Page 3 - FEB2023

February 2023
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Page 3
Community
Photo courtesy of Plymouth RC.
unfolding event, have left their evening meal untouched on the long cafeteria tables in the “din- ing room .”Each child’s portion speaks of Ukraine’s wartime austerity. Each plate presents a single potato, a piece of bread, and a banana.
As they enter, the visitors begin to assess the old building and its occupants. The interior is gray. The concrete walls em- brace each room’s chill of 40 degrees. The damp floor is slip- pery. Sleeping is arranged in a couple of large rooms; the cots are lined up barrack-like. Other- wise, the space is not furnished. Nevertheless, the youngsters live like true Spartan warriors. En- tering the dining area, the four teammates, very familiar with restaurant fare, take note of the orphans’ spare meals and are grateful that the truck has brought a variety of foodstuff.
Meeting the guests, the chil- dren at first show neither joy nor
fear. Their shared expression is that look of children everywhere encountering a changed envi- ronment; they exhibit curiosity. This soon changes. The visi- tors, representing the Plymouth Rotary Club and hundreds of generous Granite Staters, aware that it is the holiday season, have brought not only necessities but gifts and treats as well. Lisa Mure, playing the role of “Fa- ther Frost,” begins to distribute the welcome presents. The chil- dren’s faces, once revealing only concerned wonder, now reflect a lively joy in the oscillating glow cast by oil lamps. Bright eyes and wide smiles are beaming.
To Susan, Lisa, Steve, and Alex, the faces appear as wel- coming beacons........ the love lights of Ukraine.
Let the Love Lights of Ukraine continue to shine. Please donate at commonmanforukraine.com and sup- port the next delivery of much-needed food and goods. Thank you.
Mark Dionne (left) is excited to join Tapply- Thompson Community Center Director Leslie Dion, and Assistant Director Dan MacLean
as the center looks to changes that will meet the needs of the Newfound Community in the future. Photo by Donna Rhodes
TTCC STAFF
continued from page 1
with the Union Leader news- paper, the Audubon Society in Hebron, and the Friends of the Arts in Plymouth. And while two of those three were nonprofit or- ganizations, he said never imag- ined working for nonprofits while in college but discovered it was something he loved.
His first experience in that line of work was volunteering at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. He eventually became a full-time employee there and was excited when his first grant application was approved.
“It changed my life,” Dionne said.
He then went on to begin the development of his own non- profit organization in Grantham but scrapped those plans when he was offered a position with the Audubon Society in He- bron. From there, Dionne joined Friends of the Arts in Plymouth to assist them in their funding, and when his mission with that nonprofit group was done, the first of his two children was born, changing his life once again.
At the age of 40, Dionne be- came a stay-at-home dad during the day, returning to his lifelong love of music at night. Playing his guitar and singing at venues around New Hampshire in the evenings, he soon landed a job as the weekend house musician at the prestigious Mount Washing- ton Hotel.
“After driving an hour to work and coming home late at
night in all kinds of weather, though, I was starting to get tired and wanting to do something closer to home,” said Di- onne.
It was then he
saw TTCC was
looking for a person
to help them grow
through grants and community en-
gagement, which
rekindled his love
for working with
nonprofit organi-
zations; that mean-
ingful life he wanted to lead after college. So, with his children now in school, he quickly sent in his resume.
TTCC Executive Director Leslie Dion said the new posi- tion was developed as part of a Strategic Planning workshop that took place last March. She felt the workshop helped re-energize their board of directors, flush- ing out what the growing needs of the organization are and how they could meet them. In doing so, they also realized they would need someone dedicated to se- curing grants and other funding for the center and found Dionne to be a perfect fit.
“This position is what I really wanted to go for at this time in my life- a nonprofit that is truly meeting the needs of their com- munity,” Dionne said.
Through his many years of experience, he finds TTCC to be “a grantor's dream.” Among
the many requirements for grant funding is that applicants meet the needs of their community in one way or another.
“Since I came on board a couple of weeks ago, though, I discovered that they aren’t just meeting the needs of the com- munity- they’re exceeding them in so many ways. It’s amazing,” he said.
Fundraising ventures have already begun, and Dionne has assured the board that there is also plenty of money available through grant programs that will help them meet their future goals. He looks forward to getting to know the community better and hinted that he might even bring his guitar to Kelley Park one night for the summer con- cert series.
“This is a really great town, and I’m so happy to be part of it now,” he said.
You’re Invited!
Every evening with services beginning at 6:30pm.
Come hear gospel music and sound Bible preaching that will rouse your heart and encourage your soul.
The services will be held at:
Hill Village Bible Church 36 Crescent St, Hill, NH 03243
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