BCAF Grant Recipients

(October 1, 2023 – September 30, 2024)

1269 Café Ministries, located and serves in Manchester

1269 Café Ministries has been a Christian street outreach for the homeless and those on the edge in Manchester for the last twelve years. In 2021, the City of Manchester asked them to be an overflow space for the winter season. New Horizons, New Hampshire’s largest homeless shelter is full daily. From December 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023, the café sheltered 542 individuals for 7,023 nights in their overnight warming station operation. The numbers this year are based on projections, are expected to increase. A BCAF grant was provided to help cover operating expenses.

Behavioral Health & Development Services of Strafford County / Community Partners, located in Dover, serves Strafford County

Community Partners is designated by the State of NH as a Community Mental Health Center and Area Agency for Developmental Services in Strafford County. Their mission is to promote respect, wellness, full inclusion, and empowerment of individuals and their families who experience mental illness, emotional distress, developmental disability, chronic health need or acquired brain disorder. A BCAF grant was provided to help with their Respite Program so they can assist families in 2023. The Respite Program ensures that caregivers and families remain strong and receive the support they need while caring for the 24/7 needs of a disabled family member.

Birthright of Manchester, Inc., located in Bedford, serves Manchester Region

Birthright offers an interdenominational, non-judgmental alternative to abortion. They have a 24/7 emergency help line. Baby clothes, layettes, diapers sizes preemie through five are given free of charge to help mothers and sometimes fathers with the needs for their children. Birthright of Manchester has no paid employees, all are volunteers. A BCAF grant was provided to help with clothing and diapers for the children.

Boys & Girls Club of the North Country, located in Littleton, serves Greater Littleton

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central NH was formed in 2015 when the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Concord took over operations and later merged with the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region. In 2023, they merged with the Boys & Girls Club of the North Country. The organization will soon will be known as Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern NH and the operations will be located in Concord. A BCAF grant was provided to go toward direct financial aid for the Boys & Girls Club of the North County. This grant will help to ease the burden for families as they transition over to a recurring-fee-based model and become licensed under the NH Bureau of Childcare Licensing.

Bridges: Domestic & Sexual Violence Support, located in Nashua, serves the Southern tier of NH

Bridges was founded in 1977 and serves survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking so their clients can gain economic stability and achieve their personal goals. A BCAF grant will help with purchasing gift cards and clothing for clients.

Camp Bernadette and Camp Fatima, located in Wolfeboro & Gilmanton, serves Statewide

The Camps were founded by the Diocese of Manchester back in 1949 and 1953. Their mission is to create a community where all are welcome and guided by the Catholic faith. The camps provide a fun, outdoor camping experience where campers and staff learn new skills and grow in faith, confidence, and friendship. An integral part of their mission is to award scholarships, or financial aid, to those in need. A BCAF grant will help more families attend the camps for the summer of 2024.

Catholic Medical Center/Hope and Healing Fund, located in Manchester, serves Statewide

Catholic Medical Center has been at the heart of the West Side of Manchester – growing and changing with the times and leading into the future. Last year, CMC provided over $8.5 million dollars in support to care for the disadvantaged members of the community through various programs. A BCAF grant was provided to support their Hope and Healing Fund, which supports low income and/or uninsured patient needs related to transition of care.

Claremont Soup Kitchen, Inc., located in Claremont, serves Sullivan County

Claremont Soup Kitchen was established in 1983 as a nonprofit food assistance program operating seven days a week. Their programs include the Soup Kitchen, the Food Pantry, Meals To-Go, a Free Medical Clinic, the Women’s Primary Health Clinic, food pantries in the SAU 6 schools, and Children’s Community Lunch. The Soup Kitchen has had an increase in clients as well as an increase in food costs. A BCAF grant will help with their Soup Kitchen.

Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, located in Dover, serves Strafford County

Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (CAPSC) helps to educate, advocate, and assist people to help meet their basic needs and promote self-sufficiency. One of their primary areas of focus is to help low-income individuals and families who are food insecure. A BCAF grant will help their Summer Meals Program, which aims to reduce food insecurity. This program helps families with tight food budgets feed their children during the summer months. For families that struggle to feed their families or pay their rent, CAPSC is an invaluable resource that helps bridge the gap in their budgets by providing free breakfast and lunches at over 25 meal distribution sites.

