Lois R. Shea

Meet Sonya Salanti

Sonya Salanti of Bethlehem has joined the Charitable Foundation as director of the Neil and Louise Tillotson Funds. She talked to the Foundation’s Lois Shea about the joy of applying her skills in the place where she lives, the Tillotson Funds’ work during COVID – and how volunteering to park cars in the rain helped connect her to her new hometown.

Improving cold storage so more healthy food gets to people in need

A grant from the Community Crisis Action Fund is helping get new refrigerators and freezers to food pantries and soup kitchens around the state, so they can distribute more fresh, healthy food to families.

Bobbie Bagley, director of the Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

More community health workers being deployed in Nashua

New Hampshire’s COVID-19 Equity Response Team recommended deploying an army of COVID-19 response community health workers to help people of color access care, testing and other services and resources to improve health outcomes. A grant from the Foundation’s Community Crisis Action Fund, combined with federal CARES Act funding, is making it possible for the City of Nashua to hire four community health workers to serve communities of color disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turning hurt into hope

Network of Child Advocacy Centers around the state provide a child-centered, consolidated approach to help children at the center of abuse allegations.

NERF grant recipient, The Capitol Center for the Arts. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund helps bridge the gap

Foundation, NH Center for Nonprofits and CDFA partnered to create and administer grant program that helped the state distribute almost $40 million in federal CARES Act funding to nonprofit organizations. A full program summary from the three organizations is now available.

Sylvain Bukasa, a farmer at Fresh Start Farm in Dunbarton, which is operated by the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Fresh Start Farms helping to feed our communities

The Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success operates farms that have become an important part of the local food-shed. A mobile market brings fresh, local produce to housing communities in Concord and Manchester, and a Food Hub is now operating in downtown Manchester. And a CSA delivers to homes and businesses.

Nonprofits helping educate about absentee voting

All New Hampshire voters will be allowed to vote absentee in next month’s general election — for the first time ever. A coalition of New Hampshire nonprofits is working to help ensure that people know how to vote safely and securely.

Kids explore in steams as a part of the Four Winds Nature Institute program. (Courtesy photo.)

Continuing gifts and grants in response to COVID-19

Since the COVID-19 crisis began to unfold, generous New Hampshire people have rallied to help their neighbors, giving more than $4.1 million into the Foundation's Community Crisis Action Fund. The Foundation has made more than $9.7 million in grants to help sustain our communities through this crisis.

My Breast Cancer Support, Celebrate Pink 5K 2019 participants. (Photo by Aaron Duarte Images.)

‘It’s about knowing that you’re not alone’

My Breast Cancer Support, a small nonprofit on the Seacoast, provides emotional and financial support to people who are managing the most prevalent form of cancer among women.

Helping Hands Fund fills gaps for older adults

The Helping Hands Relief Fund covers essential goods and services for basic needs to help protect the health and well-being of people over 60 who face compounded risk from COVID-19. It is administered by Easterseals and supported by the Charitable Foundation's Community Crisis Action Fund.

Teacher Martha Sharp works with child at Easterseals Child Development Center in Manchester. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Progress for the youngest among us

In recent years, the Charitable Foundation has made investments that helped push statewide policy change and funding, build coalitions and secure significant federal dollars to help improve outcomes for young children. Christina Lachance, who had been leading that work, has now taken the helm as director of the New Hampshire Council For Thriving Children.

Big Brothers Big Sisters. (Courtesy photo.)

Partnership focuses on training mentors to support LGBTQ youth

The Respect for All Youth Fund at the Charitable Foundation is supporting PRISM, a partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and Seacoast Outright, to make sure that LGBTQ youth have supportive mentors in their lives.

Senior Writer and Communications Officer

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