Stories of determination + hope - NH Charitable Foundation

Bobbie Bagley, Foundation Board of Director. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

A NH for All: Connections, conversations, inspiration

We were so excited to welcome more than 500 people to five community events this fall to celebrate “A New Hampshire for All.” New connections were made, new ideas and collaborations sparked, old connections rekindled. We are grateful to everyone who joined us. See below for photos, videos and links to transcripts of the remarks of our guest speakers.

Mindy Cambiar, executive director of Hundred Nights. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Leading with respect, dignity and compassion for people experiencing homelessness

Our greatest challenge continues to be reducing the stigma about people experiencing homelessness. People become homeless for many reasons such as a lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse disorders, catastrophic illness, natural disasters, unemployment, or working low-wage jobs. They are individuals of all ages, colors, and abilities. They are all human beings, worthy of respect, dignity, and compassion.

Phil Wyzik, CEO of Mondanock Family Services. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Advancing mental health care to strengthen community

A community mental health center is a private not-for-profit with a public mission. We provide a core array of services to the general public — like emergency crisis services — and the treatments and programs that kids or adults need should they have a disabling mental health condition. We do things that no other healthcare provider can do.

Collaboration at the heart of mission

Vital Communities’ mission is to engage people, organizations, and communities to create equitable solutions to our region’s challenges. We are not just an organization, we are a movement with collaboration at the heart of our work. We believe in the strength of our communities and the catalytic effect that occurs when diverse minds unite for a shared purpose.

Aaron Almanza attends a Pride event in Claremont. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Pride builds community, belonging

When LGBTQ people can feel safe, they can become part of the larger community, which is better for everyone. When we feel we belong, and know this can be home, that we want to stay here, or to move here, we will fight for that sense of place, and we fight for each other. And because of that, we all thrive together.

Airole Warden, of the Coös Coalition for Young Children and Families and the Coös County Directors’ Network. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Speaking up for North Country children and families

"A New Hampshire for All" means that we need all voices from all corners to truly move forward.

Gene Martin, executive director at the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Data and research to inform, make a difference

As the executive director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute — a nonpartisan, independent policy research nonprofit organization — and a father to two young children, I spend a considerable amount of my professional and personal life thinking about how decisions made in Concord affect lives in communities across this state.

Yasamin Safarzadeh of Kimball Jenkins. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Thriving through mentorship and the arts

Kimball Jenkins is a community arts center which utilizes the tools of the creative economy to foster healing and growth for New Hampshire in order to secure a more inclusive and fulfilling future for our peoples. We are redefining what the arts can truly do for our neighborhoods.

Tanisha Johnson of Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (right) with Sandeep Bikram Shah, senior program officer (left). (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Address individual needs – and build systemic equity

When I was asked to come and chat about what it looks like for New Hampshire to be a New Hampshire for all, where everyone belongs, I was excited because if you know me, you will know I have a lot to say on that topic — because we are not there just yet.

John Burns of SOS Recovery Community Organization. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Helping people in recovery thrive

It’s not enough to simply serve those in recovery, we need to also identify the people who use drugs in our community and listen to their trauma, meet them where they dream and do so with compassion, radical acceptance and dignity.

Arnold Mikolo, an environmental justice advocate for Conservation Law Foundation. (Photo by Cheryl Senter.)

Building an environmental justice movement in New Hampshire

Many individuals in low-income and marginalized communities are burdened with environmental issues they did not create. Furthermore, they are being denied the environmental benefits that they deserve.

An aerial view shows damage along the coast of Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, on August 9, 2023 in this screenscot obtained from social media video. (Photo courtesy of Richard Olsten/Air Maui Helicopters/Reuters.)

Maui Strong Fund activated by Hawai’i Community Foundation

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation has activated its Maui Strong Fund to support residents affected by the wildfires in Maui. At least 36 people have died in the blazes. One hundred percent of the funds donated into the Maui Strong Fund will be distributed for community needs.

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