In 2009, the Giving Circle selected children-at-risk to be the focus of its third giving cycle. After learning about the many challenges facing young people in our community, our group grew passionate about the opportunity to invest in programs that prevent risky behavior amongst youth ages 11 – 18 years. Research shows that between the hours of 3 pm – 6 pm, there are not only higher rates of teen suicide, drug /alcohol use and sexual activity, but also an increase in the number of 911 calls made regarding adolescents. In June, we selected New Heights to be our 2009 gift recipient. Founded by Seacoast Mental Health Center in 1987, New Heights is an after-school and vacation program that annually serves over 450 middle and high school students, providing risk-prevention and confidence-building activities designed to help them make a successful transition to adulthood. To date, gifts to New Heights from our members and supporters total over $16,000. These funds will offer much-needed general operating support in addition to targeting New Heights’ Junior Staff Program, a component that places older adolescents in leadership positions to facilitate daily activities and to serve as accessible and positive role models to the younger participants.

On Thursday, November 5th at the Community Campus in Portsmouth, the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle will host a reception to raise awareness and financial support for New Heights. Dubbed “Celebrate. Learn. Give.,” the evening’s format reflects the Giving Circle’s emphasis on learning about community needs and effective organizations. Guests will meet the New Heights staff and explore the agency’s programs by touring a series of stations that describe activities offered to New Heights’s 500 annual participants. The event will showcase New Heights’ programs, which help teens make a successful transition to adulthood by developing their competence, character, confidence, and resiliency. For more information, contact Anne Sudduth at 603-431-0940.

Inspired to help? Charitable contributions of any size are much appreciated and will support New Heights’ important work with Seacoast community teens. Please send donations to: Tracey Tucker, Program Director, New Heights, 100 Campus Drive, Suite 23, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Or call 603-422-8235 for more information. Please note on your check that your gift is associated with the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle.

In 2008, the Giving Circle focused its second giving cycle on affordable housing and homelessness. In our community, thousands of local families, many with young children, have transitioned into periods of homelessness. In fact, the average age of a homeless person in New Hampshire is 9 years old. Through our study of this issue we learned that substance abuse, mental health disorders and lack of access to basic primary health care often compound the challenge of finding affordable housing. To help combat this problem, the Giving Circle selected Families First’s Health Care for the Homeless Program to receive its 2008 gift. This program tends to our community’s most vulnerable people, offering them immediate relief from medical problems and helping them to rebuild their lives. With our member’s gifts and those of friends, we provided over $21,000 to enable Families First to hire a part-time care coordinator for the Health Care for the Homeless Program. For more information, visit www.familiesfirstseacoast.org.

In January 2007, we selected the environment as the focus of our first cycle of giving, a choice that surprised us because of the many other shared concerns on our original list of community issues. The decision reflected our new awareness that environmental stewardship can be a human justice issue, and that issues such as climate change, land conservation, and water quality are both urgent and local. We selected the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) to receive our first gift. With the generosity of friends and neighbors, our gift grew to nearly $10,000. These funds have helped CLF pursue strategic ways to protect the Great Bay Estuary, a critically important natural treasure. For more information, visit www.clf.org.

Through our volunteer and personal action, we've supported:

Seacoast Interfaith Hospitality Network
http://www.sihnnh.org/

United Way -- Day of Caring

http://www.uwgs.org/