Over the past year, Community Action Partnership of Strafford County experienced growth, changes, challenges, and successes. One thing we know will not change from 2021 to 2022 is our immense gratitude for our community. Your donations and the time taken to help those in need undoubtably keep our community going. |
We look forward to embracing the year with kindness and continuing to realize our mission of reducing barriers for the people of Strafford County. Please read on to learn more about how to access help and ways to give back. |
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Program News and Information |
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Due to the high demand for shelter in Strafford County, CAPSC was authorized to open the Tri-Cities Warming Center as a safe and viable option for community members to spend nights this winter rather than its previous use for extreme weather or emergencies. Since the Warming Center opened in November, it has served over 238 unique individuals.
The Warming Center is located at 30 Willand Drive in Somersworth, NH. Please call
603-742-2709 for more information on our hours and availability.
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We would like to celebrate CAPSC's dedicated Warming Center staff and volunteers for all of their hard work creating and maintaining this program to ensure that everyone in our community has access to a warm, safe place to sleep at night.
One of our incredible volunteers and Dover resident, Mary Cameron, has been volunteering with the Warming Center since it opened its doors.
Over the past few years, she has watched the homeless crisis grow in the Tri-City area. "I want to pay it forward," she shares. "I want to help others learn these valuable life skills: conflict management and becoming better communicators. I see a lot of friendships forming!"
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Director of Housing and Homeless Services, Dan Clark, ready to open the Center for the night |
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Applying for Fuel and Electric Assistance |
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Need help paying for your heat or electric bill this winter? CAPSC can help!
The Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) is a federally funded program that provides qualified households with assistance in paying their heating bills during the winter heating season. FAP can also help households during a heating emergency by securing an emergency delivery of fuel, delaying a shut-off notice, or referring clients to another source of assistance. Fuel Assistance benefits range from $158 to $1,575, depending on household income and energy costs.
Fuel season started December 1st and ends on April 30th.
If you need electric assistance, Eversource offers a discounted rate for electric services for eligible clients. Click here for more information and to see if you are eligible for a discount of 8-76% off of your bill! Discounts are for the first 750kw per year. You can apply at any time, and if your income changes, you can re-apply for a better rate.
Applications are currently available online. You can either submit online or print out your application and mail it in. We are taking application appointments over the phone, or doing interviews in person.
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Community Heroes in the Making! |
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Head Start classrooms across CAPSC have been transformed into make-believe community settings to integrate dramatic play into the curriculum! We encourage the fun and learning that activity-based play can bring. Encouraging children to imagine themselves in vital roles within our community through dress-up and props can help develop a sense of empathy for others, develop social interaction skills, and empower children for the future.
Children have had the opportunity to play as doctors, grocery store clerks, and veterinarians.
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CAPSC offers Head Start and Early Head Start, which are programs that serve infants and toddlers from birth through age five. Programming is offered throughout the school year. We are currently accepting applications for our Head Start and Early Head Start programs. Click below to learn more and how to apply. |
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Are You Having Trouble Paying Your Rent? |
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CAPSC can help with rent and utility payments through the New Hampshire Emergency Rental Assistance Program. NHERAP is a new federally funded program that provides financial assistance for New Hampshire renters who cannot pay for their rent or utilities during the pandemic. If eligible, you can receive up to 18 months of rent and/or utility assistance.
You may be eligible if you have experienced reduced income, significant costs, or some other financial hardship over the last year. Or, if you qualified for unemployment benefits after March 12, 2020. You may also be eligible if you are paying more than 30% of your income towards rent and utilities, live in unsafe or unhealthy housing, or are at risk of homelessness. Finally, you may be eligible if you are below a certain income level. For example, a family of four living in Dover, making less than $85,280 annually would qualify.
Please contact Economic Stability & Case Management Supervisor, Abigail Galloway-Burke, if you have any questions at AGBurke@straffordcap.org.
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Thanks to the generosity of our community, CAPSC's food pantry is fully stocked! The holiday season has left us with a surplus of healthy and delicious foods. If you or someone you know would benefit from our pantry, please do not hesitate to call our office or just stop in! There is no income verification necessary to use our food pantry. We are happy to serve you today.
