The Meredith Village Savings Bank Fund at New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has awarded $106,400 to 35 non-profit organizations. These include $92,400 awarded to 21 local agencies, and $14,000 donated to 14 area food pantries. These grants are additional to the Bank’s many local contributions in the form of sponsorships, donations and scholarships, as well as the impressive volunteer efforts of its employees.
“The community has always been at the heart of our mission,” said Rick Wyman, President of Meredith Village Savings Bank. “We’re very proud to be able to offer any support we can to organizations that provide so many wonderful local resources and services.”
Recent recipients of the MVSB Charitable Fund include:
Belknap House (Laconia, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to support their Strengthening Families program, which enhances the five protective factors that keep families strong and children safe from abuse and neglect. Belknap House is an emergency cold weather shelter that provides support to homeless families in Belknap County.
Belmont High School Robotics (Belmont, NH)
Awarded $7,500 to go toward the equipment purchase for elementary and middle school-level programs related to robotics. These programs, which encourage student-interest in STEM-based fields, provide engaging experiences in robotics-related activities.
Belmont Middle School (Belmont, NH)
Awarded $6,000 to go toward the creation of a makerspace area, including a 3D printer, software, sewing machines and electronic kits for students. The space will be made available for Belmont Middle School students and teachers to gather, create, invent and learn.
Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-Free Youth/CADY (Plymouth, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to support the Launch Youth Entrepreneurship Program, a development program that combines workforce training, paid summer employment and substance misuse prevention strategies for youth living in the Newfound and Pemi-Baker regions. CADY was founded in 1999 to educate families, schools and communities about the importance of drug prevention and misuse among the youth of Central and Northern NH.
End 68 Hours of Hunger (Wolfeboro, NH)
Awarded $6,000 to expand the food provision program for children in need from Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro and Ossipee. The program allows children, who would otherwise have insufficient food on the weekends, to bring home a bag containing three dinners, two breakfasts, lunches and snacks on Fridays. End 68 Hours of Hunger confronts the hunger some school children experience between the free lunch they receive in school on Friday afternoon and the free breakfast they receive in school on Monday morning.
Gilford Youth Center (Gilford, NH)
Awarded $2,500 to support transportation costs for summer camp. The Center’s Summer Camp is a seven-week program, offered to local area middle school students. Gilford Youth Center is a safe, affordable and inclusive facility for Gilford and the Lakes Region, offering educational, athletic and community opportunities for youth, adults and families.
Got Lunch – Ashland/Holderness (Ashland, NH)
Awarded $1,000 for support of the Got Lunch program in the towns of Ashland and Holderness for summer 2017. Got Lunch is a community-based program that provides healthy lunch foods to children during their summer break.
Grafton County Senior Citizens Council (Plymouth, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to go toward the cost of a professional delivery service to pick-up donated food twice per week for GCSCC Seniors. The Plymouth Regional Senior Center receives generous donations of up to 50 cases of food from Hannaford Supermarkets through the Fresh Produce Rescue Program of the NH Food Bank, and funding supports pick-up and distribution. Founded in 1972, GCSCC provides home-delivered meals, outreach and counseling, on-demand transportation, activities, educational programs, congregate meals, volunteer opportunities, assistance with chores and repairs and telephone reassurance to the homebound community.
Greater Meredith Program (Meredith, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to expand its Career Partnership program to Interlakes Middle Tier students. The expansion will increase the reach of the program so that every student, prior to high school graduation, is involved with at least one job shadow and one internship. The Career Partnership Program offers work-based learning opportunities through internships, job shadowing, guest speaking and career fairs.
Interlakes Community Caregivers (Center Harbor, NH)
Awarded $3,500 for an expanded and improved volunteer screening program to include critical background checks. Interlakes Community Caregivers is supported by caring volunteers who provide services to individuals and families in times of need. This program complements existing public and private resources that allow community members to live independently in their homes for as long as possible.
Laconia School District – Office of Extended Learning (Laconia, NH)
Awarded $4,000 to provide elementary students from low-income families the ability to rent or purchase instruments for Beginners’ Band. Beginners’ Band is an individualized and group instrumental instruction program for elementary students in Laconia.
Lakes Region Art Association (Tilton, NH)
Awarded $1,000 toward the replacement of the Association’s computer, printer and software. The Lakes Region Art Association, formerly known as the Laconia Art Association, was founded in 1940 to encourage the creation of art and to further community appreciation of art by the promotion, education, sale and display of visual fine arts by local artists.
Lakes Region Humane Society (Ossipee, NH)
Awarded $7,400 toward the repair and refinishing of the Society’s concrete floor, where shelter dogs wait before they are adopted. The Lakes Region Humane Society provides year-round rescue and shelter services to dogs and cats.
New Beginnings – Without Violence and Abuse (Laconia, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to update the organization’s computer network and information security systems. New Beginnings is dedicated to ending sexual, domestic and stalking violence through the provision of safe and effective services, including emergency refuge and support.
New Durham School (New Durham, NH)
Awarded $6,000 to help students attend the Camp Invention Enrichment Program for one week. Camp Invention is a summer STEM enrichment program where students are given the opportunity to practice innovation, creative problem solving and apply engineering skills.
NH Historical Society (Concord, NH)
Awarded $2,500 to support the expansion of the Society’s education program to Lakes Region students. The New Hampshire Historical Society is the independent nonprofit that saves, preserves and shares state history, serving thousands of children and adults each year through its museum, library, education, publications and outreach programs.
Patriot Resilient Leader Institute (Gilford, NH)
Awarded $6,000 to support the Institute’s four-day Camp Resilience program for disabled veterans. Camp Resilience, which consists of life-skills training and outdoor team-building activities, empowers disabled veterans to gain greater self-confidence and to improve their quality of life.
The Village Players (Wolfeboro, NH)
Awarded $5,000 toward the repair and replacement of its theater roof. The Village Players is a non-profit amateur community theater in Wolfeboro.
Wamesit Engine Companies (Meredith, NH)
Awarded $2,500 to go toward the purchase of thermal imaging cameras for all fire trucks at the Meredith Fire Department. Thermal imaging cameras allow firefighters the ability to see in a smoke filled room. Wamesit Engine Companies was founded by active and retired members of the Meredith Fire Department to serve the Greater Meredith Community.
Wolfeboro Senior Center and Meals (Wolfeboro, NH)
Awarded $1,500 to extend the Center’s meals and activities service period one month; beginning services in August instead of September and lasting through May of the following year. The Wolfeboro Senior Center was founded in 2010 to enrich the lives of local seniors through educational programs, informative events, recreation and nutritious meals within a welcoming community.
Women’s Health at Memorial Hospital (North Conway, NH)
Awarded $5,000 to support the Hospital’s New Life Prenatal Substance Abuse program for prenatal drug addicted women and their drug-exposed newborns postpartum.
The Meredith Village Savings Bank Fund was established in 1997 under the leadership of John Starrett, then President and CEO of the Bank. Since then, 329 grants totaling $1,290,867 have been awarded to a wide range of environmental, social, educational and historic projects throughout the Greater Lakes Region and Plymouth areas. Over the years, the Fund has supported literacy programs, after-school programs, environmental monitoring and education, restoration of historic structures, organizations that provide support for individuals and families in challenging circumstances and equipment that helps save lives. The deadline for consideration for the next grant cycle is October 15, 2017. Applications are available on the Bank’s website and at all MVSB offices.
