1. On Sept. 8, Great Bay Community College opened the Gather Café at Great Bay, a new campus-based kitchen and café created in collaboration with Gather, a Portsmouth-based food pantry, to provide donated meals to food-insecure students along with affordable, convenient, healthy food options on campus.
2. The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) was awarded $5.8 million by the U.S. Department of Labor through the Apprenticeship Building America grant. The funding will be used to extend ApprenticeshipNH, a CCSNH workforce initiative, through developing a hub infrastructure in four regions in the state, for ongoing sustainability and to support and expand Registered Apprenticeship programs in new industries and occupations.
3. Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) purchased $50,000 in tax credits from the NH Community Development Finance Authority to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central New Hampshire transform the Penacook Community Center into a 10,000-square-foot child care and youth development facility. Pictured, from left: Chris Emond, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Central NH, and Linda Lorden, president of The Merrimack.
4. The owners of the Red Arrow Diner were presented with the Manchester Historic Association Century Club Award in honor of the diner’s 100th year in business during the 30th annual Historic Preservation Awards on Sept. 8. Carol Lawrence purchased the Red Arrow Diner in 1987 and now shares ownership with George Lawrence, vice president, and Amanda Wihby, chief operations officer. They manage approximately 175 employees between the Red Arrow Diner locations in Manchester, Concord, Londonderry and Nashua.
5. Caterpillar Inc. has donated $25,000 to White Mountains Community College in support of the college’s future advanced technology building, which broke ground on Sept. 14. Funds from Caterpillar Inc. and Milton CAT, which pledged $200,000 to the project in March, will support construction, equipment, infrastructure and program development for the building at the Littleton Academic Center. The expansion is designed to help the college meet workforce needs in the North Country by growing high-demand programs, improving access, increasing regional recruitment and deepening community integration. Left to right: Marc Pouliot, WMCC diesel heavy equipment technology program professor, Chris Robichaud, Milton CAT recruiter, and Chuck Lloyd, WMCC president.
6. Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) has given a $5,000 sponsorship to the Monarch School of New England for the Horticultural Therapy and Gardening Program, which provides unique opportunities for students to learn, grow and reach their full potential in a nature-based setting. From left: Melissa Clark, MVSB branch services supervisor; Jim Carrigan, MVSB regional vice president, branch and business development manager; Diane Bessey, Monarch School of New England executive director; Kathy Perry, horticultural therapist; and Jolene Whitehead, MVSB branch and business development manager.
