1. Portland, Maine-based coffee and beverage franchise Aroma Joe’s recently opened one of its newest locations in New Hampshire at 527 Hooksett Road in Manchester, adding to the company’s 113 locations. To celebrate, franchise owners Robert and Tracy Hanson pledged 10% of proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester on Jan. 12. The Hansons own four other NH Aroma Joe’s stores, including one at the Manchester VA Medical Center.
2. Bank of New Hampshire donated $10,000 in December to Southern District YMCA of Exeter for the organization’s Youth Development Scholarships and programming to support mental health training for youth staff across all locations, as well as launching a First Robotics club to offer STEM learning and team-building opportunities for local youth. Pictured: Jonathan Shapleigh, vice president and commercial banker for Bank of New Hampshire, and Southern District YMCA leaders.
3. Ledyard National Bank donated $1,500 to three northern New England nonprofits to support efforts to provide food, shelter and social engagement to local communities. Recipients were the Capital Region Food Program of Concord; the Chapin Senior Center of New London; and Twin Pines Housing of White River Junction, Vermont.
4. The NH Liquor Commission raised $180,000 for the NH Food Bank during the 10th annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits expo in Manchester. The event welcomed more than 1,000 attendees to sample 600 premium and ultra-premium spirits. Pictured: NHLC leadership presented the funds to the NH Food Bank via check on Jan. 9.
5. McDonald’s locations across the state raised just over $50,000 in an October fundraiser supporting the NH Association of Chiefs of Police — launched by Massachusetts-based McDonald’s franchise organization Napoli Management Co., whose staff own and operate McDonald’s locations in New Hampshire. Pictured: Leaders from McDonald’s corporate, Napoli and Gov. Chris Sununu presented a check to the association on Jan. 4 at a McDonald’s location on Fisherville Road in Concord.
6. Meredith Valley Savings Bank (MVSB) recently awarded $75,000 to 40 local nonprofits, split between $58,000 to 23 local agencies and $17,000 to 17 local food pantries to mitigate food insufficiency in communities where the bank has a presence. Pictured: MVSB’s Fund Committee holds a $75,000 check outside the bank’s main office in Meredith.
7. Anna Sargent, the current Miss Dover (third from left), donated self-care holiday stockings to perinatal patients at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital seeking treatment for substance use disorder. The stockings, donated on Dec. 19, contained items like prepaid cellphones, gas cards and gift cards for ridesharing services to be used for medical appointments and access to food.
8. Secondwind Water Systems Inc., whose employees are pictured, recently donated $15,000 to Goffstown Junior Baseball to upgrade dugouts and benches at the nonprofit Little League program’s Goffstown Junior Baseball Fields. New steel benches with a vinyl coating will be installed in spring, and the dugouts will receive a fresh coat of paint as soon as weather allows. First chartered in 1959, Goffstown Junior Baseball serves children ages 4-16 across six area towns.
