2023 Spirit of NH Awards

Donna is a retired art educator who gives her time to the Boys and Girls Club of Central New Hampshire, providing art lessons and serving on the organization’s DEI committee. She is a compassionate individual and positive role model who engages the children wholeheartedly in what she teaches them. Her presence and skill in teaching provides an enriching experience for the children and makes her invaluable to the Boys and Girls Club.

Nora has served with the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity, and has worn many hats in that time. In addition to serivng as treasure and her terms on the board of directors, she has been instrumental in getting the Critial Home Repair up and running again. She is a huge ambassador for the organization and has recruited several volunteers and board members. Whether through fundraising, outreach, or other activities, Nora’s contributions have made a difference in people’s lives.

Peter’s role as an RSVP volunteer is to drive seniors to medical appointments. He is a hugely important resource in the lives of many– willing to help out at a moment’s notice, and always reliable. Peter not only drives for RSVP but also for Future in Sight, meaning the impact of his service is felt in many regions of the state.

Kim has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for 10 years, advocating for a total of 10 children involved in abuse and neglect cases– some of these cases lasting for years at a time. Kim consistently goes above and beyond in the lives of her clients, staying by their side until they have found a permanent and safe living situation. The children benefit from her consistency and talent in what she does.

Donna is an expert volunteer builder with the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity and has been for over 8 years. She participates in the home-building process from start to finish– raising walls, window and door installation, painting, carpentry, flooring, landscaping, and more. She is not only a key resource in the building process but also serves as a role model on the building team and for the clients.

Charlie cares deeply about his service to LISTEN’s Food Pantry Program. Not only does he pick up donations from local donors, process them, and return creates to donors, he also delivers weekly groceries to customers and develops relationships with them. He makes sure that people are fed both physically and socially.

Doris has served in AmeriCorps Seniors as a Foster Grandparent for 23 years. At the age of 87, she still volunteers 30+ hours per week for a lifetime total of 23,000 hours. For the past 15 years, she has volunteered at Bartlett Elementary School in Goffstown in a third grade classroom. She is an integral part of the school community, and a beyond reliable volunteer. “Miss Doris” is so loved by the staff and students of Bartlett Elementary.

Maurice has been volunteering with the Franco-American Centre for 15 years in a variety of roles. He regularly connects with new French immigrants, helping them feel welcome and sharing his knowledge of the area, all the while being able to speak to them in French. Through his passion for photography, he captures the modern Franco-American story and is instrumental is archiving the Franco-American heritage of New Hampshire. Also a great people-person, Maurice been a Granite State Ambassador since 2011, serving almost 3,000 hours providing valuable information and a friendly face at the Manchester Airport!

Bill has 12 years of experience with Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity, and he is skilled in all areas of residential construction. He is a leader in the organization as well and trains new volunteers, creating a positive learning environment on the job site. Bill’s attitude and expertise helps maintain a steady flow of work and a great experience for all involved.

Ken is a pillar of caring, dedication, and work ethic towards the end goal for the International Institute of New England’s clients, which is to become thriving members of our Manchester community and beyond. For many of IINE’s clients, Ken is the one who helped them get their driver’s license and car insurance that empowered them to get and keep their first jobs in the U.S. on their pathways to self-sufficiency. He is involved with the organization in so many ways and has touched the lives of many clients.

Anita has been a volunteer with UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center for over 8 years, leading with a calm voice and demeanor to make sure those in her care are taken care of. UpReach strives to improve the well-being of individuals with disabilities through therapeutic horse riding. Not only does she help the clients, but she is dedicated to the upkeep of the horses, grounds, and stables making sure everything runs seamlessly.

Susan volunteers with the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains with the vigor of young Girl Scout. At 88, she still brings her skills to support over 150 volunteers who in turn support over 250 young girls. She is thorough and thoughtful in her work making sure that the young girls are getting the best experience possible.

John has been volunteering at Pisgah State Park for over 20 years. His mechanical aptitude – especially with backhoes and loaders, work ethic, and ability to solve problems have become a truly important asset to the State Park system and the local community who depend on access to the 13,000-acre park. Quite simply, without John’s service, Pisgah wouldn’t be open to the public today.

Sally has been a volunteer with Home Health and Hospice Care for 10 years, and most recently has been volunteering at the Community Hospice House providing a safe and welcoming environment for patients and their families. She was chosen to pilot a new volunteer role of Hospice Ambassador, helping to support new admissions to the Community Hospice House. Her excellent people skills and knowledge of hospice care means she is a reliable and invaluable support to the organization as well as those they serve.

