We are honored to form a partnership with @Cardigan Mountain School's Community Service Program. Every Sunday morning volunteer students and a staff member come to the Friends Feeding Friends Canaan Pantry and Distribution Center to assist with "behind the scenes" tasks. Pictured is teacher, Morgan Wilkinson, with two awesome students. Thank you!
Friends Feeding Friends Celebrates Selection as Hannaford Cause Bag program Beneficiary
Friends of Mascoma Foundation's Friends Feeding Friends, an initiative committed to fighting Food Scarcity in the Mascoma Valley, has been selected as a beneficiary of the Hannaford Cause Bag program for the month of November.
The Hannaford Cause Bag program launched in October 2015 and is designed to support local hunger relief organizations through the sale of the reusable Fight Hunger bag.
FOM Friends Feeding Friends was selected by Hannaford store leadership as the November beneficiary of the program at the west Lebanon, NH Hannaford store. For every reusable Fight Hunger bag with the message “This bag has helped feed someone in need” purchased at the West Lebanon Hannaford during November, Friends of Mascoma Friends Feeding Friends will receive a $.25 donation.
FOM is thrilled to have been chosen by Hannaford and has a goal of raising more than $200 during November, which is equivalent to 800 bags bought in support of Friends Feeding Friends. FOM plans to use the projected funds to continue to bring fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meats, and other nutritious food options to Mascoma Valley residents challenged by food scarcity.
Friends of Mascoma Foundation is a nonprofit based in Enfield, NH with offices in Canaan, NH. Founded in 2014, FOM provides support to the Mascoma Valley Regional School District on initiatives that foster educational development for our students. The Friends Feeding Friends Food Pantries Initiative began when teachers and staff in the District called attention to the impacts of food scarcity on student learning and achievement. Our two pantry locations in Canaan and Enfield are run solely by volunteers thanks to generous donations from our wider community. Pantries are open to residents of Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange as well as teachers and staff who often provide snacks to their students. We also provide food to the Mascoma Valley Regional High School Pantry through our partnership with the school district. Learn more about us by visiting friendsofmascoma.org.
For more information on the Hannaford Cause Bag program, visit hannaford.bags4mycause.com or facebook.com/hhbagprogram
Lake Sunapee Bank Food Drive to Benefit Friends Feeding Friends
Many thanks to Lake Sunapee Bank, a division of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, for making our Friends Feeding Friends Food Pantries a recipient of a portion of the proceeds from their Food Drive.
Learn more about the Lake Sunapee Bank Food for Good Drive [here].
2017 Warm Winter Coat & Clothing Giveaway a Success
Lead by Beth Felix who oversees Community Outreach for FOM, the Warm Winter Clothing Drive collected and distributed a wide range of coats and clothing to families in need throughout our District.
Message from Beth: What amazing community I live in, I cannot thank everyone enough for donating to the warm clothing give away. We were able to help so many families today. And thank you Canaan Fire Department for allowing us to use your meeting room. Thank you to all my volunteers Elizabeth J Rizzo, Sara Dunkerton, Kate Plumley Stewart, Jerusha Nelson Howard, Kaylee Felix, Ariana and Kat our new FOM intern. I could not have pulled this off without all of you. Seeing a child walk out of the station with the biggest smile on his face excited to go to school Monday and show his friends his new sneakers and jeans makes it all worthwhile.
The 2017 Drive and Giveaway has ended, but it is never too soon to plan for next year!
Donations were down significantly this year due to unseasonably warm weather. We realize it is hard to pull out and sort winter clothing when it is still 80 degrees some days. As our area cools down and you have a moment to sort your warm winter clothing and coats, please consider setting aside unneeded, modern items in gently used or like new condition for our Annual Warm Winter Clothing & Coat Drive to be held in 2018. Coats are often on sale for as low as $5.00 new in stores as Spring approaches; if you would like to give, but have already generously cleaned out your closets, this is another great way to donate to a family in need. The need is always greatest for warm children's clothing and coats.
Remaining items were passed on to other local organizations who serve our wider community including Claremont School District and the Canaan United Methodist Church's Coats Plus.
