Helping families keep their pantries stocked and more ways Granite Staters are supporting each other
This year’s need for volunteers has been next-level, with shelters, food pantries, healthcare facilities and other nonprofit organizations dealing with increasingly higher numbers of people seeking not only the basics, like food and housing, but also masks and other personal protective equipment, plus in-home services due to stay-at-home orders and quarantining. Meanwhile, nonprofits have had to get creative in order to provide those services safely, and to continue raising the money that supports their programs. Gretchen Stallings, executive director of Volunteer NH, said Granite Staters have really stepped up. “Volunteers quickly engaged, helping with tasks such as distributing food and checking on neighbors during the pandemic,” she said. “Organizations across the state acted nimbly, mobilizing technology and establishing safety protocols.” Here, we asked some all-star volunteers — several of whom will be honored with Volunteer NH’s 2020 Spirit of NH awards during a virtual ceremony on Dec. 9 — to tell us via email what they’ve been doing, how the pandemic has affected their work, and what you can do to help.
Jennifer Kidwell
Meals for Manchester, Fuel Our Families
What is your role in the organization?
As a volunteer, I helped distribute over 93,000 meals to the Manchester community during the spring of 2020, and 19,500 meals in summer and fall of 2020 to families in Manchester with the Fuel Our Families program.
What kinds of things do you do?
With the Meals for Manchester program, I helped pack buses with food and milk at Southern New Hampshire University first thing in the morning, and then would distribute the lunches to Manchester families in person at the Manchester Police Athletic League and at different locations across the city. I help pack fresh fruit and healthy nonperishable items for the Fuel Our Families program that are distributed by different organizations to families across the city of Manchester.
Why did you get involved?
My colleague, Steve Thiel, helped create the Meals for Manchester program in the spring of 2020, and I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer and connect with members of the Manchester community. My favorite part of volunteering was being able to personally meet Manchester families, talk with them and make sure they were doing OK, and give them healthy and delicious lunches. I am currently volunteering with the Fuel Our Families program, a collaboration between SNHU, Granite United Way, Granite YMCA, and the Manchester School District, packaging up fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other healthy nonperishable items to be delivered to families this fall and winter.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
The opportunity to volunteer and give back to the Manchester community in the midst of a pandemic has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Volunteering fills up my heart and soul, and I was shocked and honored to be awarded the Chairman’s Award/Volunteer of the Year from the Granite YMCA last week.
What can others do to help?
Donate by texting ‘Manchester’ to 41444 and see if your company is able to donate, too!
Isabel Povey
Seeds of Hope, based in Hampstead
What is your role?
I am the president and founder. [She’s also a 17-year-old junior at Pinkerton Academy.]
What kinds of things do you do?
Seeds of Hope is a nonprofit organization that works to end hunger on both a local and global scale. We provide vegetable seeds to schools, churches and orphanages overseas to serve as a reliable source of nutrients. Here in New Hampshire, I work every weekend in various food pantries throughout the state and focus on keeping their shelves stocked for those who need it. One example of this would be the ‘Povey Power’ virtual 5K I organized back in April, which raised enough to feed nearly 9,000 New Hampshire families after just a few days! Aside from eliminating food insecurity, it is my biggest goal to spread hope and ignite change in others, as noted from the Seeds of Hope motto, ‘From the smallest of seeds grow the mightiest of trees,’ because we all have the power to make a difference!
Why did you get involved?
I have been working to end hunger since I was 7 years old, after giving my dinner leftovers to a kind homeless man. Immediately after I met him, I was determined to help others who were struggling and visited my local soup kitchen. There, I was turned away for being ‘too young’ to help, so instead I decided to go home and decorate placemats with positive messages for everyone getting served! I then began initiating food drives and it wasn’t too long until I watched this simple hobby turn into a passion, then ultimately my true purpose. I decided to start my own organization with the goal to help more people and make change everywhere.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
As soon as there was talk at school of a potential shutdown, I started spending my lunch periods in our campus food pantry, preparing take-home bags for the kids of food-insecure households. Then, once the switch to remote was announced, I immediately spearheaded a food drive to help out another local school take-home program and continued to work hard to keep multiple food pantries stocked. … Now, every Saturday I work at a mobile food pantry and we serve more than 350 families right in Manchester, and I am always helping with other organizations throughout the state. With the unprecedented need that surfaced along with the Covid pandemic, this has truthfully been the busiest I’ve ever been!
