Latest News @ LRCD - August 2022

Harvey Heights Award of Excellence

​We are proud to share that LRCD received an Award of Excellence from the Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC) for our work at Harvey Heights in Meredith. The award serves to recognize an organization for an exciting and innovative project that has been conceived and successfully implemented in a community over the last year. The completed project must also serve a public good. Special thanks to all involved! 
LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz received the award on behalf of LRCD from David Katz, Vice Chair of LRPC. 

Harvey Heights New Sign

To go with its beautiful renovations, the sign for Harvey Heights also received a facelift! Check out the before and after pics below. 

Grappone Supports Gale School Project 

Grappone Automotive Group has pledged another $25,000 in New Hampshire business tax credits to support the redevelopment of the Gale School in Belmont. Last year they purchased $15,000 in tax credits. The project will transform the historic schoolhouse into a community facility that will include a new early learning center operated by the Boys & Girls Club and a new program center operated by Lakes Region Community Services.

“We love the CDFA tax credit program and we think the Gale School is a great project to invest in because of the impact it will have on working families in the Lakes Region,” said Amanda Osmer, Owner of Grappone Automotive Group (pictured right Carmen Lorentz).
LRCD was awarded $750,000 in credits for the Gale School project, and has sold $530,000 to date. 

FACES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING: DONKA FACCIOLO

Donka Facciolo was born in Bulgaria and adopted into a loving family from Sandwich at age 6. She grew up attending Sandwich Central School and later Inter-Lakes High School. Friends know her as joyful, outgoing, a social butterfly, and the life of the party. And that’s how she loves to live her life — full of laughter, fun, and most importantly, with community connection.
Growing up, Donka’s parents taught her the importance of independence. She was born with arthrogryposis, a disorder that affects the stiffness in joints and involves muscle weakness throughout the body. In Donka’s case, 

arthrogryposis has rendered her non-ambulatory and requires the support of a wheelchair to be mobile.
​After graduating high school in 2006, Donka knew that moving out of her family home was the next step to the life of independence she so desperately wanted. She immediately sought help in making this dream a reality. Donka and her family turned to their assigned resource coordinator at Lakes Region Community Services for support. 
There's so much more! Click HERE to read Donka's full story featured in the Laconia Daily Sun.

PARTNERSHIP WITH PEMI VALLEY
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 

LRCD and Pemi Valley Habitat for Humanity (PVH) together are proud to announce their new collaborative relationship effective August 1, 2022.
Through this agreement, LRCD will endeavor to incorporate single family home lots into their site plans when planning a new rental housing development. The lots would then be subdivided and sold to PVH at a price that works with their home building model. The PVH single family build opportunities will then be shared with LRCD tenants who have a goal of homeownership.
“We are very excited about this new relationship with PVH,” states Carmen Lorentz, LRCD Executive Director. “By leveraging the strengths of each of our organizations, LRCD and PVH can create new home ownership opportunities for families of low and moderate income.”

CONGRATS TO ANOTHER TAKE THE WHEEL GRAD

"Anne" and her kids loved their car. It got them everywhere they needed to go for years and became part of the family.  But, with 300,000 miles on it (yeah you read that right), it was getting tired. Anne needed something reliable to keep her busy family moving to work, school, and soccer…so much soccer! 
The money she set aside wasn’t quite enough, so she searched for a “hand up,” and found Take the Wheel NH. Even with no credit, Take the Wheel welcomed her into the program.
Thanks to Take the Wheel, she learned more about managing finances, is now working on building credit, and has this fabulous new car.
Today, with their new Kia, they’re comfortably on the road 4 days a week and getting 50 miles to the gallon to boot! "Anne" says, “We’re making it because of the car and Take the Wheel NH.” Visit Take the Wheel NH to learn more.