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CAPSC's Food Pantry Locations and Hours |
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Dover Food Pantry
Bradley Commons
577 Central Ave
Dover, NH 03820
Monday- Friday
9:00AM to 4:30PM
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Rochester Mobile Market
10 Cold Spring Manor
Rochester, NH 03839
Tuesday
12:00PM to 4:00PM
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CAPSC's Newest Program Guide |
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Community Action Partnership of Strafford County has over 60 coordinated programs and services to serve you, our community! To learn more about all of CAPSC's programs and services, please click the link below to read our newest 2022 Program Guide, hot off the press! This guide will give you an in depth look into each program that CAPSC offers. |
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If you would like copies of the Program Guide to have at your place of business or in the community, please email Zoe Kay, Marketing and Communications Manager, at zkay@straffordcap.org.
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During the pandemic, the demand for CAPSC's services has soared as individuals and families struggle to get by. In 2021, more than 17% of Strafford County households utilized one of CAPSC's programs or services. We served more than 19,000 individuals last year.
Despite the increase in demand, CAPSC continues to provide essential programs and services to ensure that everyone has what they need to succeed and thrive.
In order to continue to meet this demand, CAPSC needs your help. We cannot provide over 60 coordinated programs and services without support from our generous donors and partners. Please make a donation today to allow CAPSC to continue serving as a critical community resource for all those in need. Every dollar donated to CAPSC is an investment in our community. Thank you!
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Red's Race for A Better Community |
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Save the Date for the annual Red's Race for a Better Community!
The race will be on April 16th, 2022, in historic downtown Dover.
We are so excited to be a part of this integral community event. Please follow along on our Facebook page for updates, information on how to register, and how to volunteer for this event!
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We are currently looking for local businesses to sponsor CAPSC’s important programs and services, which would provide many unique opportunities for your business to be recognized within our community. |
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With a sponsorship to CAPSC, your company will have access to:
- An audience of nearly 15,000 individuals through our social media accounts
- Over 5,000 people through our quarterly e-newsletter
- Hundreds of individuals who come to our events
- Countless individuals in the community who visit our website.
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But, most importantly, your sponsorship will help thousands of our neighbors in need through CAPSC’s homeless outreach and prevention programs, fuel and electric assistance programs, Head Start and Child Care programs, family supports, community food services, and more.
For more information on how to sponsor, please check out our website or reach out to Melissa Spil, Chief Advancement Officer, at mspil@straffordcap.org.
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CAPSC needs your help! We could not do our work without support from our amazing volunteers.
Whether you are an individual, small group, large group, or company looking for ways to give back, we have a variety of volunteer opportunities to fit your needs and interests! Some of our volunteer opportunities include:
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Dedicated volunteer John,
at CAPSC's Mobile Market in Rochester
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Volunteers loading Thanksgiving baskets |
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Food Pantry: We have ongoing volunteer needs at our food pantries, which include loading, unloading, and stocking food donations and helping with general upkeep of the pantries.
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Warming Center: We have many volunteer opportunities available at our Warming Center, which include distributing meals, checking clients in and out, and helping to maintain cleanliness of the Center.
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Site Upkeep: We have a variety of hands-on volunteer opportunities at our sites across Strafford County, which include yard work, painting, cleaning, and general maintenance of our properties.
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Skilled Volunteers: If you have a specific skill or expertise that you would like to share with CAPSC, please email us directly to coordinate.
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Customized Opportunities: We can customize any volunteer opportunity based on your needs, interests, and group size. Email us directly to coordinate.
If you are interested in volunteering with CAPSC, please email
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The Open Doors Capital Campaign |
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Community Action Partnership of Strafford County is in the final phase of our Open Doors Campaign to fund a new Innovation Service Center in Dover.
CAPSC moved into our new building in 2018, and it has already had a monumental impact on our ability to deliver programs and services more efficiently and to ensure that our clients are able to access our services. However, the mortgage payments for the new building are taking away resources from CAPSC's critical programs and services, especially during a time when CAPSC is experiencing an unprecedented demand.
With only $300,000 of our $2 million goal left, we need your help to close out the campaign! And, if you make a donation today, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation!
By making a gift to the Open Doors Campaign, you help CAPSC to reduce our operating expenditures and increase our long-term sustainability. The savings on rent alone equate to about $84,000 a year. The dollars saved will be reinvested back into our programs to ensure maximum impact on our clients and the community.
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CAPSC does more than provide our clients with financial assistance. We also provide our clients with needed items to stay warm in the winter; keep from going hungry; and offer learning opportunities to young children.
In order to do this, we rely on the community for donations. One way that you can make a large impact is to run a donation drive through your company or with your family, friends, and peers in the community.