What can others do to help?
Food insecurity can impact anyone; it might be your friends, neighbors, or even family members who must decide between paying the bills or paying for groceries. It is incredibly important that we work together and share our strength especially after we have all been through so much this year. For information on how to help those struggling around you, visit isabelpovey.com. Giving back means so much more than raising thousands of dollars. It can be as simple as holding the door for someone. Sharing a meal, a smile, an hour, or donating some of your allowance to a food pantry … it all helps.
What are you doing to take care of your own well-being during this crazy time?
Like so many others, I have been taking advantage of our beautiful state and spending lots of extra time outdoors! I have been hiking a lot and am on my way to climbing all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers. I even incorporated a new project I like to call ‘Kindness Rocks’ and have left painted rocks with inspirational messages on each peak.
Jillian Schucart
Representing the volunteers of St. Joseph Community Services Meals on Wheels in Nashua
What is your role in the organization?
Assistant program director
What kinds of things do you do?
I assist the Program Department in overseeing the daily operations of multiple sites throughout Hillsborough County. I love that each day is different in my role. A core aspect of my position is to oversee our volunteer program. I spend a lot of my time recruiting and onboarding new volunteers, which includes conducting driver trainings. I also follow-up on client concerns, and sometimes I have the opportunity to deliver meals to our homebound clients, which is definitely a highlight!
Why did you get involved?
I joined the Meals on Wheels team in 2018 when I was looking to make a career change. I knew I wanted to work for Meals on Wheels when I learned of the significant difference that the agency makes in the lives of our clients. Not only do we provide clients with nutritious meals, we also combat social isolation through our friendly visits and wellness checks!
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
The biggest change has been the transition from our traditional hot lunch program to providing all frozen meals to our clients. Our administrative team has been working remotely when we can, and of course we are socially distancing and wearing masks when we are in the office or at nutrition sites. I am proud that our agency has continued to deliver meals throughout the entire pandemic. We could not do it without all of our staff and volunteers! We are taking the necessary precautions and screening processes to ensure that everyone is as safe as possible. The pandemic has definitely impacted the way we think about everything we do.
What can others do to help?
Help us deliver meals to homebound individuals in Manchester and Nashua! If you are interested in learning more, call me at 603-424-9967 or email volunteer@sjcsinc.org.
Sarah Heard
Concord Coalition to End Homelessness
What is your role in the organization?
I am a weekly volunteer at the Resource Center.
What kinds of things do you do?
I serve coffee, snacks and supplies to guests; I monitor shower, laundry and computer use; I sort, distribute and sometimes help decipher mail, and I try to provide an open ear for guests.
Why did you get involved?
I got involved shortly after moving to Concord because I wanted to get to know my new community.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
The pandemic has really just moved my daily volunteer routine from inside to outside. The staff at CCEH have adapted the Resource Center remarkably well. I know it’s taken a lot of work on their part to make the changes seem so smooth to me and to guests, and it gives me confidence that the Resource Center will be able to weather the winter months.
What can others do to help?
CCEH is working to end homelessness by creating more affordable and supportive housing. Their website, concordhomeless.org, suggests a number of ways we can work toward that goal, including volunteering our time, donating specific supplies, and, of course, financial support.
Christina Melanson
Friends of the Manchester Animal Shelter
What is your role in the organization?
I am a cat care volunteer, and also help the vet tech in the clinic once a week.
What kinds of things do you do?
Volunteers are given an orientation, then choose from a variety of duties they are comfortable with, including dog walking, cat or dog care and feeding, adoptions, restocking, cleaning, handling donations or simply spending time keeping the animals company and playing, the fun part! I chose to volunteer one morning a week, and what I do is feed the kittens and cats waiting for adoption, clean and sanitize their “houses,” provide each one the opportunity for some free-roaming exercise and play, restock, sweep and mop their rooms. We make sure there is classical music playing to help soothe them. There are several spaces housing cats; the adoption room and community room are open to the public, an intake room where strays await being medically evaluated by the veterinarian, and an additional building housing cats in isolation being treated for illness, plus two large rooms housing cats that may be free-roaming but not ready for adoption. There are always blankets and bedding to be laundered, donations to organize and put away, participating in fundraisers such as the annual plant sale, dog wash days, auctions, golf tournaments and fun runs. One Saturday we installed engraved memorial bricks in the courtyard commemorating beloved pets. Groundskeeping is also a need. We also get guinea pigs, rabbits, parakeets, even roosters and snakes from time to time! I’ve volunteered 327 hours since 2018.
