Gift of Warmth: 'Amazing and beautiful': Sometimes helpers need help, too
ROCHESTER − When Hope on Haven Hill needed help making its residences safe and warm for women and children, it turned to Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, one of two organizations that benefit from funds raised by the annual Gift of Warmth campaign run by Seacoast Media Group and its generous and warm-hearted readers.
Community Action Partnership of Strafford County recently completed a full weatherization and energy efficiency project at Abi's Place. Located on Charles Street in Rochester, Abi's Place is a transitional home for women who have graduated from Hope on Haven Hill's substance use recovery programs.
Children are welcome at both Hope on Haven Hill and Abi's place, living with their moms as they work to rebuild their lives
Gift of Warmth:Catherine, 80, had no money left to repair furnace.
Kerry Norton is the executive director at Hope on Haven Hill. She said they are grateful for the work done by the Strafford CAP, work they would otherwise have struggled to complete at Abi's Place, located at 38 Charles St., Rochester, in the former rectory of St. Mary's Church.
"It was amazing and beautiful, what they did for us," said Norton. "They replaced windows, doors, and worked with Eversource to make our electric services more efficient. This is a big, old house, and this will help so much. We have eight women and their children living there currently, all graduates of Hope on Haven Hill. They can live there up to two years as they go back to school, look for permanent housing and employment. Most of the women end up staying for about one year."
Norton said CEO Betsey Andrews Parker and the Strafford CAP teams helped years ago when Hope on Haven Hill opened on Rochester Hill Road, doing some work on that home, too.
"They did some weatherization there, too, so when we acquired the building for Abi's Place, I reached out again to see if they could help," she said. "We would not have been able to accomplish what we have at these homes without the help of Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. We are very grateful."
Norton said she cannot say enough about the work of the CAP.
"They help us with early HeadStart programs for the children of our mothers," she said. "I know they help so many families. Supporting them is a solid win for everyone. Everything is so hard right now, for families, for our clients, even for our staffing needs. We all need a hand sometimes."
Donations are gratefully accepted, and will be distributed among the community action programs in Rockingham and Strafford counties for them to make a real difference in real lives.
How to donate
This year, we ask that checks donated to Gift of Warmth be made out directly to either Rockingham Community Action or the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County. Please write “Gift of Warmth” in the check memo line to ensure the money goes for fuel assistance.
Checks can be mailed to Gift of Warmth, Seacoast Media Group, 111 New Hampshire Ave., Portsmouth, NH, 03801. We will tally the checks, record the names of each week’s contributors and then forward the checks on to the two county community action programs. Each week throughout the campaign, Seacoast Media Group will publish the names of that week’s donors.
Again, please make the checks out to either the Rockingham Community Action Program or the Community Action Partnership of Strafford County and write Gift of Warmth in the memo line.
If you need help
To apply for fuel assistance, call Rockingham Community Action at (603) 431-2911. People experiencing any significant hardship or financial crisis can also call and they will be referred to the appropriate person. For more information, visit snhs.org.
For Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, call (603) 435-2500 or visit straffordcap.org.
This week's donations bring total after 10 days to $21,225
Rose Almon-Gagne and Roger Gagne, $250
Paul and Joan Stowe, $100
Patricia Chase, $100
Patricia and Lance Lollini, $300
Robert Snover and Darcy Davidson, $100
Richard and Gail Lovett, $100
Paul and Vivian Pelletier, $200
Eileen Black and R.W. Waddington $25
Danielle and Nick, $40
Frederick and Ann Barbour $100
Anonymous $200
Jamie and Gary Garneau, $100
John and Theresa Sofarelli, $ 200
Darel and Barbara Fletcher, $100
Sally and Brad Stevens, $200
George and Carol Hawks, $100
The Torrey Family Trust of 200 UAD, $100
Kimberly Benson, $60
John Walker, $100
Thomas Proux Rev TRT U/A, $1,000
BG's Boathouse $200
Michael and Janet McCann, $200
P and G Welch, $300
Julie McCann, $50
Janet Taylor, $100
Nancy and Peter Brown, $100
Anonymous, $50
Anonymous, $500
Rita McPhee-Fusco, $100
Jean Burbank, $50
Harlan and Pat Cutshall, $500
Admiral Climate Control, LLC $500
Ted and Janith Bergeron, $50
Linda Schepps Bieber and Scott Bieber, $100
June Desroches, $100
Camille and Patrick Crowley, $200
Anonymous, $100
Patricia and William Drake, $100
Patricia and Anthony Rubbicco, $1,000
F. Sugden and Sarah Murphy, $250
Jim and Belinda Mulvey, $500
Jon and Kathy Ross, $200
Sue and Bob Thoresen, $500
Joseph Mayo and Kim Rivest, $250
Gamma Chapter of NH, $100
Shirley and John O'Leary, $100
Betsy Ferguson, $100
Marie Witham, $100
The Carol M. Tingleff Rev Trust, $300
Cheryl Terry, $50
Joanne Holman, $100
Janet Gourley, $100
Shanen and Heath Bingham, $100
Sue and Steve Tober, $300
Wendy Kessler and William Bland, $100
Greenland Veterans Association Inc., $750
Walter D. Hett Trust, $1,000
Deborah Regan and Peter Kelley, $100
Susan Sheehan, $100
Florence Kardash, $100
Anonymou, $500
Patricia Klotz $100
Jalbert Realty Inc., $1,500
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Gift of Warmth: 'Amazing, beautiful': Sometimes helpers need help, too
