Cross Roads House annual Gala raises record amount: Community news update
From sheep to sweater at the Wentworth House
ROLLINSFORD — Come cheer on the Granite Web Makers as they shear a sheep, spin the wool into yarn, and knit a sweater by hand, all in one day, on June 5 at the historic Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford.
The Granite Web Makers are one of three official USA teams in the 2022 International Back to Back Wool Challenge, an annual event that challenges teams of woolcrafters around the globe to create a sweater directly from a sheep's back to a human's back in one day. Each team consists of a blade shearer, a country of origin sheep, and seven spinners/knitters who follow the identical Challenge rules and pattern to knit an adult size sweater, all in one day. In addition to sharing their love of wool, the Granite Web Makers will be raising money for Amy’s Treat, a nonprofit organization which supports Seacoast area cancer patients by providing solutions to the day-to-day difficulties of living with cancer and offering unexpected “treats” to renew the spirit.
The day’s activities will begin at 9 a.m. with sheep shearing, followed by a day of spinning and knitting. At 1 p.m., special guest Judy Cataldo will give a presentation on historic knitting. In addition, items made from handspun yarns and knitted by team members will be raffled off, with 100% of all raffle tickets and donations going to support Amy's Treat.
Located on Water Street in Rollinsford, the circa 1701 Wentworth House is maintained by the Association for Rollinsford Culture and History as an educational and cultural center for the community. For more information, consult the ARCH website at www.paulwentworthhouse.org.
Cross Roads House annual Gala sets record
PORTSMOUTH — Cross Roads House announced that this year’s 20th Annual Benefit by the Sea, held May 7, at the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel, was its most successful fundraising event to date. The generosity of the Seacoast community was on full display with sponsorships and guest pledges totaling more than $724,000 – an extraordinary and record-setting amount for this event.
“It had been three years since our last in-person gala. In that time, Cross Roads House has survived a pandemic and change in leadership with a new executive director and a new development director,” shared Ben St. Jean, president of the board of directors. “The administration, the staff, the board and the whole team came together to create an event that did not disappoint. It was truly wonderful to all be together again.”
The success of the evening was due in no small part to the 60 corporate and private sponsors, including lead sponsor The 100 Club; benefactors Novocure, Michael and Julie Bean, Gary and Karen DeStefanao, and Lex Scourby; platinum sponsors BankProv, the LeMay Family Goodworks Foundation, and Chris and Audrey Sargent. Guests at the event were equally generous, offering pledges that essentially doubled the sponsorship dollars. For a full list of sponsors, event results, and event photos, please visit the organization’s website at https://www.crossroadshouse.org/benefit-by-the-sea/.
“We continue to be inspired by those in the Seacoast community who provide this kind of support to help break the cycle of homelessness. The Benefit by the Sea gala has become a signature event in the community and is critical to funding our annual operating expenses. Every gift made that night and throughout the year counts toward funding the needs of our residents,” said Will Arvelo, executive director of Cross Roads House.
During this year’s event Ed Mallon, founder of Secure Planning, LLC, was honored for his 20 years of volunteer service to Cross Roads House. Over the course of his tenure with CRH, Ed has worked tirelessly with the board and in particular, the finance committee, to ensure CRH investments were sound and in compliance with our investment policy. Ed has been a staunch supporter of CRH as a sponsor of the Benefit by the Sea Gala and as well as a committed donor overall. The impact of his generosity has been, and will continue to be, felt by thousands of people in our community.
Advocacy is encouraged through Girl Scout program
CONCORD – Girls with the nerve to change the world grow up and do it. One group of high school students has set their sights on making the world a better place through advocacy and they are learning how to achieve their goals through Girls Rock the Capitol, a six-month-long internship with state legislators in New Hampshire and Vermont.
The program is offered by Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving girls throughout the two states. It allows participants to sit in on legislative hearings and pair up with a state representative to work on a bill close to their heart. Some were already Girl Scouts, while others joined specifically to participate in the internship. The current group’s interests vary widely, including drug addiction, climate change, the minimum wage, gender equality, adoption and foster care, abortion, the economics of education, and more.
The group comes to the New Hampshire State House once a month to see the inner workings of state government and work with their mentor. They have even had the opportunity to testify in front of lawmakers.
“I attended a hearing on the abortion ban repeal,” said James Oshima, 15, of Madbury, who was one of those who testified. “They should think about young people like us. I get passionate when people don’t want to give women bodily autonomy.”
Getting to see exactly how policymakers come to agreement – or not – has been instructive to the group.
The group found a few things surprising as they learned how things work over the past few months.
“I was surprised at the guys who want to secede from the union,” said Oshima.
Find out more about Girl Scouting’s leadership opportunities at www.girlscoutsgwm.org.
Step Up Parents awarded Bishop’s Charitable Assistance grant
PORTSMOUTH — Seacoast-based nonprofit Step Up Parents received a generous $5,000 grant from the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund to continue its mission to provide financial support to kinship families resulting from parental addiction in New Hampshire.
Anu Mullikin, chair, for the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund said, “The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund is so pleased to be able to help Step Up Parents continue to offer support to relatives or close family friends who step up to care, nurture, and protect children.”
The Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund makes grants to tax-exempt organizations without regard to religious affiliation for projects that help people in New Hampshire meet their basic needs. The Fund is operated by volunteer laymen and women who serve as Directors and who make recommendations to the Bishop of Manchester for grants to any organization in New Hampshire whose mission is consistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
"We are so pleased to have been awarded this grant again this year as we are seeing a greater need in our state,” said Step Up Parents Founder and Executive Director, Denyse Richter. “Many of our kinship caregivers live on fixed incomes and are struggling to absorb the increased costs of everyday goods and services. Times are tough.”
Since its founding in 2019, Step Up Parents has helped 270 kinship families, giving over $120,000 in assistance with the help of generous grants like this one from the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund.
If you or someone you know is a relative caregiver raising children of a loved one struggling with substance misuse, please visit www.stepupparents.net, call 603-319-4739, or email info@stepupparents.net. To make a donation to Step Up Parents, please visit www.stepupparents.net/donate or mail to P.O. Box 1603, Portsmouth, NH, 03801.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Cross Roads House annual Gala raises record amount: Community news update
