Food, toys and donations needed: Ways to help in your community

Port City Nissan food drive

PORTSMOUTH - Port City Nissan is now collecting nonperishable food items for local non-profits that work year-round to ensure that everyone in the local community who needs food is able to access healthy nutritious food throughout the year.

Beginning on Thursday, Dec. 8 and finishing on Friday, Dec. 23, Port City Nissan will be collecting non-perishable food items for both Gather as well as the NH Food Bank to support their ongoing efforts to fight hunger not only here in Portsmouth and the greater Seacoast, but across the state of New Hampshire.

During this time, bring any non-perishable food items into our showroom at Port City Nissan. While visiting our showroom with any non-perishable items for a donation to Gather and the NH Food Bank you will be entered to win a platinum car cleaning valued at $250. Simply leave your name and number in a jar that will be placed next to the brand-new Nissan Rogue or with any of our employees for your chance to win. We will draw the winner live on Facebook on Friday, Dec. 23 and also be delivering all of the food to Gather and the NH Food Bank the same day.

Santa for Seniors

LEE — Make a positive difference in the lives of seniors this year. Join New Hampshire Federal Credit Union in delivering holiday smiles to local seniors. You can participate by donating a gift card in any denomination, or you can create a homemade holiday card. Contributing to Santa for Seniors is a way to deliver hope and holiday cheer to seniors in our community. Santa himself will deliver the gift cards and homemade holiday cards NHFCU collects to eight local NH senior facilities in NHFCU’s service areas in mid-December. NHFCU is accepting donations during business hours at our Concord and Lee locations through Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Dover Police Department Annual Christmas Basket Program

DOVER — Chief William M. Breault announced today that the Dover Police Department is now accepting names, addresses, and phone numbers of needy families residing in Dover for the Annual Christmas Basket Program. The Dover Police Department conducts this program each December to provide a Christmas dinner to families in Dover. Employees of the Dover Police Department, and their families, will prepare and deliver the baskets on Dec. 17.

In order to make this program a success, donations are needed from the community. Non-perishable food items, canned goods, or monetary donations will be accepted at the Dover Police Department, 46 Chestnut St. (checks should be made payable to Dover Police Charities). If you cannot deliver your food donations to the police station, call 603-742-4646 and pick up will be arranged.

Operation Santa Claus call for sponsors and donors

CONCORD —  State employees are gearing up for the 62nd consecutive year of organizing Operation Santa Claus, a statewide program that coordinates with the Department of Health & Human Services to provide gifts for children receiving state services.

With fewer funds and more needy children, donations are more impactful than ever. Therefore, new sponsorships are being requested; if you are interested in sponsoring a child, direct contributions are best and can be made by visiting the State Employees’ Association website at https://seiu1984.org/osc/.

For more information on the Operation Santa Claus project, visit www.facebook.com/OperationSantaClausNH or www.operationsantanh.org. Help make this Christmas season memorable for New Hampshire’s children and families.

MVSB Annual Mitten Tree Drive

PORTSMOUTH/ROCHESTER — MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) is collecting donations of new mittens, hats, gloves and scarves for their annual Mitten Tree drive, now through New Year’s Eve. All items will be distributed to local school and nonprofits. MVSB will also match each item donation with $2 to local childcare programs.

Mitten Tree donations can be dropped off at any MVSB branch location. A complete list of offices and hours are available at mvsb.com/locations. The Bank’s matching donations will benefit the following local child and after school care programs in your area: YMCA of the Seacoast and the Rochester Child Care Center.

Families First and Goodwin Community Health in need of gift cards

PORTSMOUTH — Families First and Goodwin Community Health are requesting gift cards for our patients and clients. Our staff works directly with clients to discern their needs and provide assistance. Your gift card donation helps us to meet our clients’ personal needs and remove barriers to living a healthy life. The following is a list of gift cards needed: $10 gas cards, to get to medical appointments; $10 pharmacy cards, for medications or prenatal vitamins; $20 Wal-Mart cards; $25 grocery cards, for food and formula; $25 Amazon cards, for necessities for people with limited transportation. To donate any of these items, please contact Lisa Zhe at lzhe@familiesfirstseacoast.org.

Wreaths Across America in Fremont and East Kingston

EAST KINGSTON — Remember, Honor, and Teach is the mission of the Wreaths Across America Program. Through this program wreaths are placed on the gravesites of veterans during the holiday season. Wreaths Across America would like to place wreaths on the veterans’ gravesites in Fremont and East Kingston. Approximately 350 veterans are buried in Fremont and East Kingston. With your help we will be able to honor each of them with a wreath of remembrance. Wreaths cost $15 each. Ten dollars pays for the construction and delivery of the wreath. The remaining $5 will be used to support two local Veterans Centers that provide for the needs of our homeless veterans.