Concord Hospital Trust, located in Concord, serves Greater Concord

Concord Hospital has evolved from a community hospital to a regional medical center. Founded in 1946, Concord Hospital was created through a merger of the Pillsbury General Hospital and the Memorial Hospital for Women and Children. In the 1990’s, Capital Region Health Care was formed as the parent company of Concord Hospital, Riverbend Community Mental Health, and the Granite VNA. In 2008, Concord Hospital Medical Group was formed, with specialty board-certified healthcare providers throughout the region. In May of 2021, Concord Hospital acquired LRG Healthcare consisting of a community and acute care hospital in Laconia, NH, and a critical access hospital in Franklin, NH. They serve over 259,999 individuals in 55 communities of the Capital, Lakes, and Three Rivers Regions. A BCAF grant will help support their Smart Heart Program in 2024. This program provides low-sodium foods for clients who suffer from food insecurity and can hopefully avoid hospitalization.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), located in Manchester, serves Statewide

CASA of NH protects the right for our state’s most vulnerable children to live, learn, and grow in the embrace of a loving family. Their purpose is to provide well-trained and caring Guardians ad Litem for abused and neglected children that come to the attention of NH’s courts. A BCAF grant will help recruit, train, and support critically needed new volunteers.

Dismas Home of NH, Inc., located in Manchester, serves Statewide

Dismas Home of New Hampshire empowers previously incarcerated women transitioning or re-entering into the community from the correctional facilities of NH. The organization also helps women who are currently diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) or co-occurring mental illnesses associated with SUD, trauma, and repeated incarcerations. A BCAF grant will help provide dental care for the Dismas residents.

Exeter Area Charitable Foundation, located in Exeter, serves Greater Exeter

The Exeter Charitable Foundation was created by the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce in 1989 to raise money to provide warm winter clothing and bedding to children in need. Since then, the fund has grown to include twelve area towns and help over 750 local children. The funds are distributed to children in need in the form of a voucher to use at pre-determined local retail stores. A BCAF grant was provided to help fund their EACF’s Community Children’s Fund Clothing Voucher Program, which runs annually each fall. Guardians or parents redeem the voucher for warm clothing, footwear, and bedding only at participating merchants as they would a gift certificate.

Family Promise of Greater Concord, located in Concord, serves Greater Concord

Family Promise of Greater Concord strives to end homelessness for families with children in the capital region by providing overnight hospitality and support to achieve sustainable financial independence with support from their community. A BCAF grant was provided to assist their “Pathway Towards Independence” Program. This program is designed to provide stable housing and meals for homeless families in the community.

Friends of Aine, located in Manchester, serves Statewide

Founded in 2013, Friends of Aine is a grief and bereavement program for NH children and teens who have experienced the loss of a loved one. They provide a Good Grief Program at no cost to families, ensuring that income is never a barrier to supporting grieving children. A BCAF grant will help recruit and train volunteers to sustain and grow their peer-to-peer support programs for grieving children, youth, and teens.

The Front Door Agency, Inc., located in Nashua, serves Greater Nashua

Since 1982, The Front Door Agency has offered support and services to the disadvantaged and homeless. A BCAF grant will help their Housing Stability Program, which aids residents seeking utility assistance with a priority of non-metered utilities, which may include propane.

Gather, Inc., located in Portsmouth, serves Greater Portsmouth

Gather began in 1816 with a small group of women whose goal was to feed the families of fishermen in Portsmouth. Gather’s goal is to end hunger on the Seacoast. Their mission is to fulfill the needs of low-income individuals and families with food, personal care products, and education for healthy living. A BCAF grant will help support their Meals 4 Kids program so they can purchase fresh, nutritious foods, which are sometimes unavailable at the NH Food Bank.

Good Neighbor Health Clinics, Inc., located in White River Junction, VT, serves Upper Valley

The Good Neighbor Health Clinic was formed in 1992 to provide medical and dental care to those in the Upper Valley without care. Residents of the Upper Valley are eligible for medical and dental services when they do not have access to health or dental insurance and have incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. A BCAF grant will help replace an essential piece of equipment called a PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) machine, which is used to test lung capacity for their patients.