Art All Around!
Rebecca Powell, left, speaks to MVRHS Students during the tapestry cutting ceremony while her co-weaver, June Marshall of Enfield, looks on from the right
Rebecca Powell, Enfield tapestry weaver, celebrated the completion of a 2 year long art project sponsored by Friends of Mascoma Foundation. We partnered with the MVRHS Experiencing the Arts and students from the art design class of 2015 picked a nature theme and Rebecca incorporated their designs into a woven collage. Students from Industrial arts designed and built the loom. The end product is an absolutely beautiful 4'by 6' tapestry that will hang in the Library. Next up is an official hanging ceremony in January!
Friends Feeding Friends Chosen as Charitable Recipients of Co-op Annual Case-Lot Sale
The Lebanon Co-op Food Store designated the Friends Feeding Friends Food Pantries as one of the charitable recipients of their popular October Case-Lot Sale.
We were thrilled to receive about 60 cases of food including veggies, bananas, apple sauce cups and more! Many thanks to the Co-op and all who donated toward this great cause!
This follows closely upon the heels of a generous donation of almost $6,000 from funds raised in July through the Co-op's charitable Pennies for Change Program.
Fall Mascoma Mixer
Our Fall Mascoma Mixer at Canaan Meeting House on September 16th was a blast! Kids played games and ran around while adults had time to relax and visit. Everyone had fun with the raffle and 16 winners took home prizes. Our 17th prize winner, John Nugent, very kindly donated his winnings from the 50/50 raffle back to FOM. Thank you John! Mickey's Roadside Cafe did an excellent job catering and everyone enjoyed the food. A big thank you to the Dowd's for donating their time cooking for the event.
This truly was a community event with lots of volunteers pitching in to help us set up and then staying to the end to help us clean up. We think it is safe to say that everyone left tired and happy to be part of this great community!
Summer & Fall Garden Program
FOM sponsored our second year of the garden program during 2017, this time at MVRHS. The program ran from June through August and a few of the students had so much fun we have continued it into the fall! We have been enjoying the harvest the past few weeks and look forward to harvesting more veggies on Sunday, plus trying our hand at making fresh salsa. Want to join us? Meet us at MVRHS at 1 pm on Sunday, October 1st!
Our final two sessions will be October 8th and 15th. We will do our final harvests, prepare the gardens and blueberry bushes for winter, and plant garlic and cover crops. This program was made possible by a grant from the Wellborn Ecology Fund through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
The Coop Food Stores Annual Case Lot Sale to Benefit FOM food pantries
Have you heard of the Coop Food Stores annual case lot sale? The case lot sale is from October 5th through October 7th at the Centerra Parkway location. It is a great opportunity to stock up on hundreds of items sold in bulk. We are grateful recipients, alongside Grafton County Senior Citizens Council, during the case lot sale.
When you fill out your order form you have the option to fill out a dollar amount for a donation and the Coop Food Stores will shop for us. Our food pantries serve the towns of Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange. Thank you in advance for your continued support!
Food Coop Case Lot Sale at Lebanon store. October 5-7
Food Drives for Friends Feeding Friends Food Pantries Helps. Thank You!
Upper Valley Thunder Snack Roundup yielded 63 pounds.
https://www.nhfoodbank.org/nh-tackles-hunger/.
450 pounds collected by our community on September 22 during MVRSD sports games and Homecoming Dance. Thanks to our athletic director, John Kelly, for organizing.
Preparations Underway for Annual Winter Clothing & Coat Drive & Giveaway
Friends of Mascoma is gearing up for our Annual Winter Clothing and Coat Giveaway.
Do you have warm winter items to share? The need is always highest for infant through elementary school sizes. Please be sure donated items are in very good or like new condition.
Contact Beth Felix with any questions or to donate.
Friends of Mascoma Supports Mascoma Youth Sports League
Bryce Porter of Enfield is a member of the soccer team sponsored in our name this year.