Please order a wreath or volunteer your services. Your gift will not only remember and honor those veterans who have passed on, but will also provide food, shelter, clothing, and training for our homeless veterans. Please call Gerry Tilley at 603-479-0798 further information.

Help our homeless veterans

EAST KINGSTON — The East Kingston Community United Methodist Church and the Peoples United Methodist Church in cooperation with the public libraries in Fremont, East Kingston and Brentwood, N.H. are sponsoring a drive to assist two Veterans’ Centers that serve homeless veterans, Liberty House in Manchester, N.H. and the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center in Haverhill, Mass.

The following items are needed: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream, hand lotion, knitted and crochet hats for men, women and children, and quilts, afghans and sleeping bags. All donated items must be newly purchased or made.

Please deliver your donations to these collection sites: East Kingston Public Library, Fremont Public Library, Mary E. Bartlett Public Library in Brentwood, N.H., Fremont Town Hall, East Kingston Town Hall, the Peoples United Methodist Church in Fremont, N.H., and the East Kingston Community United Methodist Church. Note: Quilts, afghans and sleeping bags can only be accepted at the Mary E. Bartlett Library in Brentwood, N.H.

The drive will continue through Thursday, Dec. 15. For further information, please call Gerry Tilley at 603-479-0798.

Sneaker donations wanted

HAMPTON — Hampton United Methodist Church, 525 Lafayette Road, Hampton, is collecting gently worn, used or new sneakers. The sneakers that we collect will help raise money to support our outreach and mission projects as well as helping our environment by keeping sneakers out of landfills. Sneakers can be dropped off at the church office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you would like more information, please go to our website, hamptonnhumc.org, call the church office at 603-926-2702 or email hamptonumc@myfairpoint.net.

Portsmouth Public Library Coat Swap

PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth Public Library invites anyone who would benefit from receiving a coat to stop by the library through Jan. 7. Free and open to all.

Cat Tales is seeking donations

SEABROOK — Get to know Cat Tales Rescue is a local 501©3 nonprofit, dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of homeless felines. This past year, Cat Tales has rescued more than 900 cats, and over 1,000 were adopted in 2021.  Cat Tales experienced a very busy kitten season in 2022.  Just as they were hoping it was winding down, a large intake of even more youngsters occurred recently.

Currently, donations are needed to get the next 24 kittens fixed.  Please visit: https://www.venmo.com/u/Cat-Tales-1 or, go to the website, www.cattalesnh.org.  Your continued support is greatly appreciated.    All animals deserve a safe and caring home. Cat Tales is working to achieve that reality.

3rd Annual Holiday Giving

ROCHESTER — Alex and Associates is holding their 3rd annual Holiday Giving to benefit the Spaulding High School Raiders Station pantry for the students in need. Please consider helping us by donating gift cards for local grocery stores, Walmart, Visa gift cards, any type of restaurant gift card, Dunkin's gift cards, non-perishable food, toiletries, socksm sweatshirts, blankets, anything you think these young adults in need may like to get them through the holidays. Drop off or mail to 1 Windhaven Dr., Rochester, NH 03867, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 15. Contact us for more information or alternate drop off days/times at alexassociatesoffice@gmail.com.

Collection for the Homeless

ROCHESTER — The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is collecting items to benefit the Homeless Center of Strafford County. Items being collected include new books for children ages 8-17, new puzzles for children ages 12-plus, toilet paper and paper towels. A full list of items needed is available at the Chamber office. Items may be brought to the Chamber office now through Dec. 17. For more information please contact the Chamber office at 603-332-5080 or visit: www.rochesternh.org.

Give to Continuum Arts Collective second Annual Giving Tree

NORTH BERWICK, Maine - Continuum Arts Collective is hosting its second Annual Giving Tree to provide free musical instruments, art supplies, and creative instruction for at least 100 lucky student artists and musicians in Southern Maine and New Hampshire this holiday season.

Students can apply for instruments and art supplies by going to continuumarts.org/apply. If approved, students and their families can pick up these materials at CAC headquarters in North Berwick, Maine, on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

CAC is accepting donations to support its giving tree at continuumarts.org/donate. All donations are tax-deductible. Every donation is acknowledged on social media, and an ornament with the donor’s name is placed on the giving tree.

Toy Bank Donations and Winter Coat Drive

BERWICK, Maine — Donations for the Berwick Firefighter Association's Toy Bank can be dropped off at the library anytime during business hours between now and Friday, Dec. 16. The donation box is located just inside the library entrance. Toys should be new and unwrapped. The library is also holding a winter coat drive. During library business hours, drop off new or gently worn clean winter coats through mid January. Women’s and children’s coats preferred, and hats and gloves are welcome.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Food, toys and donations needed: Ways to help in your community