Eile spends a considerable amount of time volunteering with Overcomers Refugee Services. Her focus is with New Americans on preparing for Citizenship and English as a second language, and she has tutored over 20 individuals over the past two years, sometimes taking on more than one client at a time. She is patient and understanding of cultural differences and the impact that trauma may have on the experience of being a refugee.

Helen Ann Kelly serves with the Monadnock RSVP Volunteer Center both with the America Reads program and the Neighbors In-Deed program. She spends a lot of time connecting with young readers in the classroom. Helen Ann also does a lot to make sure that older adults living alone have companionship. Her work is important to the lives of many homebound seniors as well as schoolchildren.

Dick has mentored more than 175 clients in the last 7 years alone through SCORE Granite Region, but has been a part of the organization since 2002. He has served the chapter in many roles, including as the media contact, on the marketing committee, and on the client assignment team. His guidance has helped countless small business owners and his reliability has been a great support to the SCORE chapter.

Jamie Laurent is a force within the Lakes Region volunteering on behalf of the New Hampshire Boat Museum. She spends countless hours fundraising, teaching, and leading events even when she broke her hip! Her passion is unmatched and her service is invaluable to the success of the NH Boat Museum.

Paula is a person full of passion, bravery, and strength, who has dedicated her life to making the lives of children and youth safer. She has filled a number of roles within the Crisis Center of Central NH: Staffing the crisis line, tabling at community events, serving on the prevention education team, and more. She herself is a survivor, and in telling her own story, provides powerful testimony and education to families on trauma. Paula is a remarkable volunteer at CCCNH and is an integral member of their team.

Kathie is a humble and selfless volunteer for the Good Grief program through the Friends of Aine. She spends so much time behind the scenes making sure grief groups and other operations of the organization go off without a hitch. Kathie is always willing to take on new projects while writing hand-written notes for those grieving, making baked goods for people, or organizing events to bring the community together.

Marianne has volunteered for the St. Joseph’s Hospital thrift shop, The Grey Nuns Thrift Shop for over 13 years. Her ability to turn often random or broken items into wearable creations has created quite a following – and earned her the nickname “jewelry lady”. Her dedication and care for her service, in addition to the funds garnered from her pieces, has allowed St. Joseph’s Hospital to continue their voucher program that supports other community agencies.

UNH Extension Master Gardener Gary Sheehan has made a lasting impact on the statewide Free Seeds for Education program. At personal financial and time cost to himself, he drives around the state making sure the program continues on to make an impact for students to learn about gardening, sustainability, and pollinators.

Clara is a determined advocate for the children that is tasked in protecting and advocating for. For over 13 years she has brought so much to the program through her skills and passion for families. CASA NH is grateful for her service.

For over a year, Catherine has been sharing her musical talent with the residents of Cornerstone VNA. She brings the residents so much joy with her music and conversation. Catherine brings a positive outlook and brightens residents day each week and creates community with the residents.

Kay has been an invaluable Foster Grantparent volunteer with the AmeriCorps Seniors program. As a Foster grandparent at Beaver Meadow School in Concord, she supports 1st grade students in both academic and social areas. More than that, she continually goes above and beyond in her work – prepping her materials, reviewing lesson plans to make sure she’s prepared to help, and even making banana muffins for her students to enjoy. Her ability to adapt and the skills she brings from her background are demonstrated daily.

Dave has been volunteering with the Southeast Land Trust for over 5 years and has become an integral part of the organization’s work in the Hampstead area. He goes above and beyond with his attention to detail on paperwork and maintaining the accreditation of the land trust. He is helping to ensure the future of this conservation effort.

Jim has been a passionate volunteer at the Raymond Coalition For Youth since its inception in 2002. Currently, he’s supporting their bag recycling program, collecting plastic bags from various sites that will be turned into benches that will be placed around the town. Embodying the mission of promoting positive healthy choices for youth, Jim strives in and out of his volunteer role to give a friendly hello and a positive comment to share with the young people in the community, at events, and everywhere he goes.

Tracy, a human, and Finley, a therapy dog, are a critical part of the Elliot Hospital care team, providing support and love when it is needed most. They are always available for urgent visits, dedicating enormous amounts of time and unquantifiable amounts of good to patients and families and also importantly staff of the hospital. This duo is involved in many events and ceremonies and are a visible, sustaining part of the hospital community and all that interact with the hospital.

Christ the King Food Pantry Volunteers serve a vital role by providing food, comfort, and care to those in the Concord community who need additional help. They have a longstanding dedicated group of volunteers of all ages who treat each guest as a full human being and extend God’s love through their center and the volunteers who go above and beyond to reach 20-50 families 4 nights a week.

