On Sunday, February 25th, 2024, Peter Ducharme, Exalted Ruler and Norm Gervais, Lodge Secretary / PER and Lodge Elks National Foundation Chair from the Rochester, NH Elks Lodge #1393, presented the Rochester Share Fund with a check for $3000. This donation was made possible by a Beacon Grant obtained from the Elks National Foundation. Accepting the donation was Share Fund Executive Director Don “Skip” Smith and Jerry Rainville, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The SHARE Fund reaches out to neighbors in our community who are in need of help during difficult times, provides innovative program services to guide families on a path to self-sufficiency, and refers them to other agencies and resources when eligible, thus maximizing aid.
They serve neighbors from Wakefield to Farmington, Rochester to Somersworth, all with care and support to be a hand up and not just a hand out in times of need. The SHARE Fund provides assistance with clothing, diapers, and food for those in need.
The economy has made the past year more difficult on their clients, particularly with housing expenses. Between January 1st and December 15th, housing-related assistance increased 250% over the previous year. The pantry delivered 8359 baskets of food, serving over 700 families. Price of goods generally increased last year, particularly for dairy and eggs.
In the past many of the clients used the pantry only occasionally, but recently they have seen a marked increase of clients who now visit twice a month. The diaper bank has distributed over 29,000 diapers and the clothing store has seen a 13% increase in free clothing distribution.
For more info about the Share Fund and the Elks, please visit: https://www.sharefund.org/programsandservices and https://www.elks.org