Why did you get involved?
On retirement, I knew I wanted to give back to my community in some way. My background is surgical and post-anesthesia nursing, but I was burned out with hospital work. The Volunteer NH website listed the shelter, and as I am animal-lover, this was a good fit. What is especially important to me is that this is a no-kill shelter, and every animal that comes through our doors is spayed or neutered to further zero-population growth of stray and abandoned animals; they are also vaccinated and microchipped, placed for adoption here or at PetSmart and Petco, or if socialization is not an option such as for feral cats, tagged and placed in available barn housing in the warm weather or released back to a neighborhood with feeding stations. Abandoned kittens too young for neutering are cared for by ‘foster parent’ volunteers. Also impressive is the Fix-a-Pit program. Plus, it was obvious the staff care deeply about what they do.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
Our hours have been arranged to minimize the number of people in the building at one time, and masks are required. From March through the summer, only staff were allowed in the buildings and handled all the work. Adoptions are presently by appointment only. Personally, I actually had a mild case of Covid-19 in April, and my mother in law, also infected, passed away while living with us. So we have postponed our planned visiting our grandchildren on the West Coast and annual backpacking trips and are acutely aware of the guidelines.
What can others do to help?
Visit Friends of the Manchester Animal Shelter website, discover all this organization offers, and investigate the opportunities to get involved. Ask how you might contribute. Help is needed every day of the year. There is currently such limited space, I would say badly needed is an updated facility for a city of this size; donations are always welcome.
Jay Schumacher
Granite United Way
What is your role in the organization?
I serve on the Community Impact Committee, as a Community Grant Reviewer and volunteer with various other projects.
What kinds of things do you do?
As one of several Community Impact Committee members, we meet monthly with staff members of Granite United Way to receive program … updates that the organization has undertaken or is considering. We are fortunate to hear directly from community leaders with organizations such as the Friendly Kitchen, the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, the Concord Police department, Health and Human Services and Concord Hospital. They share insight regarding trends, challenges and success that they are experiencing and how these are impacting our greater Concord residents. Often during these meetings we are asked for our input and ideas, as well as brainstorming and vetting of the action plans GUW is considering for action.
Why did you get involved?
Several years ago I wanted to provide more volunteer support within the Concord area. Granite United Way has been a longtime partner with my employer and it seemed like a natural fit when one of the GUW representatives asked if I would like to participate with the annual Grant Review Committee process. After that initial experience I was hooked! … The organizations seeking funding during these times are truly doing all they can to support residents in every corner of our community. … It’s nice to be able to offer some of my time to this imitative in particular because I can quickly understand and see the results of our efforts, helping these wonderful organizations help our community members in our local area.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
Very quickly we shifted to all remote for meetings and … have taken strides to find creative work-arounds for all of our volunteerism. We recently took on a part of the Concord Reads initiative to build and install several Little Free Libraries with Granite United Way providing leadership. Several of us met virtually, discussed and planned the required actions and who would take on each one. Normally we would have gathered in person for these sessions and we probably would have assembled the libraries together as a team. Instead we have all worked remotely and in very small groups of only two or three people. This is surely different than normal, but nonetheless I believe we have been effective, installing our first of four Little Free Libraries just recently.
What can others do to help?
The best suggestion I can offer is to visit the Granite United Way website at graniteuw.org … [which] provides quick links to how anyone can give, advocate or volunteer. A little help from everyone goes a long way and the information from within these links provides several ways that we can all contribute!
Ajay Rana Bhat
Everest Centennial Lions Club, based in Nashua
What is your role in the organization?
I am the secretary for the Club.
What kinds of things do you do?
I communicate the mission and the success of the club, and I help with projects, including two recent Covid-19 projects that I coordinated: masks for health care workers and public workers, and one month of food for youth affected by Covid-19.
Why did you get involved?
