During a week-long celebration of neighborhood improvement activities nationally recognized as NeighborWorks Week, LRCD tenants came together at eight different Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) properties to build or re-plant community gardens. During NeighborWorks Week (June 3-10), LRCD and hundreds of other NeighborWorks America network organizations across the country, celebrate the successes of communities and how NeighborWorks organizations empower people to achieve their goals. LRCD Executive Director, Carmen Lorentz said, “Community gardens have definitely become a spring tradition at LRCD. After a long winter, residents enjoy getting together to work on their gardens. We love empowering our tenants to grow their own food and build community through gardening.” The LRCD properties who re-planted or built new community gardens this year include: Harvey Heights and Pinecrest Apartments (both in Meredith), Ames Brook Apartments in Ashland, Lochmere Meadows in Tilton, Harriman Hill in Wolfeboro, and River’s Edge, Batchelder Street School, and Elm Street in Laconia. LRCD is part of the national NeighborWorks network, an affiliation of nearly 250 nonprofit organizations located in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Throughout the year, NeighborWorks network organizations empower people to take steps to achieve their goals, such as make their community safer, find and maintain secure housing, and ensure financial stability, which leads to thriving, healthier communities. In 2022, the NeighborWorks network managed 204,916 rental homes across the country, and constructed, acquired and preserved 13,159 rental homes. Photo Caption: Residents at Harvey Heights in Meredith construct a raised gardenbed for the new community garden. By respecting and appreciating the diversity within our LRCD communities, we can empower everyone to live their best life and promote equity and justice for all of our residents. June 12 is Loving Day Loving Day is the anniversary of a historic court decision for interracial marriage. It’s a global day of visibility, education, and community. Learn about ways to celebrate with your family HERE. Also check out “In Celebration of Loving Day: Raising Multiracial Kids” by PBS Kids for Parents. June 19 is Juneteenth Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas. Juneteenth was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. Black Heritage Trail NH is hosting a week+ of events June 10-19 to celebrate Juneteenth. June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!New Hampshire boasts numerous Pride celebrations in June & July. Here are some of the biggest, which include a wide variety of events.
Manchester Pride – June 10-17 https://manchestertrue.org/ Manchester’s Pride celebration includes something for everyone. June 10 – Layers of Identity art exhibit June 12 – Queen City’s A Drag at Stark Brewery June 13 – Youth Pride Hop June 14 – Pride Karaoke June 15 – Femmes & Thems Night June 16 – Drag Roulette June 17 – Pride After Party Seacoast Outright Pride (Portsmouth, NH) – Saturday, June 24 https://www.seacoastoutright.org/copy-of-portsmouth-pride This is a youth-oriented, family-friendly event. Noon – Pride Parade leaves from Market Square 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Pride Event at Strawberry Banke 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Youth After Party at First United Methodist Church Capital City Pride (Concord, NH) – July 15-22 https://capitalcitypridenh.com/ July 15 – Community Art Day @ Kimball Jenkins (for youth) July 16 – Pride Family Picnic @ Kimball Jenkins (for families) July 21 – Coming Out Stories @ Teatotaller (for anyone) July 22 – PRIDE After-Party @ Bank of NH Stage (for ages 18+) Housing Champion of the Month: Melcher & Prescott Insurance"Affordable housing is clearly a challenge here in the Lakes Region. I believe affordable housing is important for producing economic growth along with creating vibrant and inclusive neighborhoods. When families can't meet their basic housing needs, businesses will struggle to attract and retain employees and our local communities will become less diverse." - Bill Bald, President of Melcher & Prescott Insurance THANK YOU Melcher & Prescott Insurance! We need the financial support of our local business community in order to produce more units of affordable housing for essential workers. Most housing developments that we undertake cost us $150,000 to $300,000 before we can get a shovel in the ground. Email CLorentz@LRcommunitydevelopers.org today if your business would like to be a Housing Champion. LRCD Receives Grant from NH Electric Coop FoundationWe are grateful for ongoing support from the NH Electric Coop Foundation. They recently added $5,000 to our eviction prevention fund to help our tenants maintain their housing. LRCD uses this fund to make matching payments on behalf of tenants to help them pay outstanding rent or utility balances, so they avoid eviction. Since the NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program