2023 Community Partner Awards

2023 Presidents’ Community Partner Award Recipients

For a non-profit organization who has enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and engaged in the development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with a college or university.

Posters and certificates will be made available. Hover over image to see the recipient’s bio.

Kearsarge Lake Sunapee Community Food Pantry: Colby-Sawyer College

Kearsarge Lake Sunapee Community Food Pantry was established in 2007 to help meet the emergency and everyday food and household needs of people in the Kearsarge/Lake Sunapee region who are experiencing financial hardship. The KLSC Food Pantry has been a good neighbor and partner of Colby-Sawyer College since its inception. It’s location right next to campus allows us to work together seamlessly- whether it is providing produce to them in the summertime or donating leftover meals from our dining hall as we are able. It provides both a service to Colby-Sawyer community members as well as serving itself as a supplemental classroom for engaged learning.

Jordan Ela, Dothan Brook Elementary School: Dartmouth College

The Dothan Brook Elementary School is a widely admired educational system known for its innovative pedagogical role not only in Hartford, Vermont but throughout the broader Upper Valley. Their educational ethos revolves around a community of kindness and ``providing a physically and emotionally safe learning environment, fostering academic, social, and emotional growth, and nurturing a sense of belonging in all its members``. No where is the power of this mission more apparent than in Jordan Ela, Teacher and School Counselor. Jordan is a primary contact for several of the Youth Education and Mentoring (YEM) programs affiliated with the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact and in every instance, she offers invaluable support to students and staff during circumstances that range from joyful to immensely challenging. Jordan facilitates the delicate first meetings between mentors and mentees, she participates in interviews to offer vital feedback that informs student matches, and perhaps most importantly, she is an ever-present source of compassion, humor, wisdom, and care to every student who engages with her-from kindergarteners at Dothan Brook Elementary through Seniors at Dartmouth College! In these ways and more, Jordan Ela consistently demonstrates her dedication to the emotional wellbeing and sense of community for students of all ages as she connects them to the vibrant community of the Upper Valley in meaningful and nurturing ways. She is truly the epitome of a Community Partner with broad impact and Dartmouth is lucky to collaborate with such a thoughtful and impressive teacher and school counselor extraordinaire.

New Hampshire Area Health Education Center (NH AHEC): Franklin Pierce University

New Hampshire Area Health Education Center (NH AHEC) is a vital and collaborative partner with Franklin Pierce University through the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program. NH AHEC is a statewide network that works to improve health care and access to health care, particularly in rural and underserved areas, by enhancing the health and public health workforce of the state. The NH AHEC network provides educational outreach and support to health care providers in practice, students in training programs for health professions, and young people considering a career in health care. The NH AHEC network is a partnership between The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the northern and southern regional AHECs. Together, they collaborate with many statewide and community agencies, organizations, schools, and postsecondary academic institutions to assess and address the needs of the healthcare workforce. NH AHEC and Franklin Pierce University have partnered to help educate our students and offer the Rural Health Scholars sessions and designation. These programs focus on addressing inequalities in access to healthcare while offering formative training and development. NH AHEC was also a vital community organization that assisted in the grant application for the Congressionally Directed Spending funds, for which Franklin Pierce University was awarded $825,000 to develop a Rural Healthcare Simulation Center on our Lebanon campus.

Gather: Great Bay Community College

Gather, the largest food provider to those experiencing hunger on the Seacoast, has significantly enhanced the quality of the lives of Great Bay Community College students since 2019, by providing students with nutritious snacks, by supporting Great Bay’s Curbside Food Pickup program during the pandemic, and most recently, opening the Gather Café at Great Bay Community College (GBCC). According to the Hope Survey, one in three college students do not have enough to eat and The Gather Café’s mission is to reduce hunger/food insecurity amongst our students by providing affordable meals (50% off for students; average meal is $4) to students as well as by providing free after-hours-to-go meals for students. Since the Gather Café at Great Bay opened to students on August 29, 2022: • 4,596 Meals Have Been Served • 2,767 Meals Have Been Provided to Students for 50% Discount • 363 Complimentary Meals Have Been Provided to 175 Students. The connection between food security and student success is well-documented. Research has shown that food insecurity hurts academic performance (‘the Hope survey”). GBCC aims to support its students both in and out of the classroom, which ultimately helps their ability to persist and complete their education, ultimately improving the quality of their lives. GBCC would not be able to accomplish this without its partnership with Gather.

