The Following Message Was Posted in Local Media in December:
Most all of us, I think, are very proud of and fond of the community in which we live. If you could see what my eyes have seen the last several weeks, you would feel doubly so. The outpouring of support from our community over the holidays truly warms the heart, and reminds us of all that is good about the holiday season. Let me describe for you what I am talking about and say thanks to a few folks along the way.
The Goffstown Network is a community food pantry serving families in Goffstown, Dunbarton and New Boston. The holiday season started off with a bang for us in November, with the Boy Scouts of America “Scouting for Food” drive. To say that we were pleased with the results of the collection would be putting it mildly. After a very difficult summer and early autumn, it was a welcome ‘shot in the arm’ for us in terms of supply. We thank the local scouts and troop leaders for their tremendous efforts on our behalf, and the community for your generous support of this drive. Shortly after, as they do every year, the local schools helped us further by conducting food drives just before Thanksgiving. Glen Lake School, Bartlet and Maple Ave Elementary Schools, Mountain View Middle School, The Villa Augustina School, and New Morning and Namaste Schools all collected food for us. Thanks to all the administrators, faculty, staff, and especially to the students and their families, for their overwhelming generosity.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, we conducted our annual Thanksgiving Food Basket program in a 
hall donated by the Masons. On Friday afternoon, dozens of teens turned out to help us unload and sort the food to be distributed to our clients. That Friday evening, many more members of the community came to pack the food into boxes. This event is a raucous affair, with so many people there to start their holiday off by first stopping to help others. The following day, Saturday morning, more volunteers helped as we distributed the boxes to our clients.
All through the month of December, we continued to be blessed with donations of food and money coming from families, businesses and organizations wanting to help out during the holidays. A little over a week before Christmas, things picked up again, as the Goffstown High School community held their annual food drive on our behalf. Led by members of the Student Council and faculty advisors Corinne Dionne and Erin McKinnon, the four classes compete to see who can collect the most. On Friday, the 16th, they held an assembly in which all the food and money collected was put on display, and presented to us. It is truly an incredible event; our kids, our community, doing something that no other community in this state does. And it allows us, as a community, to really take care of families that are struggling; to make sure their holiday is one of joy, and not frustration and sadness. I would like to say thanks to everyone at the school: the administration, faculty and staff, especially the students and,
again, their families. A special shout out to Ms. Dionne, Ms. McKinnon and the Student Council (above). After the assembly, we loaded the food into a truck provided by Ace Hardware and took it to the basement of St. Lawrence Catholic Church. The Student Council joined us there to sort and count the food items. That night, families once again turned out in droves to help us pack the boxes (below). And on Saturday, more volunteers helped us distribute the packed boxes to our clients.
To see our community come together like this, reaching out in various ways to help others, is truly a magnificent sight. In addition to those already mentioned, there are a few people, businesses and organizations to whom I need to say thanks: Dan and Lea Devriendt of Devriendt Farms; John Denoncourt and all the folks at Sully’s Superette; The folks at Shaw’s and Hannaford’s in Goffstown; the Rev. Gerard L. Bertin, Paul Nault and the good people of St. Lawrence Parish Community, including the youth group; Frank Tibbetts and the Masons; John and Gayle Feick; Guy Camire; Larry Brown and Ace Hardware; Gregg Kapp and Anheiser Busch; Frank Oliver and the employees of Vikster’s; Rick Simons; the Goffstown Lions Club; the Pinardville Lions Club; the American Legion of Goffstown; Cumberland Farms; Steve Pascucci and the great folks at The Village Trestle.
In addition to what they do for us all year, many of the seventy-odd volunteers at Network pitched in to help out during the holidays. I also want to say thanks to the leaders of Network who made this all possible: Treasurer Barb Herman, for whom the title doesn’t begin to describe how much she does for us; same for Vice-President Steve Sarette; Secretary Sue Yost; Volunteer Coordinators Dallas Lavigne and Kathy Duncklee; and purchasers Roger Fortier, Dick Wood, and Jeff and Joan Stevens, who have worked tirelessly all year to keep us going. This year has been a real challenge; thanks to them it has been a good year.
As I have said many times, our organization can only be as good as the community in which it resides. In that regard we are truly blessed. Thanks to everyone who contributed to us at any time, in any way, during the year. The food we have received will help us through the winter, but the need remains year round. Please don’t forget us during the warmer months, when our supply dries to a trickle. For more information on the Goffstown Network, especially on how to make a contribution, please visit our website, www.goffstownnetwork.org, or call at 497-3343.
David Greiner, President Goffstown Network
Network Holds Annual Meeting in June
On Tuesday evening, June 7th, the Goffstown Network held their Annual Meeting in the basement of St. Matthew's Church. In addition to a presentation of the highlights of the 2010-2011 President's Report and Annual Financial Report, officers were elected and awards presented. Joining President Dave Greiner, Treasurer Barbara Herman and Secretary Susan Yost is incoming Vice-President Steve Sarette, replacing long-time Vice-President Richard Wood.
