Page 3 - March Newfound Lake Life

March 2021
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Page 3 Community
Violence, and they have a pickup location in downtown Plymouth and a few drop-off locations in the Newfound area. Stay tuned for more information about their “Dancing Under The Stars” event this July, where six commu- nity members will compete in a dance contest to get donations. Community members can vote for their favorite dancer through donations, and whoever racks up the most contributions is the winner of this entertaining event! There will be more information on that event coming soon, so be sure to check out their Facebook page and website for more.
Always remember, there doesn’t need to be an actual “cri- sis” to call the crisis hotline. The hotline operates for 24 hours at 1-8177-221-6176, and the texting number for ResourceConnect is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM at 603-506- 6500. The webchat is available at https://www.resourceconnect. com/vav/chat
Remember that you’re never alone.
VOICES
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feel safe. Not only does Voices Against Violence provide advo- cacy for their clients, but they also offer support groups that promote safe and healthy environments as well as a safe and nurturing envi- ronment.
With COVID-19 impacting organizations worldwide, Voices Against Violence was no stranger to the ramifications this pandemic launched at all of us. Meg Ken- nedy Dugan, the Executive Di- rector of Voices Against Violence, informed me of all the changes the crisis prevention center had to go through. Since their income se- verely decreased, the staff had to get creative with how they worked with their clients. And they did just that. When COVID-19 hit, shelters shut down, so Voices Against Violence put their clients in hotels, which sounds pricey. There was a silver lining when the non-profit received the Cares Act Grant, which helped put clients safely in individual units in their confidential location so there was lessofaneedtobeplacedina communal environment where they couldn’t get the privacy and comfort they needed.
Dugan also told me that when COVID first hit, they saw a signif- icant decrease in the number of people contacting them for assis- tance since many of these individ- uals remained stuck in lockdown with their abusers. This ordeal motivated the Voices Against Violence staff to get as creative as possible to continue to be the support that these people needed. The crisis center has strict pri- vacy guidelines to keep their cli- ents safe, so they began using an online resource called “Resource- Connect.” ResourceConnect is an online program where the staff can safely contact and communi- cate with people through webchat and online texting. When I asked about how the team adapted so well to working in this pan- demic, Dugan responded, “I was impressed by our staff with how quick they were ready to adapt to a new way of working to help our clients.” Dugan also reported that when this all started, they were panicked about how this would pan out, but they’ve found that this online resource has been working exceedingly well. So well, in fact, that they plan on using ResourceConnect as they move forward into the future.
Not only did they exceed with ResourceConnect, but they also used Adobe Pro to get confi- dential documentation to clients safely. With staff now working as a hybrid model to assist clients, there certainly has been a shift in the environment. And a positive
one at that. The Plymouth loca- tion began to see an increase in calls with people reaching out this past Fall when it became more known that Voices Against Vio- lence were operating function- ally through safe methods and procedures. Now, the organiza- tion is open in-person part-time, where if someone needs to meet in person with an advocate, they can do so by following the CDC guidelines. The Voices staff aim to create a safe and nurturing environment for all of their cli- ents through education, support, respect, and empowerment. The community can see how hard Voices works to uphold its values with how quickly the staff was
able to adapt to a new situation while thinking creatively in order to ensure safety and resources for their clients, Voices Against Vio- lence has done tremendous work for the community, and as a com- munity, we can give back to them.
If people are looking for ways
to help Voices Against Violence, there are many things they can do! There are volunteer opportu- nities for individuals interested in training to work on the crisis ho- tline, be a part of the committee or board, and occasionally help with events. If interested in vol- unteering, people can call their downtown office at 603-536- 5999 and leave a message. Marcie Gowen-Nobley, the Development Chair of Voices, informed me that they are selling t-shirts through their website for $20 each. All the proceeds go to Voices Against
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By donna rhodes
BRIDGEWATER – Voters in the Town of Bridgewater have only a few decisions to make this year at their Tuesday, March 9th election of town officials and annual Town Meeting, but en- courage residents to be in atten- dance when their annual business meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. that evening in the Town Offices on Mayhew Turnpike.
From noon until 6 p.m. that day the polls will be open for res- idents to cast their votes for two
open seats on the Board of Se- lectmen. Running unopposed for re-election to a three-year seat on the board is Terence Murphy. For the second opening this year, Amy Cunningham, appointed to the board following the death of former selectman Hank Woolner, is being challenged for the one- year remaining on that seat by Planning Board member Wesley Morrill.
Besides the election, the only designated item on the warrant this year is the proposed oper- ational budget of $1,608,213.
Murphy said the board was pleased to come to the voters with a number that is actually down 0.05-percent from 2020.
“This will have hardly no im- pact at all on taxes this year,” he said.
Detailing expenses for each of Bridgewater’s operational de- partments, the Town Report will be available at the Town Offices, and officials will be on hand at the town meeting to answer any and all questions prior to the vote.
Where Honesty and Integrity
Equals Success
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