Make-A-Wish, Greece: Hellenic American University

Since its founding in 1996, Make-A-Wish, Greece, as made the wishes of more than 2000 children with critical illness come true. The NGO enjoys the support of numerous sponsors, employees and more than 300 volunteers. In the last 5 years, Hellenic American University has worked closely with Make-A-Wish, Greece, where its students help out in events, workshops, bazaars and other initiatives. Make-A-Wish makes a difference in the lives of ill children around the world. In Greece, it has managed to grant an average of one wish every 40 hours.

International Institute of New England: Manchester Community College

Manchester Community College has longstanding, successful partnerships with the International Institute of New England (IINE), including the LNA for Success program which trains refugees and immigrants for careers as licensed nursing assistants through contextualized, concurrent English language instruction, soft-skills and workforce readiness preparation. IINE also provides direct guidance, support to employable refugee clients by providing English classes, securing participation in training with MCC (and other institutions) to obtain industry-recognized credentials, and gaining employment. Recently IINE has not only worked with MCC, but other employers in the community to provide onsite English language classes to support the upward mobility of the Manchester area workforce. IINE is a crucial partner in southern New Hampshire's ecosystem of support for refugees and immigrants.

Families in Transition: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Headquartered in Manchester NH, Families in Transition's (FIT) mission is to empower people experiencing homelessness, by providing dignified housing, delivering comprehensive and innovative solutions, and developing collaborative relationships with their clients and partners by creating opportunities for donors and volunteers committed to making a difference where they work. This organization also includes the Outfitters Thrift Store and Willows Treatment Center. MCPHS has had a long partnership with FIT in which they enthusiastically accept our PharmD students enrolled in our Service-Learning course, as well as partnering with our Occupational Therapy and Nursing Departments, allowing those students to host events on site. They were one of the first organizations to reach out for student volunteers when COVID lockdown restrictions eased, and have always been so flexible with the number of students they will accept. They not only provide incredible resources to the local community, but are truly a great community to this university.

The Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire (CCCNH): New England College

Since 1978, CCCNH's mission is to serve survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking through empowerment, safety, and support; and to promote prevention through education in Merrimack County, NH. Their vision is the eradication of domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking in our community. The organization provides a wide range of support services such as: hospital accompaniment, emergency shelter, housing, support groups, and the support that their 24/7 crisis line volunteers provide to numerous people in the region. CCCNH is a resource for New England College students, staff, and faculty.

Bridge House: Plymouth State University

The Bridge House Shelter has opened its doors and welcomed hundreds of PSU student volunteers throughout the years. They partner with the Office of Community Impact to host bi-weekly Community Dinners for the past three years, whereby PSU students prepare and share meals with Bridge House residents. Additionally, they host student volunteers through courses and community engaged learning, while providing intergenerational connections. The Bridge House leads our community in addressing housing insecurity and engage on PSU's Campus & Community Mental Health Working Group, initiated by the JED Foundation to address the collective mental health of our campus and broader community.

Jessica Hagg, Arlington Street Community Center: Rivier University

The ASCC aims to develop links between schools, families, community partners, and the community-at-large through a safe, welcoming space open to all where services and programs are available to assist with the needs of every student and every family. The ASCC believes in improving student learning, strengthening families, and making our community healthier. By providing equitable opportunities for all community members, we can eliminate gaps, barriers, and challenges that affect youth and families here in Nashua.

