Through Pennies for Change, you can round up your shopping bill to the next dollar and we’ll donate the difference to nonprofits in our community.
Each year, we’ll designate three Food Access Partners, and each will receive 20 percent of what we collect. We’ll donate the remaining 40 percent to two Community Partners, split 30 and 10 percent, respectively. The Community Partners will change each month.
2016 Food Access Partners
Willing Hands: 20 Percent
Willing Hands is the brainchild of a former Co-op employee who saw Upper Valley people in need of food and knew the Co-op had excess produce that was going to waste. With support from the Co-op, in 2004, he began to personally distribute those fresh fruits and vegetables to local human services organizations.
Today, Willing Hands drivers pick up excess food from many local donors including grocers, farmers, and bakers and deliver it to over 40 service organizations including senior centers, food shelves, community meals, rehabilitation programs, and subsidized housing. In addition to the immediate area around Hanover and Lebanon, some of the towns they visit include Windsor and Springfield, Orford and West Fairlee, South Royalton and Sharon, Cornish and Claremont.
Upper Valley Haven: 20 Percent
The Upper Valley Haven was started in 1980 by clergy and parishioners of St. Paul’s and St. James’ Episcopal Churches in White River Junction and Woodstock, Vermont. A food shelf and clothing room was added in 1983. That year the food shelf served 327 families.
In May 2004, the Haven Family Shelter, Food Shelf, and Clothing Room moved into a new building on Hartford Avenue in White River Junction. And today the Haven’s food shelf serves more than twice as many families every month than it served per year in the early 1980s. Haven outreach staff also report that an estimated 50 people a night are homeless in the Upper Valley—living in the woods, in tents, in their cars, or on the couches of family or friends. Even larger numbers are those of the working poor, who despite holding jobs, struggle to provide the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter.
Listen Community Services: 20 Percent
Started as LISTEN (Lebanon in Service To Each Neighbor) in 1972, the organization changed its name to Listen Community Services in 2004. Although located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, it serves 23 Upper Valley towns, providing a broad spectrum of human-service programs to assist both individuals and families. Listen’s services include budget counseling, community dinners, a food pantry, and housing and heating help.
Listen also works to foster independence. Its counselors and volunteers teach pragmatic skills to help end the cycle of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Other services include youth-mentoring programs, summer camps, holiday gift baskets, and a thrift store.
June 2016 Community Partners
Child and Family Services of NH: 30 Percent
Child and Family Services of NH (CFS) is a nonprofit that supports children and families through an array of social services. Programs include child abuse prevention and treatment, mental health counseling, home-based family support, runaway and homeless youth services, eldercare, foster care, and more.
In an average year, CFS staff travel over 1.3 million miles, delivering services to communities, schools, homes, courts, hospitals, prisons, the streets, neighborhoods, clinics, resource centers, corporate offices, and the legislature.
League of NH Craftsmen: 10 Percent
The Hanover, NH, League of NH Craftsmen is dedicated to the teaching and exhibition of fine crafts.
In the gallery shop, the League also supports talented craft artists by selling their unique work. The store offers the best of traditional and contemporary fine crafts from more than 250 juried artists. Study opportunities also promote fine-craft traditions through classes and workshops that nurture the creativity and skills of students of all ages and experience levels.
Ken Davis
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