Summertime News! ☀️

Step by Step

A Quarterly Newsletter/Issue 6

We hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer! We appreciate that it can be difficult for working and older caregivers when the kids are home from school. Please reach out if we can help with summer camp or other summer activities.

Jaimie and Clark are in the process of adopting their three young nieces. We helped them renovate their home for their growing family.

Step Up Parents continues to grow as an organization, guided by our board of directors. Without them, we would not be where we are today. We would like to recognize the service and leadership of Paul Taylor and Katie Fontana as they leave our board and to welcome Pam Brazeau, Deb Anthony, Linda Sanborn and Candie Wright as the newest members of our board. Collectively, they bring a wealth of experience and skills to our leadership team. Please let us know if you would also like to get involved.

Hero Spotlight

We love to share the stories of our families. Their powerful words shed light on the growing population of kinship caregivers, the difficulties of their family circumstances and the love and appreciation they have for the kids they now care for. We are truly amazed at the compassion of these caregivers as they respond to the unexpected and adapt to the tremendous emotional, physical and financial challenges of welcoming additional members into their households.

Here is an inspiring story from grandparents Cindy and Pat, raising their five grandchildren (pictured) due to their son’s years-long struggle with addiction.

“It's very hard at times because we don't get to be Grammy and Grampy because we need to be ‘Parents,’ so the kids miss out on that extra piece of life,” said Cindy and Pat.
“But we also get the joy of being there for everything. It is harder being older but with great support from people like the FRC (Family Resource Center) and people like you it really helps. Just to be acknowledged goes a long way on down days.”
Step Up Parents was able to help Cindy and Pat with home repairs and items for their grandchildren.
Thank you, Cindy and Pat, for all that you do!

Our Families

Step Up Parents has been extremely busy as we respond to an increase in applications for assistance. With historic inflation, families are struggling with basic needs such as putting food on the table, gas in their cars, and fuel in their oil tanks. In the first half of 2022, we have assisted over 100 families - almost our entire total for all of 2021. These families care for over 170 kinship kids. Thankfully, with the support of our generous donors, we have been able to fulfill every application that meets our criteria.

Some Good News

New Hampshire is the only state in the US where deaths due to opioid overdoses (versus those from other drugs) drop year after year, from 424 in 2016 to 357 in 2020. Click on the photo for the entire article.

Dr. Jennie Duval, Chief Medical Examiner for the state, heads the office that confirms drug overdose deaths for the state. She said overall drug deaths have leveled off, but that deaths from opioids are decreasing. (Annmarie Timmins | New Hampshire Bulletin)

Our Donors & Supporters

How do we find the words to say thank you to our supporters who make what we do possible? We are continually humbled by the support we receive from individuals, local organizations, businesses, and foundations. Here are a few shout-outs to our latest benefactors.

For the second year, we received a $5,000 grant from the Bishop’s Charitable Assistance Fund. We are grateful for their continued support of our mission.

NH GIVES 2022 was a great success. Because of our donors, we were able to raise $3,570—more than DOUBLING last year’s total!

We are so grateful to the Portsmouth Rotary Club, who donated $3,000 to Step Up Parents from their Basic Needs Fund! This is the third time the Rotary Club has given us funding, and we are very thankful for their support.

Step Up Parents and several other Seacoast-area nonprofits were awarded an Angel Grant from the Foundation for Seacoast Health. We received a two-year, $25,00O grant, and $600,000 was awarded in total. Thank you to the Foundation!

At a lovely reception held by the Portsmouth Elks Lodge #97, the Step Up Parents’ board accepted a generous $6,000 ELKS Foundation Beacon Grant. This annual grant shines a spotlight on the children and caregivers who suffer the collateral damage of the opioid crisis.

We were honored to hear Governor Chris Sununu and Deaglan McEachern, Mayor of Portsmouth, speak on behalf of our mission to support kinship caregivers.

Thank you very much to the Portsmouth Elks Lodge #97, the National Elks Foundation, Governor Sununu, Mayor McEachern, Elyse Gallo, and everyone involved for your incredible show of support!

Step Up Parents Scholarship 2022

Congratulations to Emilee Kincaid, recipient of our 2nd annual scholarship award! Emilee recently graduated from Rochester Learning Academy and will be attending Great Bay Community College.

We wish Emilee the very best in college and in all of her future endeavors.

For more information or to donate, click here.