Page 9 - JULY2024

July 2024 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM Page 9
BY DONNA RHODES
BRISTOL – As part of Social Studies teacher Chris Cronin’s “Take Informed Action” commu- nity project at Newfound Memo- rial Middle School, seventh-grade student, Finnegan Huntoon, was pleased to present the results of his project to local police officers from Alexandria, Bristol, and New Hampton.
A few years ago, Chief David Suckling of Alexandria began a partnership with Corey Gately, Director of Substance Abuse Service for Doorways of Con- cord Hospital in Laconia, to help people he met through his job to get into rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse. In recogni- tion of his efforts to help people recover from such addictions, she provided them with their basic Human Care Kits, the chief said. The bags she delivered contained basic hygiene products that peo- ple could take with them to a recovery program, such as tooth-
On June 6th, Newfound Memorial Middle School student Finnegan Huntoon presented local police officers with Care Kits for people entering rehabilitation for substance abuse. From left to right are Officer Josh Reynolds (Alexandria), Sgt. Patrick Cremin (New Hampton), Huntoon, Det. Eli Schaffner (Bristol) and NMMS Social Studies teacher Chris Cronin.
ucts, razors, water, and even some snack items to add to the kits.
With the school year wind- ing down, representatives of the three law enforcement agencies were invited to NMMS on June 6th, where Finn presented them with the expanded Care Kits de- signed to help people seek recov- ery from substance abuse.
“I wanted to help give them the stuff they’d need for recovery – no excuses,” the seventh grader said.
Sgt. Patrick Cremin of the New Hampton Police Depart- ment was grateful for Finn’s do- nation. He said his department encounters people who would consider going into recovery but are “terrified,” not knowing what they will experience or if they have what they will need to go through the process.
“This is awesome... It could make the difference for someone who’s ‘sitting on the fence,’” said Cremin.
Det. Eli Schaffner of Bristol
Police agreed with Cremin’s state- ment as he accepted the kits from Finn. At the same time, Officer Josh Reynolds of Alexandria, along with Chief Suckling, were pleased to have a box of items to add to the kits they already have available at their office.
Cronin said this was just her second year of presenting the “Take Informed Action” chal- lenge to her seventh-grade stu- dents, but it’s already become an inspiring endeavor for her class. Through the project, she asks them to seek out something bene- ficial they can do in their commu- nity, research it, and then develop ways to assist or promote it. The students can then choose to write about the subject they researched, make some sort of physical or volunteer contribution toward it, or go all the way by also making a public presentation to the cause they chose to support. She said
PRESENTATION
continued to page 11
Supporting the Community:
Community
Finnegan Huntoon's Presentation to Local Police
paste, toothbrushes, a hairbrush or comb, shampoo, soap, and deodorant.
When Finn saw a post about the kits on their social media page, he decided he could also add items to those kits to make people even more comfortable about changing their lives.
Finn decided earlier on that
the Doorway Care Kits were something he wanted to focus on for his community contribution. Six months before the project was to be completed, he began collecting the additional items he thought would benefit people on their journey to recovery. Over that time, he collected socks, pens, notepads, women’s hygiene prod-
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