After the tragic earthquake in 2015 Nepal, I got myself super active in helping the needy and poor, from building shelters to distributing medical supplies. … My volunteering services were not just limited in Nepal but when I moved to the United States in 2019 I immediately joined the Everest Centennial Lions Club as secretary and began contributing my time for the needy.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
To be honest at first we were confused on how and what we should do during this pandemic but after we knew more about this virus and the guidelines, it helped us make a path to help the needy. The Everest Centennial Lions Clubs provided masks for health care workers and public workers, and one month of food for youth affected by Covid-19. … We were able to distribute 1,000 masks for health care workers of Rochester Manor Nursing Home, some staff of the National Visa Center and needy families. We also distributed 100 pieces of medical safety glasses during this project. … We have [also] delivered … groceries for 20 international students from different countries and two national students of the different states of the U.S.A. who came to study in New Hampshire who are in a tough situation and having a hard time meeting needs. … I took a challenge to deliver a one-month grocery [supply to] their home with help of Umesh Koirala and Alina Karki.
What can others do to help?
You could help in your neighborhood, online or in other countries. To start helping you’ll need a passion as well as time, and don’t expect anything back.
What are you doing to take care of your own well-being during this crazy time?
We need to have strong mental health, and since I have experienced a similar situation during the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, I made sure that … I kept myself engaged with different activities and didn’t give enough time to myself to think about this pandemic. In my free time, I made sure that I listened to the news once a day, practiced yoga, gardening and photography.
Terri McGrew
Representing the volunteers of YMCA of Greater Nashua
What is your role in the organization?
Volunteer coordinator
What kinds of things do you do?
I recruit volunteers to share their time and talents at our three local branches located in Nashua and Merrimack to support our staff members and enhance our membership experiences and our community partnerships. Our volunteers help advance our mission and they make an important contribution in our communities.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
Our Program and Policy Volunteers started the year strong with nearly 400 individuals contributing 6,100 hours of volunteer service before the Covid-19 statewide shutdown in March caused us to pause our volunteer opportunities. As the YMCA opens more programs and activities at our branches our volunteers are returning to share their time and talents with our community. At the start of our year the YMCA offered over 50 different volunteer opportunities, including fitness instructors, coaches, early childhood education helpers, homework helpers and YMCA Togetherhood volunteers. … To address the Covid-19 pandemic and offer assistance to local families, we partnered with the United Way of Greater Nashua to provide volunteer drivers for a Covid Relief Food and Produce Distribution Program. The YMCA provided volunteer drivers Monday through Thursday to pick up food and produce at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and deliver it to eight different outdoor pop-up pantries around Nashua. The YMCA volunteer drivers delivered food and produce to 6,675 clients through the end of October. As the winter months and colder weather set in we transitioned to delivering food and produce to two indoor pop-up pantries located at the Nashua YMCA and First Church in downtown Nashua in early November. … Another proud accomplishment is the contribution our Annual Campaign Volunteers make to help raise money during the pandemic for the Y Cares program to provide scholarships to local children and families in need so they can experience Y programs and services such as child care, day camp, dance and arts, sports, swimming and more. The Y Cares Financial Assistance Program provided $456,000 in financial assistance in 2020 to ensure the Y is accessible to all.
What can others do to help?
Individuals and families can share their time and talents at the YMCA of Greater Nashua and make a fundamental difference in many lives. Check out our website for current volunteer opportunities at nmymca.org
What are you doing to take care of your own well-being during this crazy time?
Having a wonderful position at the YMCA and being an engaged volunteer with the Brookline Lions Club and Camp Allen is very rewarding and keeps me busy. I always remember there are many opportunities to help others and make a difference in the world.
Jaimie Adams
Seacoast Medical Reserve Corps/Central New Hampshire Medical Reserve Corps
What is your role in the organization?
My role in the organization is to respond to requests for help as a licensed EMT or any other duties that fall under my scope of practice, whenever available.
What kinds of things do you do?
A request was put out asking for LNAs to work in an Assisted Living Care Facility for a couple weeks with the possibility of being extended, as they had active Covid cases within the facility. I volunteered to help out, with the agreement that the State could get me housing so I didn’t pass Covid on to anyone else in the event I became infected. I worked anywhere between 8- to 12-hour shifts, filling the role of an LNA and helping out wherever I could. At times I had to jump into EMT mode as residents started to destabilize and the nurse and I would do everything in our power to get them stable again.
Why did you get involved?
