The Granite YMCA recognizes and thanks key volunteers and supporters

MANCHESTER — This year marks the 168^th Annual meeting of The Granite YMCA during which volunteers, community supporters, donors, and employees gathered to recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments of The Granite YMCA over the past year.

Mark R. Stebbins Youth of the Year award:

In recognition of his volunteerism and strong leadership skills, Harrison Neff of the YMCA Allard Center was presented with the Mark R. Stebbins Youth of the Year award. Harrison Neff has been a part of the YMCA community since attending pre-school swim lessons. He has participated in countless programs at both the Allard Center and as a long-time camper at Camp Mi-Te-Na. Over the last few years, Harrison has grown from program participant to a young leader though his time as staff, member of the Leaders Club and serving as the President of the Allard Center Leaders Club. Harrison is a stellar role model who knows how to have fun while embodying and passing on the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year Award:

In recognition of his extraordinary leadership over the last seven years, the Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Rob Glew. Rob took over as Chair of the Board this year and has proven to be an insightful, strategic and stabilizing force for The Granite YMCA. He has a unique ability to build consensus from a wide variety of strong opinions from people who deeply care about the Y and have considerations they bring to bear on our organization. Rob is also thoughtful and caring to staff and has given them a voice heard at the Board level. For his dedication, intentionality and deep caring for the Y mission, Rob Glew is The Granite YMCA’s Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year.

Board of Trustee News:

Current trustees re-nominated to the class of 2025: Morey Goodman, Rob Glew, Kerry Houston, Matt Leahy, Dennis Malloy, Sheryl McQuade, Brandon Pierre and Kellie Wardman

New Trustees nominated for a first term for the class of 2025:  Matt Leahy, Bob Pliskin, Dennis Mallory, and Lori Piper

Community Service Awards:

The association presented community service awards to key community business partners for their charitable support and dedication to The Granite YMCA. They included: BerryDunn, Northeast Delta Dental, NH Healthy Families, Amoskeag Health, Town of Hooksett and Hooksett SAU15 and Somersworth Ready Together.

Chairperson’s Awards:

Virginia Gregoire, Ashley Della Savina, Elliot Rowe, Jody Touzin, Dennis Malloy and Beth Dunton were honored with a Chairperson’s Award for their outstanding volunteer service.

Bank of New Hampshire donates to Greater Seacoast Community Health

LACONIA — Bank of New Hampshire contributed $10,000 to Greater Seacoast Community Health.

Greater Seacoast Community Health is a network of community health centers providing primary care, pediatrics, dental care, prenatal care, behavioral health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, mobile health services, WIC, social work services, a pharmacy, parenting classes, playgroups and home visiting. They believe everyone should be empowered to maximize health and well-being and strive to make our array of programs and health services integrated, high quality, affordable, recovery friendly, trauma informed, inclusive and easy to access. As not-for-profit community health centers and family resource centers serving the Greater Seacoast region of New Hampshire and southern Maine, their services are for everyone — infants to seniors, single people and families, insured or uninsured, all income levels.

“We are grateful to Bank of New Hampshire for their commitment to our community health centers and helping us provide integrated, inclusive and accessible health care and family support services to our Seacoast community,” said Joann Neumann, Chief Development Officer at Greater Seacoast Community Health. “Bank of New Hampshire’s support to our health centers over the past 20 years demonstrates not just their commitment to enhance the health and well-being of our neighbors, but to strengthen our entire community.”

Partners Bank fuels community giving

SANFORD, Maine—In an effort to help keep residents of Maine and New Hampshire warm this winter, Partners Bank collaborated with Maine’s Channel 8 WMTW and Maine’s United Way partner program, Keep ME Warm, in what has proven to be a successful campaign to raise both awareness and funds for the cause of heating assistance through southern Maine and New Hampshire. The campaign, titled “Heat Week,” sponsored by Partners Bank and WMTW, took place from Dec. 5 through Dec. 9. Each day throughout the week, WMTW ran spots sharing tips on how to conserve heat and save on heating costs as well as providing information on how viewers could either donate to or obtain - heating assistance. The week culminated in a live telethon on Friday, Dec. 9 with Partners Bank contributing a base donation of $200,000 and meeting a donation match of an additional $50,000. All funds have been donated for heating assistance, divided amongst the United Way of Southern New Hampshire and the Keep ME Warm fund, and have already begun to make a difference in communities.

Through the live telethon phones were manned by a dozen Partners Bank employees who assisted in processing payments for those donating and guided those inquiring about assistance to helpful resources. Appearances through the telethon included Blaine Boudreau, President and CEO, Partners Bank; Liz Cotter Schlax, President and CEO, United Way of Southern Maine; and Matt Wolcott, Senior Vice President of Resource Development and Governance, United Way of Southern Maine; and more.

To donate to this impactful cause or to learn more about how to access heating resources, visit PartnersHeat.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: The Granite YMCA holds annual meeting: Seacoast business news