Granite VNA Hospice House Greeters are captains of care and compassion during challenging times of fear, loss, and grief. They show visitors to their rooms, offer drinks and snacks, help with administrative tasks, and even screened visitors during the pandemic. Most importantly, they ensure that families and visitors of patients receive a warm welcome during a very difficult time. Always going above and beyond, over the past year these 34 volunteers contributed almost 1000 combined hours as greeters. They are truly the “face of the Hospice House”.

Moultonborough Sandwich Senior Meals Volunteers go about the quiet, often unseen, but so necessary role of caring for our elderly. They make a quantifiable impact but serving food 4 days a week and providing food for the other three days, and not just nourishing people’s bodies but providing them with a social touchpoint and a reminder they are still valuable and seen.

Christ the King Parish, Stephen Ministries, truly are the hands and feet of good – providing true support to those going through major traumatic events, like the loss of a loved one, a terminal diagnosis, or divorce, to the less intense (though still stressful) life transitions, such as moving, job loss, or even getting married. Stephen Ministers go through extensive training (50+ hours) to meet people exactly where they are for as much time as they need to start feeling whole again.

SCORE Granite Region’s volunteers provide free mentoring services throughout the state of New Hampshire to anyone thinking about starting a business, in the process of becoming a business, or who have been a business for years . All of their volunteers are current or former business owners who donate their time to help other small businesses. Their volunteers are unique in that these mentorships are not just for one meeting, but for the lifetime of the business. Some client and mentor relationships span decades! SCORE volunteers bring not only years of experience and much needed expertise, but true dedication to go above and beyond for their clients to help them succeed.

The Home Health & Hospice Care at the We Honor Veterans Team makes an enormous impact in the community. The team works towards remarkable healing as veterans who have suffered trauma or moral injury have had an opportunity to reflect and process with a fellow veteran volunteer. They focus on incredibly important pinning ceremonies for veterans, and understand the deep level of respect and dignity that are required for the veteran celebration of life.

For over 111 years, volunteers at Future In Sight (founded as the NH Association of the Blind) have been dedicating their time and knowledge to serve individuals who are blind and visually impaired across the state of New Hampshire. Volunteers act as guides, drivers, visitors, trainers, and companions to the clients they serve. In the last 18 months, more than 50 volunteers provided these essential services. By donating their time, these volunteers are giving individuals across the state the opportunity to not only live with blindness or visual impairment – but to thrive!

Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership NH is special because the majority of their volunteers are alumni of their programs. Not only do they give their time to the organization, but many participate in other community service initiatives in addition to HOBY NH. In addition, many ambassadors enjoy their experience so much that they are eager to participate in alumni activities, give back to their communities, and volunteer at the next seminar as one of our junior facilitators.

Lincoln Woodstock Rotary Interact Club provides a very comprehensive opportunity for young people (and people of all ages) to get involved with other service-minded members of their community to make an impact locally and abroad. The club has been very active the past few years especially, and has adapted to COVID and adapted post COVID. They have been incredibly successful at organizing, motivating, and implementing goodness.

The Pleasant Lake Preservation Association (PLPA) Lake Host Program maintains an organized group of 20+ volunteers dedicated to preserving their beautiful lake’s water quality. Their volunteers conduct courtesy boat inspections and educate boaters on the importance of keeping their boats and trailers free of invasive plant and animal species that are harmful to the lake. Their work substantially benefits resident property owners and visitors by keeping property values high and the lake water quality as pristine and healthy as possible. The program was started more than 20 years ago, and today many of the volunteers have been with the program since its inception. Their dedication is evident through their impact on their community.

Volunteerism is the cornerstone of Sato Heart Rescue’s success. When its stated that these individuals are dedicated, they even spend time outside in snow, rain, sleet, and heat to bring dogs who are in quarantine outside for play time and social time, clean the dog’s dirty cages and the outdoor yard after potty time, deal with dogs who sometimes don’t like other dogs, or don’t like people – all in the name of the organization’s mission to give them a second chance at life.

The Grey Nun’s Thrift Shop supports the Nashua community in a variety of ways and provide necessary access to goods and other provisions of many kinds. They partner with many other community agencies for the general betterment of the Nashua community. The volunteers go above and beyond to make the customers feel valued, seen, and helped in a dignified way.

The Congregational Church of Laconia in conjunction with Belknap House, provides support to members of the Laconia community who need extra help, but most importantly they teach their families “how to fish”. They did not let COVID disrupt their mission of feeding, teaching, and empowering families to be self-sufficient and equip them with skills to not just change their moment, but change their trajectory.