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Awards
Pictured at right, receiving from President Dave Greiner the Lloyd Green Humanity Achievement Award on behalf of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, are Network volunteers Aline and John Perreault (left and right) and Anne Freeman (center). The St. Lawrence Parish Community has been a huge supporter of Network for many years, providing building space for our Christmas Program and donating tremendous amounts of food and money. Additionally, many of our volunteers are St. Lawrence parishioners.
At left, Network purchaser Roger Fortier receives the Jack Kilmartin Award for Volunteering Excellence. In addition to being a tireless supporter and leader, Roger began coordinating purchasing for Network three years ago, and it is in large part thanks to his efforts that we have been able to keep up with the tremendous increase in demand we have been experiencing since the economy crashed in 2008.
This past March saw the sad passing of much.jpg)
loved and missed volunteer Roger Sarette. In honor of this courageous and delightful young man, the Network Board of Directors decided to establish the Roger Sarette Award for Youth Volunteer Service. In the photo at right, Dawn and Steve Sarette, Parents of Roger, present the first annual Roger Sarette Award to Ryan Emerson. A Class of 2010 graduate of Goffstown High School, Ryan has volunteered for Network for many years, and continues to do so while he attends college. A very hard worker, Ryan has always been a pleasure to work with, and so we are very pleased to present him with this award. The Goffstown Network offers it's congratulations and appreciation to this years award recipients. We also extend our thanks to all those who volunteered or supported Network during the past year.
New Owners, Same Old Story at New Morning School
Despite a change in ownership, the folks at the New Morning School in Bedford continued a tradition of teaching their kids what it means to be a good neighbor. As the school year was winding down, they conducted their annual bike/jog-a-thon, during which kids run, scoot, bike or hop laps around a track to earn support for charities. In the past they have supported organizations like Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Make a Wish Foundation, Easter Seals, and the Animal Rescue League, but this year they wanted to support local causes. In addition to helping a local Bedford family, they managed to raise $411 for the Goffstown Network!
Said Christi Garrison, a faculty member at New Morning "Linda Degler the new owner of New Morning School was happy to carry on the tradition of community service that Jess and Linda Shapiro started a long time ago. Personally I can't think of a better way to teach children that at times we all need help, and helping is something anyone can do no matter how young or little they are."
We couldn't agree more! Thanks to the faculty and staff at New Morning School, and to the families who supported this event. Most of all, congratulations to the kids who did a fantastic Job!
Goffstown Junior Baseball Continues a Tradition
Saturday, April 30th, 2011
Another great tradition in our town continued today, as the players, managers, coaches and families of Goffstown Junior Baseball kicked off the baseball season with their annual parade from Maple Ave Elementary School to the Villa ball fields. Another part of that tradition continued as well; families bringing non-perishable food items to donate to the Goffstown Network prior to the start of the parade. Many thanks to President Mike Santoro and all the folks at GJB for their efforts on our behalf, and to the families for their generosity. Pictured below are two T-ball players who were kind enough to stop and pose while making their donation.
Hoops for Hunger Scores Again!
Recently, as they have the last two years previous, the Goffstown High School Athletic Department, led by Director Steve Fountain, participated in the "Hoops for Hunger" Program, in which a hat was passed during half time of home boys and girls basketball games, seeking to raise money for the Goffstown Network Food Pantry. This year they raised $445. The ‘Hoops for Hunger’ is an initiative sponsored by the NHIAA basketball committee. Over the course of three high school basketball seasons the initiative has helped raise over $28,000 for local food pantries throughout the state and $9,546 this season.
Pictured at right at the check presentation from left to right are: Page Tuttle, member of the Girls Varsity Team; David Greiner, President, Goffstown Network Food Pantry; Rebeka Raven, member of the Varsity Winter Spirit Squad; and Ryan Lange, Varsity Boys Basketball Team.
Mountain View Middle School Works for our Community
For the second time in less than three months, the community at MVMS stepped up to help out the Goffstown Network Food Pantry. In November, MVMS joined the other shools in Goffstown in running a Thanksgiving Holiday Food Drive. The drive collected a significant amount of food items plus cash. Each and every year Network relies on these drives to supplement our holiday programs and to get through the winter months. In February, students, faculty and staff took advantage of Winter Carnival to once again strike a blow against hunger in our community. They were able to raise $1000 through the raffle of an autographed Monarch's jersey and t-shirt sales. We are lucky to have such friends. Pictured below is Goffstown Network President Dave Greiner accepting the check from MVMS Administrators, staff and students.
September 8, 2010
NH Food Bank moves to new location
The NH Food Bank has moved from it's old location at W. Brook St. in Manchester, to a new, much larger facility located at 700 E. Industrial Park Dr. in Manchester. While still a work in progress, when finished officials at the NH Food Bank believe it will help them serve the state even better than before. This is good news for organizations like ours, as we obtain roughly 3/4 of our food from the food bank. Goffstown Network enjoys the help of 6 volunteer food purchasers to make trips several times per week. Pictured below are pantry shopper Roger Fortier with NH Food Bank employees Connie Miville and Debra Learnard.
