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Serving Rockingham, Strafford

&  Southern York Counties

 



April 2016

Last night Cross Roads House provided shelter to 94 people, including 10 families with 16 children.

 
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You can reach us at 
603-436-2218


FAQ 
 

Immediate Needs
 
Gas gift cards
 
Diapers, Size 5

Ziploc bags

Bike Locks

Umbrellas

 
  
Pantry Needs
 
Pasta sauce
 
Coffee
 
Sugar
 
Baking mixes (cakes, brownies, etc.)
 
Snack packs (chips, granola bars, crackers, etc.)
"I thought it would be hard, but not as hard as it was." 

Mark on his last day at Cross Roads House. 

Mark was living out of state with his sister, working and saving money to return to Portsmouth, where he had lived for 30 years. With a job all lined up, he made his way back to Portsmouth, hoping to find a place to live. "I actually came back to Portsmouth thinking I'll stay in a boarding house or something, but in Portsmouth you can't do that. You can do that in Manchester. They've got plenty of boarding houses and cheap motels. I expected something like that in Portsmouth, but there was nothing. That's what got me."

Mark stayed in a motel until he ran out of savings. He said finding an affordable apartment was very difficult. "I thought it would be hard, but not as hard as it was. Even after I ran out of money and moved to Cross Roads House from the motel, I was still looking around and couldn't find anything." 

Mark was a resident at Cross Roads House for six months. "It's nice, it's modern, it's clean. The staff is nice. In other shelters they kick you out at 6 o'clock in the morning, you can't come back until 6 o'clock at night. I thought it was going to be really bad and it wasn't. It was a shock. I was surprised." 

After a short time at the shelter, Mark was eligible for our Transitional Shelter Program (Phase Two). "When I got up to Phase Two it was nice, clean, I had my own room with a desk. Most of the people in Phase Two were working so it was quiet. I had two jobs, so I worked, came back and went to sleep, then I got up and went back to work." 

Throughout his stay at the shelter, Mark worked, all the while saving his money and searching for an affordable place to live. "Finding an apartment was the biggest challenge. The VA stepped in and helped me get [a Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Voucher]. The big challenge was finding an apartment that accepts [VASH] because a lot of landlords won't take it. That was my biggest problem, just finding an apartment. A lot of things had to come together for me to get an apartment and it finally did." 

Mark moved out of the shelter and into his own apartment a couple of months ago. "It's a nice little apartment. It's got a nice little kitchen." 

Mark remembers all the help he received from the staff and case managers here at Cross Roads House. "I think you guys do a good job here. I think you help people out, get them back on their feet, and I needed that."
  
14th Annual Benefit by the Sea
SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
Saturday, May 7, 2016 


Sponsorships are still available for our 14th Annual Benefit by the Sea gala event on Saturday, May 7th at 6:00 pm at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel. The event includes a cocktail hour, formal dinner, dancing and live music by the Center Stage band, and an opportunity to make a pledge of support for Cross Roads House. Dress is black tie optional.
  
Cross Roads House relies on private philanthropy for three quarters of its annual operating budget. The Benefit by the Sea event is a vital part of securing the necessary funds to continue providing shelter and life changing services for the homeless in our community.

For more information about tickets or sponsorships, contact Jessica Parker at (603) 436-2218 ext. 112 or j.parker@crossroadshouse.org.

Click here to confirm your sponsorship online.

Volunteer Orientation - April 14, 2016 

Interested in volunteering at Cross Roads House?

Jennifer Benjamin prepares vegetables for dinner service.
Seven nights a week, our volunteers prepare and serve dinner to our residents.

 

Find out how you can become a volunteer by attending Volunteer Orientation on Thursday, April 14th, or Thursday, May 12th, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the shelter. Orientation includes a shelter tour, an overview of kitchen operations, and volunteer expectations. 

 

If you have any questions about volunteering or about our orientation program, e-mail JoAnn Rohde at j.rohde@crossroadshouse.org or call 603-436-2218 ext. 107. Pre-registration for orientation is not required. 

 

Please Note:  Volunteers must be over 18 and out of high school to volunteer at the shelter   

 

Click this link for driving directions and parking instructions. 

Thank You! 
 

Thank you to the employees of HighLiner Foods USA for making a very generous donation to Cross Roads House. Pictured left to right are Renate Guillemette, HR Generalist, HighLiner Foods, Martha Stone, and Phil Delisle of HighLiner Foods.

Thank you to Chuck Allard from Seacoast Family Food Pantry for spending a day outside the shelter fixing some of our residents' bikes.

Thank you to Matter Communications for spending the day sprucing up the outside of the shelter. We are so grateful for all your hard work!

Thank you to IPSUMM for donating Easter baskets for our young residents.

 

Thank you to Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains Troop 10854 in Portsmouth for donating 75 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to the shelter.
Cross Roads House
600 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Ph  603.436.2218  Fax  603.430.9217
www.crossroadshouse.org