Harbor Homes, Inc., d.b.a. Harbor Care, located in Nashua, serves Greater Nashua

Harbor Homes, Inc., d.b.a, Harbor Care was founded in 1982 as a health and human service organization. They provide quality residential, health care, and supportive services to individuals and families who are homeless or living with mental illness. A BCAF grant was provided to help with basic supports – including food and healthcare – for the mothers of children of their residential substance use treatment center for pregnancy and parenting women (Cynthia Day Family Center). The program specializes in serving low-income and un-/under-insured households.

Harry Allen Gregg Foundation, located in Manchester, serves Statewide

The Harry Gregg Foundation (HGF) was established in 1989 by the Crotched Mountain Foundation to honor Harry Gregg, the founder of the Crotched Mountain Foundation and Rehabilitation Center. The HGF is committed to providing financial assistance to improve the lives of people in NH with disabilities. A BCAF grant will help with providing small grants (up to $1,200) to individuals living in NH with disabilities to cover the cost of needed products and services that are not provided by insurance or elsewhere.

HAVEN, located in Portsmouth, serves 48 cities and towns

HAVEN, the largest violence prevention and support services agency in NH, is dedicated to addressing public health and wellness through violence prevention and improving the well-being of children and families. Their mission is to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking as well as to support and empower women, men, youth, and families to heal from abuse and rebuild their lives. Haven also provides a residential emergency shelter exclusively for victims of domestic and sexual violence and their children. Residents in the shelter receive direct client services including educational programming and financial literacy. A BCAF grant was provided for their emergency shelter and housing advocacy program.

Home Tomorrow, Inc., located in Manchester, serves Greater Manchester

Home Tomorrow (formally Greater Manchester Habitat for Humanity) has been building and repairing homes for those less fortunate in the Greater Manchester community for the past 32 years. However, they have changed their name and mission to help people with home furnishings. A BCAF grant will help pay for operating expenses so they can serve hundreds of families each year.

Hospice Help Foundation, located in Portsmouth, serves Statewide

Hospice Help Foundation works with more than 70 hospices and hundreds of hospice staff in NH, Maine, and other US states. This organization funds essential items that are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance, to boost the comfort and dignity of hospice patients who are struggling with poverty. These items can include rent, food, utilities, transportation, modest last wishes, funeral expenses, and more. A BCAF grant will help to improve the comfort and dignity of hospice patients facing financial hardship in 2024. Funding will be used to allocate grants to hospice patients from NH.

Interlakes Community Caregivers, Inc., located in Center Harbor, serves Lakes Region

Since 1998, Interlakes Community Caregivers has been a volunteer nonprofit that provides nonmedical supportive services for residents of Meredith, Moultonborough, Center Harbor and Sandwich. A BCAF grant was provided to support and enhance the work of their volunteers who provide rides, run errands, and conduct friendly visits and check-in phone calls with local seniors who must rely on others to fulfill their basic needs to access to healthcare, nutrition, and mental wellbeing.

International Institute of New England (IINE), located in Manchester, serves Statewide

IINE is headquartered in Boston and comprise of three sites in Lowell, MA, Boston, MA and Manchester, NH. IINE has operated for over a century and is now one of the largest, longest, established, and most trusted social service organizations for new Americans in the region. They serve a unique population of very low-income immigrants including refugees, asylees, parolees, adult and children survivors of human trafficking, and unaccompanied children joining family members in NE communities. A BCAF grant was provided to support their Lifting Refugee and Immigrant Families Together Program. This initiative is dedicated to welcoming and providing initial stabilization services for forcibly displaced populations. Their programs include resettling, and integrating refuges into local communities, offering intensive case management, English language instruction, job training, and immigration legal services.

Kearsarge Area Council on Aging (KCOA), located in New London, services nine Kearsarge-area communities

Founded in 1992, the Kearsarge Area Council on Aging (KCOA) helps to promote, develop, and reinforce programs that support and enhance the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of older people. A BCAF grant was provided to help their transportation program, which offers free services to seniors in the Upper Valley, a geographic part of NH critically underserved by public, private, and charitable transportation.

Laconia Area Community Land Trust Inc dba Lakes Region Community Developers, located in Laconia, serves Greater Laconia

Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) is a non-profit developer of affordable housing and a mission-driven landlord. For over 30 years, they have created 366 affordable rental apartments in Ashland, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Tilton, and Wolfeboro. A BCAF grant will help with the organization’s Emergency Fund, which enables them to provide tenants in crisis with financial support to ensure basic household needs for shelter, transportation, utilities, and food can be met until the crisis is over.

Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association, located in Meredith, serves Lakes Region

Serving the community since 1923, Lakes Region VNA is a community-based not-for-profit organization providing healthcare services throughout the greater Lakes Region and beyond. A BCAF grant will help to offset the continued reduction in the Federal Medicare program reimbursement rates and unreimbursed care to New Hampshire residents for free clinics and those who lack insurance.

L.I.F.E Ministries, Inc., located in Wolfeboro, serves 25 surrounding towns

LIFE Ministries Food Pantry is an outreach program of seven local area churches that was founded in 1985. They operate a food pantry which provides food to eligible people in need, in quantities appropriate to family size and nutritional requirements. The pantry has broadened its scope of services to provide meals for the New Americans program in 2016, Vacation Station and Hope House in 2018, and The Ledges in 2022. A BCAF grant was provided to help their food pantry and meal programs.

Mayhew Program, located in Bristol, serves Statewide

The Mayhew Program challenges and helps at-risk NH boys to believe in themselves, work well with others, and find their best by combining a challenging and supportive residential summer experience with individual and small group mentoring throughout the school year. Mayhew helps boys ages 10-18 develop essential life skills, prepare for, and achieve their goals, as well as learn to be part of a community. A BCAF grant will provide one year of programming.

The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, located in Manchester, serves Greater Manchester

The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester partners with New Hampshire families who experience problems with mental illness, often with co-occurring substance abuse, to search for long-term solutions. With a mission to empower individuals to achieve recovery and promote personal and community wellness through an accessible, comprehensive, integrated, and evidence-based system of mental health. A BCAF grant was provided to help support a new initiative to help improve access and engagement in mental health services for adults 65+.

Nashua Adult Learning Center, located in Nashua, serves Southern NH

In 1972, the Adult Learning Center began with classes designed to help women entering or returning to the workforce by providing classes needed to earn a high school diploma, GED, or acquire computer skills. They are committed to continuing to excel as an educational agency designed to provide the academic skills, job training, and support services needed for adults and young adults to achieve more productive lives for themselves and their children. A BCAF grant will help fund classes for English Language Learners who need more intensive instruction than is currently available to meet their needs.

NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, serves Southern New Hampshire

NeighborWorks Southern NH has been helping the community for 31 years, addressing housing and neighborhood revitalization needs. Since 1992, the organization has created and acquired 504 affordable rental units in seven communities, provided homeownership and financial wellness education and counseling programs to thousands of NH residents. A BCAF grant was provided to help make available gift cards for food and gas for tenants who experience extenuating financial circumstances.

Operation Delta Dog, located in Hollis, serves MA, southern NH, and Lakes Region

Operation Delta Dog was founded in 2013 to address a growing need of support for veterans experiencing PTSD and related challenges. The organization’s mission is to rescue shelter dogs and train them as service companions for veterans at risk of suicide. A BCAF grant will assist New Hampshire veterans.

Overcomers Refugee Services (ORS), located in Concord, serves Greater Concord

ORS is a resource center for NH refugees and immigrants, particularly those in the Greater Concord area. ORS provides ongoing practical support, education and cultural orientation through people who understand both the refugees’ language and culture of origin. A BCAF grant will help with their new Nourishing Hope Project. This project aims to provide immediate assistance to refugees who have faced unexpected hardships in the form of gift cards to local stores for the purchase of groceries, clothing, or gas.

Project Home, located in Keene, serves Monadnock Region

Project Home is run by volunteers, that help asylum seekers move from detention centers into Monadnock Region communities and homes. As they await the outcome of their asylum cases, they receive free legal support. Their housing and food needs are met by Project Home until they receive permission to work and can begin to support themselves. A BCAF grant was provided to help meet the needs of their guests over the next 12 months. These needs include the cost of housing, food, medications, clothing, telephone, legal expenses, summer camp and daycare for children, vocational training for adults, etc.

St. Augustin Preschool, located in and serves Manchester

St. Augustin Preschool and Kindergarten was founded in 1974 and are one of the only nonprofit center-based preschool providers who accept children starting at age 2 years old. They serve 57 families of all different cultures, religions, and income levels. The school is located in the St. Anne-St. Augustin Parish center building and serve the neediest families in the community. A BCAF grant will help pay for a new vinyl flooring that will be installed over the old asbestos tile flooring. This grant would help to pay for the labor to install the flooring and take care of a safety issue.

