Partnership with NEMO sparks oversea journey

Cam Brensinger, left, CEO of NEMO, and Alex Ray, right, founder of the Common Man restaurants, discuss the donation of sleeping bags by NEMO to the Common Man for Ukraine relief effort. (Courtesy photo)

A significant contribution of durable goods — namely sleeping bags — to the Common Man for Ukraine relief effort came about from what one of the organizers describes as the spirit of “collective humanitarianism” in the state.

The 100 sleeping bags come from NEMO, a Dover-based outdoor gear company known for its innovative designs.

“We are humbled by the opportunity to make these sleeping bags available for such a meaningful cause,” Brent Merriam, NEMO chief operating officer, said on the occasion of the donation at the company’s office on Central Avenue in Dover on Feb. 14.

Lisa Mure of Common Man for Ukraine said NEMO’s contribution will be part of a larger shipment of relief material that will make its way to Ukraine in April.

“The more we kind of work together and knit together these resources, these opportunities, Ukraine is getting the message that people care about them, that America cares about them,” said Mure.

“It’s building that collective humanitarianism so that you know a country that’s really suffering great, great losses of life, incredible trauma affords children, those people are feeling the love from America and from around the world,” she added.

The sleeping bags contribution came about as a result of a common connection involving NEMO and Common Man for Ukraine: U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.

“Senator Maggie Hassan was in our office in late January to discuss trade policy issues that affect our business, and she happened to mention the impactful work being done by Common Man for Ukraine, as well as their need for sleeping bags,” recalled NEMO CEO Cam Brensinger.

Brensinger noted that the Common Man restaurants are an institution in New Hampshire and that its founder, Alex Ray, is well known for his philanthropy.

“So it piqued our interest,” added Brensinger. “There are so many worthy causes in the world today, it can be hard to know where to start. But we had the right products and we appreciated the team from Common Man for Ukraine personally seeing that donations make it into the right hands. Their commitment and on-the-ground work really impressed our team.”

Foreign aid

Hassan herself visited Ukraine as part of a congressional delegation that met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. It’s been a little more than two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian President Vlademir Putin justified the invasion by saying Ukraine is a fascist nation that persecutes the Russian minority. The more likely reason for the invasion is to discourage the western-led NATO incursion on Eastern Europe.

“As I told President Zelenskyy directly when we met him, Granite Staters and Americans stand with him and with the people of Ukraine,” Hassan said. “Authoritarians in China, North Korea and Iran are watching to see if the United States will keep standing up to Putin or not, and it is absolutely essential that the House does its part to deliver aid to Ukraine at a time when every day of delay strengthens Putin and his like-minded authoritarians.”

A $95 billion foreign aid bill, including $60 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, has support in the Senate but has been stalled in the House because of Republican opposition.

In March 2023, Hassan recognized Ray and Muse of Holderness, along with Susan Mathison and Steve Rand of Plymouth, as Granite Staters of the Month in recognition of their work on behalf of Ukraine relief.

“They refused to stand by during a devastating war and the subsequent refugee crisis, instead boldly finding a way to directly help Ukrainian children,” Hassan said. “Alex, Susan, Steve and Lisa embody the Granite State spirit of taking on a challenge directly in order to make a real difference, and I know that they will continue to make New Hampshire proud through their work in Poland and Ukraine.”

These sleeping bags from NEMO, a Dover-based outdoor gear company, will make their way to war-torn Ukraine as part of the Common Man for Ukraine relief effort. (Courtesy photo)

Common Man’s dedication to relief efforts

Philanthropy has been a part of Common Man’s DNA since its start.

Ray, in a 2022 interview with NH Business Review, said immediately after he opened his first restaurant in Ashland in 1971 a local farmer flipped his tractor and broke his back. “So we had a day for that man, a spaghetti dinner, and all the money — 100% — went to his family,” he said.

Similar fundraising efforts have continued through the years as Ray has opened more Common Man restaurants across the state.

The Common Man for Ukraine effort has been focused mainly on cash donations, according to Mure, through a variety of ways that contribute to the “collective humanitarianism” she described — be it funds raised by a tennis tournament, or a night of line dancing or a ukulele concert.

A hard goods or durable goods offer will gladly be accepted, depending on the need at the time, said Muse.

A donation of solar lanterns provides light at night when the power is off. Winter jackets were a welcome donation with the onset of the cold in Ukraine.

“We really love that serendipitous magic that has been part of our project from the very beginning. It’s really, really powerful,” said Mure.

Relief efforts are coordinated through Rotary International, of which Ray is a member and which has clubs throughout the world. Rotarians in Poland help funnel the relief goods into Ukraine.

“There’s another Rotary group going over there in April, and they’re going to carry some of the sleeping bags,” said Muse. “Again, for me, the power of this is there’s a company that has something useful like that can give what it can just like every individual person, and it’s something that’s needed in Ukraine and that we can bring over.”

Common Man for Ukraine is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created by the Plymouth Rotary Foundation. The volunteer-run organization provides humanitarian aid, food and trauma counseling to Ukrainian orphans, displaced children and families struggling to survive the war.

To date, according to information provided to NH Business Review, Common Man for Ukraine has raised and distributed more than $3.5 million in aid to Ukrainian orphans and displaced children. Those donations have resulted in the delivery of 900 tons of food, 10,000 sleeping bags and hundreds of generators. In addition, the donations have funded the administration of monthly, three-week-long trauma counseling retreat sessions for Ukrainian children of fallen soldiers.

For NEMO, the Common Man for Ukraine donation was an opportunity to help where help was needed.

“As our company’s resources grow, we want to continue to support organizations doing important work,” said Brensinger. “Our first objective is to take responsibility for our environmental impacts as a manufacturer. We’ve announced a commitment to cut the emissions it takes to produce our products in half by 2030. That alone is a big project. We also have to keep our primary focus on protecting the public lands that make outdoor adventures possible and supporting a vibrant and inclusive outdoor community.”

“There are many important issues to tackle, and injustices happening across the world,” he added. “If there’s an opportunity for us to make a positive difference that aligns with our skills and mission, we will do our best to help.”