Friends of Mascoma is fortunate to have a donor sponsor one Mascoma Youth Sports League team each season on our behalf. We enjoy seeing the students grow and learn valuable lessons. Don't those T-shirts look great too?!
Vital Communities Power of Produce Club for Kids
Kids can get a taste of local fruits and vegetables this month—plus their very own money to spend on fresh, local produce—with our new Power of Produce (POP) Club, happening the first three Sundays of September (the 3rd, 10th, and 17th) at the Canaan Farmers and Artisans' Market on the Town Green!
Power of Produce Clubs are simple, fun, and free. Children sign up at the POP table and start the day’s activity—a farmers' market scavenger hunt, a vegetable quiz, an art project, or a taste testing. Once they complete the activity, they return to the POP table to receive their POP Bucks: $3 tokens just for kids to spend on local fruits and vegetables here at the market. Kids ages 5-12 can participate once or every week.
So bring the kids and get a taste for POP! They just might start shopping for their own vegetables. The first three Sundays of September: September 3, 10, and 17, from 10 am-1 pm. Learn more here: vitalcommunities.org/pop.
Vital Communities is supporting our POP Club this summer with funding from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Pennies for Change
Friends of Mascoma was selected by the Co-op Food Stores as a community partner in their Pennies for Change program in the month of July. Thank you to the generosity of shoppers and the Co-op we received over $5,900. That is a lot of pennies and we are grateful to everyone who rounded up in July!
Friends of Mascoma enters a Bid-A-Lunch Basket in Enfield Old Home Days
We entered a lunch basket made by Kaylee Felix, a 7th Grade MVRSD student. She even used lettuce grown and picked at our Sponsored Summer Garden Science Program. Lindsay Smith of Enfield had the winning bid. Thanks to EOHD for allowing non-profits to enter and fundraise--and to Enfield Community Lutheran Church for organizing. Community linking together to help each other! Pictured above is our board member, Andrew Cushing.
Friends of Mascoma Foundation in the Enfield Old Home Days Parade, July 29!
FOM had board members, volunteers, kids and lots of treats to pass out to spectators!
We love to enter and support community events. Next up is Canaan Old Home Days, August 5.
Join in the fun and help us pass out treats. Be at Williams Field in Canaan by 9:30.
Wear your FOM t-shirts, we will have some in the Foodie van, and the parade theme is Holidays, so to have some fun , wear something for any holiday!
Friends of Mascoma Participates in Grafton July 4, Celebration!
Representing us today in the Grafton Parade was Cheryl Tourville with Timmy and Matthew, Jill Feen, Colleen McCleary (our Garden Science Instructor ) and Board members, Andrew Cushing and Carolyn Cusick. We passed out yummy fruity snacks to spectators! Colleen hula hooped the whole way! We love to show support for our communities.
MVRHS Spring Students of the Month Receive Special Perks
We had auction items at our 2016 Royal Renovation Celebration that were "Sponsor High School Students of the Month" with a special lunch and VIP parking. Here are the spring student recipients and the auction items were sponsored by Carol Smith of Enfield and Ellen Hackeman of Enfield Center. Good job, students! Thank you generous donors!
Shown are Jorden Wyman, Morely Connor, Gaige Streeter and Maia Zawilinski.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE MORE!
Old Home Days
Friends of Mascoma is participating in the Grafton, Enfield, and Canaan Old Home Days parades this summer. Grab your Friends of Mascoma shirt and join in the fun! The parade dates are as follows:
- Grafton - July 8th
- Enfield - July 29th
- Canaan - August 5th
We have not heard about Old Home Days celebrations in Dorchester and Orange yet, if you have information for these towns and/or you wish to join us in any of the parades please email info@friendsofmascoma.org for more information.
Co-op Food Stores Pennies for Change
The Co-op Food Stores have a powerful program called Pennies for Change that benefits many local organizations. This program is a charitable giving program that provides a way for customers to donate their change to our community partners by rounding up their order to the next full dollar amount.
Friends of Mascoma is excited to announce that we will be one of the recipients of Pennies for Change during the month of July. If you shop at the Co-op Food Stores please consider donating your change to help community organizations like us!