St. Gianna’s Place, located in Londonderry, serves in Hudson

In the spring of 2016, four founding board members of St. Gianna’s Place saw a need to establish a safe harbor for pregnant women who do not have financial means or emotional support to raise their children. A BCAF grant was provided to help with operational expenses to run the home and continue to provide food, clothing, baby formula, and diapers to the families they serve.

St. Joseph Hospital, located in Nashua, serves Greater Nashua

St. Joseph Hospital is a Catholic health ministry, providing healing and care for the whole person, in service to all in their communities. A BCAF grant was provided to assist in their Christmas Basket Project, which provides families with food, clothing, toys, books, and gifts. The grant will provide food for the gift baskets. Last year they supported 59 families, including 110 children.

Seacoast Family Promise, located in Exeter, serves Greater Exeter

For the last 20 years, Seacoast Family Promise has been committed to helping families with children experiencing homelessness to regain self-sufficiency. A BCAF grant will help support their Strong Family Project, a program of case management and counseling for families who are experiencing homelessness.

Seeds of Faith, Inc., dba Lydia’s House of Hope, located in Somersworth, serves Greater Somersworth

Seeds of Faith provides community outreach programs, which help the homeless and impoverished in a variety of ways. Lydia’s House of Hope was opened in Somersworth to help train and equip women and children with the necessary mind-set and skills required to move out of chronic homelessness. On average, they accept 30 new residents into their program per year, some with children and some without. A BCAF grant was provided to help purchase grocery cards, pantry items and toiletry items to provide their new residents who come to them with nothing.

Sonshine Soup Kitchen, located in Derry, serves Greater Derry

The organization is a community-based ministry with the purpose of feeding the hungry, clothing the cold and barefoot, and offering hope to the despairing. They serve meals Monday through Friday to anyone who comes to the building. They also offer a free clothing ministry two afternoons per week, and home delivery of meals to guests unable to come to their dining room. A BCAF grant will assist with their breakfast meal services. Twice a month, they provide breakfast bags which include healthy cereal, nutrition bars, milk, juice, and fresh seasonal fruit. These bags go to food-insecure neighbors, many who are low-income families and impoverished people that are 50+ in age.

Stepping Stones, located in Nashua, serves Greater Nashua

Stepping Stones was founded in 2020 as the only drop-in center for homeless, unaccompanied youth aged up to 25. Since opening, they have served approximately 140 teens and young adults who have experienced homelessness. They have helped their youth get jobs, apartments, further their education, driver’s licenses, and help them take steps to be self-sufficient. A BCAF grant will help with operational expenses.

Union Leader Santa Fund, serves Statewide

The Union Leader holds an annual fundraiser to assist the Salvation Army in responding to those needing food, shelter, and clothing. The BCAF provided a grant to help all the families the Salvation Army serves.

The Upper Room, a Family Resource Center, located in Derry, serves Greater Derry

Since 1986, The Upper Room has been providing prevention and early intervention services to children, youth, and families in Southern NH. They operate a weekly food pantry that is open to the public. A BCAF grant will provide additional items, such as deodorant, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, shaving soap, paper products, cleaning supplies, etc.

Waypoint, located in Manchester, serves Statewide

Founded in 1850, Waypoint has been protecting and serving the needs of individuals, children and families and serving as a strong advocate for youth in the public policy arena. A BCAF grant will support expanded services for youth and young adults (13-24) experiencing homelessness. This funding will enable them to deepen their impact, reaching young people each year through critical services, such as safe shelter, street outreach, and comprehensive case management.

Webster House, located in Manchester, serves Statewide

Founded as the Manchester Children’s Home in 1884, Webster House is a trauma-informed residential group home serving children between the ages of 8 and 18 from throughout the state. These children are referred by the Division of Children, Youth, and Families because their family home or foster care is unable to address their emotional needs, caused by trauma, such as abuse, neglect, homelessness, and the effect of addiction. A BCAF grant will assist with basic needs for the children they serve.

White Horse Addiction Center, located in Center Ossipee, serves Statewide

White Horse Addiction Center, dba, White Horse Recovers offers substance use disorder treatment, mental health counseling, and related services to impacted individuals and families, loved ones and the community via a full continuum of care. A BCAF grant will help with treatment and mental health counseling.