Two Seacoast women, saying they were inspired to build awareness of local nonprofits that make an impact on the community, have founded Cheers for Charity NH, an organization that works to raise the profile of area charities and raise money for them at the same time. The women, business owners JoAnn Burchuk and Lisa Keslar, started their initiative just before the pandemic. The idea was to hold a gathering every other month at a participant’s home where people learn about a local nonprofit and make a donation. At its first event in early March, the group raised $550 for Haven NH, an organization that serves adults and children affected by domestic and sexual violence.
Lisa Keslar
But then Covid hit and Burchuk and Keslar had to redirect their efforts. They decided that they could build awareness through podcast-like video interviews of various nonprofit leaders. To date, they’ve interviewed representatives of more than 30 local charity organizations, including End 68 Hours of Hunger, Community Action Partners of Strafford County, Annie’s Angels and the Chase Home. They release one video a week through their Facebook page and plan to conduct another 80 interviews by the end of their first year.
“We are so excited to
create something that builds awareness, does good and is fun. It’s a win
for everyone,” said Burchuk, owner of Lighthouse Physical Therapy in
Portsmouth. “We are finding that people really appreciate learning about
something positive during what has been a stressful year for so many.
It feels good to share so many examples of kindness and commitment to
the community.”
JoAnn Burchuk
According
to Keslar, who’s principal of Keslar Insurance in Newmarket, as a
result of their videos, “people have learned about organizations they
didn’t know existed. Some have taken advantage of resources that they
need. Others have decided to donate. Still others have found ways to
volunteer. Some simply find inspiration in hearing these positive
stories where people are doing important and impactful work in our
communities. No matter what the result, we feel these videos are our
small contribution helping those who help so many others.”
There’s more information about Cheers for Charity NH on Facebook.