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Anthony Brown and Sarah Schafer of 1st City Cars donated over 200 pounds of food to our Food Pantry! |
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Over the holiday season, the generosity of the community was extraordinary. Individuals, companies, organizations, and groups of people came together to run donation drives for CAPSC. The holidays are behind us, but we still need these donations year-round. Please consider running a donation drive for CAPSC over the next several months to ensure that we can continue to provide our clients with the items they need on a daily basis.
For more information on our most up-to-date list of needs and how to run a donation drive for CAPSC, please contact Development Manager, Sophie Aikman, saikman@straffordcap.org.
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Holiday Basket Distribution |
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Our two Holiday basket distributions were a huge success this year! With the help of many generous donors and dedicated volunteers, we were able to distribute over 600 baskets of food and more than 200 turkeys to families within our community.
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Altrusa of the Seacoast members packing bags for our distribution!
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Volunteers getting turkeys ready to be distributed!
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A huge thanks to Newick's Lobster House for storing turkeys! We are so thankful for all of the volunteers that came together to make these special events possible. We couldn't have done it without you!
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CAPSC held three vaccination clinics in December and was able to help administer COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots to 220 staff members, family of staff members, and clients of the agency!
CAPSC continues to put the health and safety of our staff, clients, and community at the forefront of everything we do. We hope that all will continue to be safe and do their part to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Our offices will continue to require all individuals to wear a mask while indoors and encourage social distancing.
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A huge thank you to
for their support and making these clinics possible.
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Join Our Team!
CAPSC offers several benefits including:
• 403(b)
• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Earned time-off
• Flexible spending accounts
• Vision care coverage
• Work/Life resources
• Employee and Dependent life insurance
• Disability insurance
• 12 Paid Holidays a year
CAPSC is also offering a $500 Sign on Bonus for all new employees!
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We have several opportunities available in many locations, please click below to see more information and apply!
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For the most up to date information please visit the career page on our website. Careers
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Calling All Teachers!
We are looking for qualified and compassionate Early Childhood Educators for infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms! CAPSC has opportunities available in multiple locations including Dover, Somersworth, Rochester, and Farmington.
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The expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) for 2021 increased the credit to up to $3,600 per child, made it fully refundable, and allowed families to receive half the credit in up-front monthly payments.
The data overwhelmingly shows that the expanded CTC has helped countless families survive and thrive over the last year. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that "the vast majority of families with incomes under $35,000 spent some or all of the payments on necessities — housing, food, clothing, and utilities — and education."
And a report from Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy shows that, in December, the CTC advance payment kept 3.7 million children from poverty.
It's not too late for families to take advantage of up to $3,600 per child afforded by the expanded CTC. All you need to do is file your 2021 taxes!
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COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Sites |
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There are many benefits to getting the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination helps protect you by creating an antibody response without you having to experience sickness. When you are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, you can resume many activities with proper precautions without as much risk. Anyone 5 years of age and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine. As with other routine vaccines, side effects may occur after vaccination. These are normal and should go away within a few days. Please explore the links below for free fixed vaccine sites and free mobile vaccine sites.
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If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, there are many free testing sites and options to be tested for COVID-19. There are options for individuals with or without health insurance. Please explore the links below for COVID-19 testing options.
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A Reminder for Tax Season |
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Completing your taxes can be overwhelming! CAPSC has compiled these resources to make the task easier for you. |
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You can call 211 for more resources and direct help filing state and federal taxes. |
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Healthy Habits with CAPSC |
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CAPSC knows that a strong community is a healthy community! See below for a health tip that is easy to incorporate into your everyday life.
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Living in New England means long winters with low sun exposure. This can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and subsequent low Vitamin D levels which can contribute to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and others.
Small doses of sunlight are the best way for your body to make its own Vitamin D. In the winter, this could be a short walk in the midday sun or sitting outside for lunch with some skin exposed for 5-30 minutes. This even works when it’s cloudy!
If you aren’t able to get outside, the next best option is to get Vitamin D through foods like fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolks, mushrooms, and many fortified milks, yogurts, and cereals are also good sources.
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Did you know that CAPSC has a knowledgeable nutrition team that is always willing to help our community make healthy eating easier?
Please contact Health and Population manager, Erin Harkins, if you are interested in learning more about healthy eating this winter at eharkins@straffordcap.org.
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From Weatherization to our Family Resource Centers, Senior Transportation, and so much more, CAPSC is always adapting to meet the changing needs of our community!
We hope that you will utilize our website and social media sites to stay in the loop with all that is going on at the agency!
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Community Action Partnership of Strafford County
577 Central Ave, Suite 10
Dover, NH 03820
(603) 435-2500
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