Step by Step | Step Up Parents’ Quarterly NewsletterΝβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ 
Step Up Parents

Step By Step

Newsletter 10 | Fall 2023
 

The leaves have changed and begun to fall, reminding us that winter is on the horizon. For many families, winter presents more challenges, including providing heat, reliable transportation, and warm clothing. At this time of year, we typically see a rise in need and are happy to help our kinship families make ends meet as they provide the children in their care with a warm and safe home.
 

Hero Spotlight

If you've been following us for a while, you'll know that we often like to share stories from the kinship families we have assisted. This thank-you note from Avah, a young girl being raised by her grandmother, deeply moved us.

"Hi, my name is Avah. I am 11 years old, and I live with my grandmother. My grandma has been raising my sister and I for a very long time by herself. I feel very lucky to have a grandma who cares and loves me and was able to take on the challenge of raising me and my sister.

I have been wanting to be on a swim team for a long time but my grandma has never been able to afford it, so I am saying thank you to Step Up Parents for giving me the money so I can be on the swim team. When I swim, I feel very confident and good about myself and strong. Thank you."

We are thrilled to have made a difference in Avah’s life that allowed her to do something that makes her feel great, like swimming. Thank you, Avah, for sharing your story!

Avah is 11 years old and lives with her grandmother.
 

Our Families

To date in 2023, we have assisted 150 kinship families from New Hampshire and Maine and impacted over 250 kids displaced from their parents because of parental substance abuse.  

In September, we held a fundraiser to kick off our expansion into Southern Maine at the Haley Art Gallery in Kittery. We were joined by many friends, supporters, and community members, including two amazing grandmothers who have raised seven grandchildren between them.

Thank you, Devon and Dawn, for stepping up for children who needed a hero.
 

News from Step Up Parents

Board President Honored with Vita et Caritas Award

Step Up Parents is incredibly proud of our Board President, Jennifer DuChene, who was honored with the Vita et Caritas Award from the Bishop's Charitable Assistance Fund at a reception at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH.

The Bishop of Manchester awards this honor through the BCAF to a volunteer who makes significant contributions through service to the nonprofit agency where they volunteer to help transform the lives of women, children, or families.

In addition to the award, Step Up Parents received a $2,500 donation. We say a very special thank you to the Bishop of Manchester, Reverend Peter A. Libasci, and Sean and Liz Feren, Co-Chairs of the Bishop's Charitable Assistance Fund for 2023, for recognizing Jenn and Step Up Parents.
 

Welcome to Our Newest Board Members!

We are thrilled to welcome Laura Johnson, Nate Pearson, and Jennifer Caesar to our team! Each new member brings valuable experience and skills to Step Up Parents and will help guide us with their expertise as we continue to grow. We also welcome Jaime Yates to our Advisory Committee.

As we welcome Laura, Nate, Jennifer, and Jaime, we say a fond farewell and heartfelt thank you to Stephen Morrissey for his board service since Step Up Parents' inception and to Linda Sanborn for her valuable service on our Board.

If you or someone you know would like to join the team at Step Up Parents, please consider becoming a Board Member, Advisory Committee Member, or Mission Ambassador.

Contact us for more information.

 

Join Us for Spinning Generosity!

On December 15, 2023, we will be riding for a cause again at Spinning Generosity! Last year, Step Up Parents raised $17,750 during this annual event. Though it's been a remarkably successful fundraiser in past years, we can only do it again with riders and supporters! Please mark your calendars and consider joining our effort to raise money for our mission.

Sign up to ride by emailing Liz at liz@lizfit.net. If you can, please consider making a donation at this link.

Click here for more information on Spinning Generosity.

 

Our Donors & Supporters

Step Up Parents’ work is made possible by generous donations and grants. We are 100% privately funded, and our gratitude for our supporters is immeasurable.

Thanks to all who have donated to our 2023 Annual Appeal, which started in September to align with National Kinship Care Month. There is still time to give, and no donation is too small. With an increase in the number of families we help each year, the need and demand for assistance is significant.

We send our heartfelt gratitude to the wonderful folks at Lonza for hosting the Lonza Harvest Open and selecting Step Up Parents as one of this year's beneficiary charities, along with Our Place, NH. September 7, 2023, was an incredible day out on the links, and we thank the volunteers, sponsors, golfers, and donors of raffle and auction items for making the event a huge success. We are truly overjoyed at Lonza’s $41,835 donation!

We also want to give special thanks to Service Credit Union for their support of our upcoming Holiday Gift Card program. Thanks also to Meredith Village Saving Bank, Bangor Savings Bank, NH Trust, Lexi Leddy’s Moving Communities Campaign and St. Mary’s Bank for their sponsorships of this heartwarming initiative that allows us to provide families we've helped with a gift card to purchase presents for the children in their care.

β€œWe are proud to support this year's holiday gift card initiative,” said Jaime Yates, Community Relations Manager at Service CU. β€œStep Up Parents is playing an important role in the community by supporting kinship caregivers and by surrounding them with a little extra love this holiday season.”

Thanks also to the Oleonda Jameson Trust, which supports programs that assist impoverished families and individuals, for its $5,000 grant to Step Up Parents. β€œStep Up Parents addresses the basic needs of children in kinship care, providing food, clothing, therapeutic support and addressing special educational needs to make a lasting difference in the lives of these children,” said Trustee Susan Leahy. β€œThe Oleonda Jameson Trust is pleased to provide resources to help Step Up Parents support these children.”

The Merrimack County Savings Bank Foundation also recently granted us $3,000, allowing us to further our community effort in the Foundation’s service areas. β€œAs a mutual savings bank, it’s important that we give back to the communities that have supported us for the past 155 years,” said Linda Lorden, President of The Merrimack. β€œThrough economic highs and lows, the Foundation finds a way to make these grants possible.”
 
 For more info or to donate, click here 
 
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Step Up Parents, 29 Rockingham St., Portsmouth, NH, United States

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