The Moore Center: Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm College and The Moore Center have been partners for many years. The partnership has continued to grow, adapting to changes and challenges. Over the years they have worked with the Meelia Center to develop opportunities for significant engagement for Saint Anselm students that also meets the needs of their individuals and families. The Moore Center offers a variety of programs for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and acquired brain disorders, as well as services to children and seniors. The college has partnered with several different Moore Center programs over the years, including community-based programs and programs on the college's campus. The on-campus programming has been a special part of the partnership. The Moore Center started with groups that provided an opportunity for clients to experience the life of the campus while engaging in a new activity, including cooking, or learning about places around the world. This paved the way for a more classroom based experience in partnership with the Moore JOBS program, an internship program at The Moore Center that prepares individuals with intellectual disabilities for meaningful employment and creates an opportunity for Moore JOBS interns to experience the academic and social life of our campus. Moore JOBS has a classroom component that prepares the interns for their internship placement at a nursing home. In 2019 Saint Anselm faculty and staff worked with the Moore JOBS team to create an on-campus classroom experience for the interns where they learned alongside college students. While the Moore Center has been a Meelia Center partner for many years, this program has created a unique opportunity for faculty engagement, an experiential classroom where Saint Anselm students are able to apply their learning, and a space where the Moore JOBS interns feel welcomed and part of our community. In the spring of 2020, when organizations and the college went remote, The Moore Center adapted and worked with partnering faculty and the Meelia Center to move programs remote. The Moore JOBS classroom initiative moved online and so did the group experiences. The Moore Center also helped the Meelia Center host the Annual Valentine's Day Dance remotely, keeping an almost 30 year tradition alive. As the challenges and needs of the pandemic changed, The Moore Center continued to be creative and adapt. When the group experiences were able to move back to in-person, The Moore Center was ready and excited to come back on campus. They continue to develop new and innovative ways for us to partner that both meet the needs of their clients and support the engagement and learning of our students.

Bowman Place at Olde Bedford: Southern New Hampshire University

Bowman Place is a non profit assisted living and memory care facility in Bedford, NH that goes above and beyond to provide their residents with the quality of care and love they deserve. SNHU and Bowman Place (Bowman) first ``met`` just over a year ago and in this short time have formed an incredibly strong and mutually beneficial partnership. SNHU students join the residents during their daily activities which may include, painting of flower pots, a daily walk, or a conversation. In addition to the scheduled activities, Bowman welcomes SNHU students to bring their own ideas to the facility. Anything that brings added value and fun to their community is on the table, such as a wine tasting event being held this Spring in which a SNHU class will be conducting a wine tasting and education workshop for residents. Bowman welcomes SNHU students with open arms, and in Fall'22, more than 50 SNHU students visited Bowman place for direct service learning. In total, over 120 SNHU students will visit Bowman Place this academic year. The best part of this partnership is not what SNHU has given to Bowman, but what our students have received from Bowman. One student said, ``I had so much fun painting with a resident. I think getting old can be fun now.`` Another said, ``I wish all people had this kind of care when they grow older. It has opened my eyes.`` The ease of this collaboration has been refreshing as we talk about what works, what doesn't, and what we'd like to do together. We are thrilled to be collaborating with a community partner and look forward to the years ahead.

Gather: University of New Hampshire

UNH partnered with Gather to start the Food Repurposing Project. This collaboration takes leftover food from the dining halls, campus catering, local grocery stores, and campus gardens and repurposes it into nutritious meals for those in need. Volunteers work in the kitchen in Barton Hall to create these meals. The repurposed meals are put in compostable containers and transported to Cats Cupboard and to Gather's Portsmouth location and then distributed to their mobile market. This partnership allows students to learn about food rescue and hunger in our area, while also developing their cooking skills and giving back in a meaningful way.

New Hampshire Food Bank: University of New Hampshire at Manchester

Mark Bonta, Plant Manager of GenFoot America: White Mountains Community College

Our community partners at White Mountains Community College truly define the relationships between community and education and help the college in meeting its mission. Mark Bonta, Plant Director at GenFoot America, has been a true steward of the community college mission. Mark has committed to enhancing the quality of life for his employees by committing to clearly defined pathways and opportunities for educational and career pathways. Through a variety of workforce training opportunities and a new model to bring college and career pathways to his employees, Mark has demonstrated a sustained and reciprocal partnership with the college with the mission of advancing social mobility for his employees and the North Country. Additionally, Mark has partnered with the college as a member of the Rural Pathways Team, committing his time to collaborating on a nation-wide project to increase access and completion rates for college credentials and bringing these pathways to his employees. We are more proud to have Mark as a community partner and look forward to his innovative practices in collaborative efforts to increase a college going mindset in our communities.