Concord, NH – Seventeen nonprofit agencies and community groups serving Peterborough and surrounding communities were recently awarded nearly $200,000 in grants from the A. Erland and Hazel N. Goyette Memorial Fund to support various programs to benefit the residents of the town of Peterborough. 
 
The fund was established in 1994 at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation through the estate of Hazel N. Goyette, a long-time resident of Peterborough  The purpose of the fund is to support projects intended to sustain and improve the quality of life in Peterborough. Decisions on grant awards are made by a local advisory committee, which reviews all applications submitted by the September 1st deadline each year.

The following grants were awarded:

Audubon Society of New Hampshire received $2,000 to boost Peterborough's awareness of and participation at the Raptor Observatory on Pack Monadnock.
 
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New Hampshire received $5,000 to maintain, grow and enhance multiple programs serving Peterborough residents.

Canine Alert Search Team received $6,000 for professional wilderness survival training and equipment to assure timely dispatching of the Canine Alert Search Team to assist in efforts to locate missing persons.

Contoocook Valley Transportation Cooperative received $10,000 for the creation of a shuttle bus service to the three weekly community suppers in Peterborough to provide access to these community-building events for people without transportation.

CONVAL Community Scholarship Foundation/Dollars for Scholars received $1,400 to design and implement a web page to archive, track grantee achievement, inspire others and attract donors.

Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Service received $12,000 for establishment of a comprehensive Geriatric Care Management program, which will focus on meeting the long-term care needs of elders, disabled, and their families in the low to middle sector of the income/assets spectrum.

Monadnock Area Transitional Sheltering received $12,500 to help with expansion of guest facilities.

Peterborough Elementary School received $6,500 for the purchase and installation of an interactive Infinity Climber at the PES playground.

Peterborough Players received $7,500 to support the Ascending Stars program.

Pine Hill Child Care Center received $3,000 for the purchase and installation of a software system to manage data in order to contain costs while serving more families as well as protecting children with a door release controller.   

Scott-Farrar Home received $40,000 to make a capital improvement that will allow to better care for residents, and to reach out to those in need in the community during power outages.

Southern New Hampshire Services received $20,000 to provide services through the North Peterborough Family Program for low-income families in the Peterborough area.

Keep Peterborough Warm received $19,952 to provide fuel assistance, weatherization, and  to support other expenses related to keeping individuals and families warm, safe, and healthy this winter with preference to those who are above traditional income guidelines but still in need of assistance. 

The Family Center of Greater Peterborough received $15,000 for funding to provide six free parent education and family support services to families in Peterborough.

The Place to Go received $8,000 to support operating expenses for the free after-school program in Peterborough for families in need.

The River Center received $15,000 to hire a part-time director to steer the River Center through its transition from an organization that has been supported by volunteers, to a sustainable nonprofit community resource center.

Windy Row Learning Center received $15,000 to support direct tutoring services to 22 children with dyslexia and a comprehensive certification training program.

The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has been working to improve the quality of life in our communities since 1962.  It builds and manages a collection of funds, totaling nearly $490 million (as of 12/31/07), created by individuals, families and corporations for charitable purposes. In 2007, the Foundation awarded more than $33 million in grants to nonprofits and scholarship funds to students. In the past five years alone, the Foundation has granted a total of more than $125 million. In addition to stewarding donations and making impactful grants, the Charitable Foundation is frequently called on to help unite public and private partners in solving important issues in the state. 

A statewide public nonprofit based in Concord, the Foundation is deeply connected to local communities through its regional structure, which includes: Lakes Region, Manchester Region, Monadnock Region, Nashua Region, North Country Region, Piscataqua Region and Upper Valley Region.  For more information, visit www.nhcf.org or call (603) 225-6641.