunteers
  • Babysitter
  • Reading Buddy
  • Transportation

MCVP is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Is Looking for Mentors to Make a Difference in a Child’s Life

The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentoring program matches volunteers with children in your community who could use an extra friend. Mentors are screened, trained and supported by BBBS staff.

BBBSChildren that have mentors usually grow up to be successful adults that want to give back to their community. They do better academically, have higher self-esteem, are less likely to commit crimes, develop positive social skills and competence.

If you have ever considered volunteering, please give Julianne Manchester, Program Manager a call at
603-352-9535 x 103, or email [email protected]!

The “GIFT OF TIME” can make a world of difference in a child’s life!

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New Hampshire is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

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ActingOut is Looking for High School Students

Interested in: acting, writing, social justice, or the exploration of issue-related theatre?

ActingOutYou do not need to be comfortable performing to be an active member of this group—nor do you have to perform. ActingOut needs individuals who can make a commitment to the group, who want to be involved in making changes in their communities and schools, and who want to learn how to live without using drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy behaviors.

ActingOut hopes to develop a core group of actors who will perform issue related theatre in local schools and communities. Participants will help create material that will address themes such as: addiction, bullying, peer pressure, and stigma. In addition to providing a service to your community, you will have the opportunity to develop skills that will help you in all areas of your life. Material will be developed during the summer and participants will meet at least four times before the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.

For more information, e-mail Lindsay Bartlett, ActingOut Coordinator, at [email protected],
or call 603-283-1595.

ActingOut is a program of Monadnock Family Services, a Monadnock United Way Agency.

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FREE Home Buyer Seminar

Thinking about buying a home? Learn how to navigate the home buying process, step by step.

Saturday, August 29, 2015
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Railroad Square Senior Housing Community Room
49 Community Way, Keene, NH 03431

Free Seminar includes:

  • How and where to begin the process
  • The major steps in buying a home
  • Are you ready to purchase a home?
  • How to establish a spending and savings & improve your credit
  • How to improve your chances of getting a mortgage
  • What you need for a down payment and closing costs
  • Learn about special program resources to finance your home
  • Understand the roles of real estate agents, loan officers, home inspectors, insurance agents, and title companies
  • Ask real estate professionals questions in an educational environment
  • Free copy of Realizing the American Dream manual for home buyers
  • All graduates eligible to participate in free one-on-one home buyer counseling

Register online at www.HOMEteamNH.org, or call 866-701-9097.

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SCS Energy Services

The Fuel Assistance Program is currently closed but we will be re-opening soon. Households should contact Fuel Assistance in the month of August to begin scheduling appointments for the month of September.

Any households that did not receive Fuel Assistance this year but have an electric disconnect notice may be eligible for assistance through Neighbor Helping Neighbor. Any households that fit this criteria are encouraged to contact the SCS office at 603-352-7512.

Appointments for the Electric Assistance Program are taken all year long. This program provides a discount off the electric bill for a period of 12 months for income-eligible households. Any households interested in learning more about the Electric Assistance Program are encouraged to call the SCS office.

The SCS website (www.scshelps.org) lists additional programs offered through Southwestern Community Services. These include options for housing (workforce and senior), foreclosure prevention, homeless prevention, Head Start, WIC, weatherization services, and others.

We wish everyone a safe and happy summer season!

SCS Energy Services Staff

SCS is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

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Images from The Orchard School and Community Center

The Orchard School

The Orchard School and Community Center is a Monadnock United Way Agency.

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Monadnock United Way On Cheshire TV

LIVE UNITED TVWatch Cheshire TV Channel 8 (Time Warner Cable) every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and see how our partner agencies, donors, volunteers, and corporate partners LIVE UNITED!

Can’t watch it on Wednesdays, or you are not a Time Warner subscriber, episodes are posted on the Monadnock United Way YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/monadnockunitedway).

All schedules are subject to change without notice.

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Wish List

The deadline for Wish List items in the next U Review (August 2015) is Monday, July 20, 2015. Please send your updates and additions to [email protected]. Wish List items that have not been confirmed or updated risk being removed, so please remember to keep your items current.

Community Kitchen
Large commercial kitchen cooking pots; non-perishable food items in particular: canned fruit; apple sauce; canned/boxed meals; baked beans; ALL ITEMS can be dropped off at The Community Kitchen at any time — 352-3200

Monadnock Area Peer Support Agency
Household vacuum cleaner; electric can opener; Crayola or RoseArt markers (both thick and thin); large heavy-to-medium duty manual hedge trimmers; medical masks (like the kind they give you at the hospital) — 352-5093

WishingMonadnock Family Services Emerald House
Stationary bike — 357-4400

MCVP
Plastic bins; paper towels; toilet paper; cleaning supplies; HE laundry detergent; new blankets; new pillows (in packaging); stroller; children’s table & chairs
352-3782

Southwestern Community Services: Housing Stabilization Services
Sturdy cots/roll away beds; new bed pillows; new or gently used bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths; new or gently used single size sheet sets; new or gently used single size blankets/comforters; pre-paid gas cards; warm socks; rain jackets; diapers; feminine hygiene products; gently used tents; gently used sleeping bags; tarps — Laurie 719-4290

Winchester Learning Center
Bean bag chairs; a shelf for preschool; wooden blocks; bean bags to toss; corn starch; Legos; sand toys; toy trucks for outside (Tonka) — 239-7347

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Monadnock United Way | 23 Center Street | Keene, New Hampshire 03431 | 603-352-4209