I got involved because I have skills and training that were in high demand (and still are) and I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. I believe in leading by example and I hope my actions will inspire others to do the right thing, even if it’s scary. I am a stay-at-home mom with a 2½-year-old, at the time, and my mother was able to take care of my daughter while I was gone and my husband worked. I try to take care of people and help out whenever I can — it’s just who I am.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
The pandemic has taken a normally slow organization, business-wise, and increased the workload exponentially. There are limited amounts of people to help and a lot of help is needed right now so resources are thin. I started out early in the pandemic volunteering for the Metropolitan Medical Response System, conducting testing, and training others on how to do the testing. I did this before I began my work in the nursing home and also a few times while working in the nursing home. Being gone for so long had a negative impact on my daughter, which has been [difficult] to overcome. I just pray as she gets older she will understand what I did and why I did it. I was a hospice volunteer and volunteer firefighter prior to the pandemic and I have had to give everything up because I simply do not have the time any longer. This was tough for me because I absolutely loved volunteering in both organizations.
What can others do to help?
Others can help by signing up for NH Responds and see if you have any of the skills that are desired: doctors, nurses, LNAs, paramedic, EMTs, the list goes on. Even if you don’t have any medical background you can still be an active member in a support role. If you have the time, please take that step because everyone is already exhausted and we are just hitting wave 2.
What are you doing to take care of your own well-being during this crazy time?
I am just trying to keep a toddler alive, entertained and learning and support my husband as much as I can as he works long hours. My well-being? Sleep would be nice but I will just enjoy whatever life [my toddler] throws at me day by day. I met some amazing people through this, and for that I will always be grateful.
Team Bronze Award Project
Ginger Koslowski, representing the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains
What is their role in the organization?
This is a team of Girl Scout Juniors (those in grades 4 and 5), who stepped up to provide personal protective equipment and other items to help out during the pandemic. A team of 103 Girl Scouts, 67 of them from across New Hampshire, formed the team to work on this project. It is called the Team Bronze Award Project because each girl earned Girl Scouting’s Bronze Award, the highest achievement for a Girl Scout Junior, for participating in this effort.
What kinds of things do they do?
The Girl Scouts chose to make face masks, ear savers, face shields, hand sanitizer and care packages. They also created websites and tutorials on how to make PPE and the best way to wear a face mask. They worked remotely but together.
Why did they get involved?
Girl Scouting is all about making the world a better place, and as soon as the pandemic hit girls got busy trying to help. Our council decided a team project would make a significant impact.
How has the pandemic affected your efforts?
The pandemic has definitely forced changes in the way Girl Scouts meet and conduct activities, but our girls are resilient and determined, and they always find a way to meet new challenges.
What can others do to help?
Girl Scouting is open to any girl — and adult volunteers — and provides many ways to not just help during the pandemic, but to make their community a better place in which to live at any time. See girlscoutsgwm.org.
David Crespo
Manchester Rotary Club
What is your role in the organization?
President
What kinds of things do you do?
Rotary is the largest nonprofit organization in the world. Our club is focused on children. Every year we hold the Cruising Downtown car show, which draws 30,000 people and 1,000 cars and we raise about $70,000. Every dollar is put into programs through organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, MPAL, Camp Allen, YWCA, Catholic Charities, Manchester Mental Health Center and Waypoint, to name a few.
Why did you get involved?
I was a single dad raising two daughters; my whole life was about providing for them and raising them to be good and successful people. I learned that many of their friends did not have the foundation I had provided and many did not have the means. I wanted to help in a small way at first and joined Rotary. During my time here I realized that I can do so much more. With all the crazy in the world it’s great working with good people who just want to help make a difference. Our motto is ‘Service Above Self.’
How has the pandemic affected your efforts, both personally and within your organization?
Unfortunately as a club we were not able to hold our big fundraiser, which was heartbreaking but we knew it was in the best interest and we also know that we will adapt and overcome. Like many organizations we have gone virtual and recently [have had] hybrid meetings. We have done many service projects such as renovations at Camp Allen, working at New Horizons feeding the homeless, making face masks for Amoskeag Health and are in the process of a renovation project at Girls Inc. We held a Mask Up program in April and handed out about 30,000 face masks to the general public. In conjunction with Rotary International we put together grants for PPE and distributed checks to YWCA, Manchester Mental Health Center and Amoskeag Health. Personally my biggest challenge is making sure for the safety of my children — as a dad you never outgrow that!
What can others do to help?
I believe that you need to find something you are passionate about! One of my biggest passions is homeless veterans. As a veteran I understand the challenges returning home so I wanted to get involved with The Liberty House. Once you find that passion go and volunteer. Many people do not know that Rotary International cured polio. We now have a clean water initiative. Maybe you want to help internationally — there are so many opportunities out there just waiting for a few good people to make a difference and you could be one of them!
