TCCAP #GivingTuesday

Tri-County Community Action Program joins #GivingTuesday that Encourages a Different way to Give 

Berlin, N.H. (PRESS RELEASE) –

Tri-County Community Action Program with its headquarters in Berlin, New Hampshire has joined the #GivingTuesday to celebrate the compassionate giving for  the three countries it serves, Coos, Carroll and Grafton County in the northern region of New Hampshire. Your donation can impact over 27,000 northern New Hampshire residents, or you can select a few of your favorite causes. Another way to give is of your time as a volunteer either through R.S.V.P. (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), through Tri-County Transit as a non-emergency medical driver, Head Start for child ages 3 to 5 or from home on the Domestic Violence Hotline.  Volunteer applications are available on the tccap.org website.

TCCAP is a private nonprofit organization that covers more than 4,455 square miles in the Northern New Hampshire region. TCCAP maintains 48 service center sites and serves as a multi-purpose, social service and advocacy agency.  

TCCAP wants to help raise awareness of #GivingTuesday through social media and email, encouraging its supporters to join this call to action and give back.  #GivingTuesday creates and celebrates new ways to express appreciation for the spirit of holiday giving season throughout December.  “The most valuable gifts we can give are helping people, changing the lives of our children, loved ones, friends, and neighbors, “ said Jeanne Robillard, COO of Tri-County Community Action Program, “it is a commitment to work together to build a better community.”

TCCAP Programs and services include:

Tri-County Transit is committed to providing safe, reliable, convenient transportation options for northern New Hampshire residents. Our Littleton Regional Healthcare (LRH) affiliate Shuttle, Door to Door service and Long Distance Medical (LDM) service complements the existing flex route system by providing transportation to people who are unable to utilize our local bus service in the Berlin, Littleton, and North Conway areas. By serving over 50,000 passengers annually: we help move our communities forward. Tri-County Transit Holiday Wish: Long distance non-medical emergency program volunteers to transport elderly and disabled individuals to medical appointments in Coos, Carroll, and Grafton County. Volunteer application on the website.

Head Start is a federally funded free early childhood program for families with children between the ages of 3-5.  We served 280 children/265 families in 12 center base classrooms and 3 home base options in 9 locations within Carroll, Coos and Grafton counties.  We provided a high-quality comprehensive program inclusive of health and developmental screenings, early childhood education, nutrition, socialization, behavioral health,  and support to families as their child’s primary educator.  Head Start Holiday Wish: Looking to engage volunteers to engage with HEAD START in Coos, Carroll & Grafton County for many different roles. Volunteer application on the website.

North Country Elder Programs served nearly 130,000 nutritious meals to seniors at our 15 congregate meal sites and home deliveries, in addition to the other social programs and trips that North Country seniors enjoyed. Approximately 1,600 seniors participated in our programs, and 145 volunteered their time. We’ve learned by now that socialization and fighting loneliness is as worthy a goal as the nutrition aspect of the meals we serve. Many of our seniors tell us this is the only social contact they may encounter in the course of a week. Senior Meals Holiday Wish: To feed 1,250  in Coos County Seniors.  Meal Voucher Actual Value $8.00, Cost to Senior $3.00

Tamworth Dental Center and School Smiles provided high quality, needed dental care to over 2,500 people, mostly from Carroll County. Our oral health preventative and remedial services have a positive impact on the quality of life, and even the employability of our patients. We’re there for our patients in emergencies and to maintain a family’s oral health. School Smiles Holiday Wish: Looking to supply 800 children in Carroll County a toothbrush kit during a School Smiles exam.  Bulk Purchase $1,000

Coos County ServiceLink served 7,773 contacts with detailed information about benefits, programs, and resources. That included 684 Medicare and 614 Medicaid contacts, where our highly skilled staff is able to help people navigate their way through the confusing decisions about benefits and eligibility, in order to make the best decisions possible for themselves. Coos County ServiceLink Holiday Wish: Refer a Coos County family member for Medicare counseling that helps navigate options as they age. Call 603-752-6407

Guardianship Program provided services to over 400 vulnerable New Hampshire residents. Our Guardianship staff works tirelessly to safeguard the resources of our clients and allow them to live as independently as possible, in dignity, free from economic abuse. Services include Court appointed medical and estate guardians, trustees, and conservator, representative payees, benefit management services, and consulting to assist family guardians, etc.  A new service is outsourcing accounting services to attorneys.

Homeless Outreach Services when you look out the window at this time of year you’ll see why our Homeless program is such a lifesaving necessity for the people we serve. In the last 12 months, even through the worst of last winter, we worked to help people find shelter. We served an astonishing 817 people in all three counties, including 2,474 shelter bed nights at the Tyler Blaine House in Lancaster. Tyler Blain House Holiday Wish: SMART TV with a streaming device to bring training educational programming into the shelter.

Fuel Assistance is a vital, life-saving service has been a cornerstone of Community Action for over 40 years. In the last year, we assisted over 6,500 individuals and families in all three northern NH counties. Testimonials we’ve received from our clients demonstrate how important this program is. When people are confident that they will be able to do something as basic as heat their home, it makes it easier for them to get involved with other activities that help move them out of poverty.  We’ve been able to get clients their fuel earlier and with fewer emergency situations than last year. Fuel Assistance Holiday Wish: Looking to heat 25 Homes in Coos, Carroll & Grafton County.  Average Fill up $250

Weatherization crews in all three counties have made improvements in 378 single family homes and apartment units this year. As with Fuel Assistance, our clients qualify for services through a means-tested application process. Our crews not only make significant upgrades to the energy efficiency of a client’s home but also tackles needed safety improvements. These services drive down the cost of heating people’s homes while increasing comfort and repair dangerous living conditions where they are found. We hear many stories from our clients about how these services have made their homes more livable. Holiday Wish: Tool Kits for Weatherization services in Coos, Carroll & Grafton County. 5pc Cordless Combo Kit $399, need six kits

Support Center at Burch House is a program of prevention and support for victims of domestic and sexual violence near Littleton. We provide community education as well as advocacy and shelter for those fleeing violence. In the last year, we served roughly 450 individuals, including 45 in our shelter, where we provided 3,472 bed nights. Our outreach and education efforts reached 300 students and about 2,000 community members at fairs, expos, and other events. For people recovering from domestic and/or sexual violence, our skilled team works to help clients create a new future, one of strength and resilience, building on healthy relationships. Burch House Holiday Wish: Looking to engage volunteers for our 24 Hour Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse Hotline in Grafton County.  Volunteer application on the website.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Program provides treatment, prevention, and education to help people live a life free of addiction and abuse. Our residential program in Bethlehem, our outpatient treatment in various locations in the North Country, our follow-up services for people in recovery, and our ongoing education programs touch thousands of lives all over New Hampshire. As our state and our nation battle this terrible addiction crisis, Tri-County CAP’s AoD program is planning to continue to improve and expand our services and our networks to broaden the impact of this life-saving service. Friendship House Holiday Wish: Help with Future Friendship House GiveGab campaign https://www.givegab.com/nonprofits/tri-county-community-action-programs/campaigns/future-friendship-house-expansion

RSVP continued its valuable role, providing meaningful opportunities for retired people and seniors in Coos County, while also serving local nonprofits with valuable volunteer resources. In the last year, approximately 350 RSVP volunteers provided nearly 40,000 hours of volunteer time to 50 nonprofits, doing everything from breaking trails to staffing blood drives, to teaching English as a Second Language. RSVP Holiday Wish: Looking to engage more volunteers to engage with RSVP for many different roles. Volunteer application on the website.