ended in October 2022, people who fall behind on rent have few places to turn for help. LRCD has made $25,000 in eviction prevention payments since October, which is more than double what we previously did in an entire year! Thanks to support from NHEC Foundation, we have funding available to help people who find themselves in this stressful situation. Eviction prevention is a very cost-effective way to address the crisis of homelessness. Evictions are traumatic and disruptive to families, and they are costly to our community in terms of lost productivity at work and school and increased demand on healthcare, public safety, and social services. Thank you to NHEC Foundation for recognizing the importance of this effort! Pictured L to R: Melissa Shadden-Cyr, LRCD Resident Services; Sara Thielbar, NHEC Foundation; Kerri Lowe, LRCD Resident Services A Look at Resident ServicesLRCD does so much more than develop affordable housing. We want to see our residents grow, thrive, and succeed! Our Resident Services Coordinators provide them the support and resources they need to do so. Introducing LRCD Resident Services! 2022 Impact Report We are so proud of the work we do! While there is still more progress to be made, we invite you to explore our 2022 Impact Report to learn more about the needs of our community as well as our accomplishments over the last year. Save the Date! NH Gives 2023SAVE THE DATE! Support LRCD with your donation during NH Gives, June 6 - 7. Affordable Housing in the NewsTwo important studies about housing have been in the headlines recently, and we wanted to make sure you saw them.
90,000 units in two decades: New report puts a big number on state’s housing crisis – New Hampshire Bulletin Zoning atlas puts New Hampshire’s municipal housing barriers on display - NH Business Review (nhbr.com) We are grateful for ongoing support from the NH Electric Coop Foundation. They recently added $5,000 to our eviction prevention fund to help our tenants maintain their housing. LRCD uses this fund to make matching payments on behalf of tenants to help them pay outstanding rent or utility balances, so they avoid eviction. Since the NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program ended in October 2022, people who fall behind on rent have few places to turn for help. LRCD has made $25,000 in eviction prevention payments since October, which is more than double what we previously did in an entire year! Thanks to support from NHEC Foundation, we have funding available to help people who find themselves in this stressful situation. Eviction prevention is a very cost-effective way to address the crisis of homelessness. Evictions are traumatic and disruptive to families, and they are costly to our community in terms of lost productivity at work and school and increased demand on healthcare, public safety, and social services. Thank you to NHEC Foundation for recognizing the importance of this effort! Pictured L to R: Melissa Shadden-Cyr, LRCD Resident Services; Sara Thielbar, NHEC Foundation; Kerri Lowe, LRCD Resident Services
Please help Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) to create more affordable housing opportunities in the Lakes Region by participating in NH Gives with a donation to LRCD June 6 – 7.
NH Gives, an initiative of the NH Center for Nonprofits, is a powerful, statewide 24-hour online fundraising event that is designed to build community, connect donors to local nonprofits and generate excitement about the nonprofit sector. LRCD is proud to be a part of NH Gives this year, asking the community to join this impactful effort to make a difference right here in the Lakes Region. LRCD has been creating affordable housing in the Lakes Region for 30 years. Since the late 1980’s, LRCD has created 366 affordable rental apartments for people of low income, but it is not enough, and they need your help. Wages have not kept pace with the rapidly rising cost of housing. Also, although the need for housing is great, production has not kept pace with the need. Now, the Lakes Region finds itself facing a housing crisis like never before. LRCD envisions a Lakes Region where everyone lives in a home that supports good health. It is the key to workforce development and local business growth, as well as solving the growing crisis of homelessness. If LRCD can achieve this vision, everyone in the community will benefit. LRCD needs the support of the community to increase housing production to the level needed to ensure the right amount of housing is affordable for essential workers, seniors who want to age in place with dignity, and people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Please mark your calendar and set a reminder to join the NH Gives fun by donating to LRCD between 5pm, June 6 and 5pm, June 7. Your donation will help LRCD grow its pipeline of affordable housing developments so they can meet the need. If interested in participating, subscribe to our email newsletter. To learn more or donate during NH Gives, visit LRCD's NH Gives web page. |