This article contains reporting from the Barrington Village Festival, which was held on September 7th, 2019.
BARRINGTON, N.H. – Over 50 vendors were present at the Barrington Village Festival on Saturday, which was hosted by the Greater Barrington Chamber of Commerce. Several people voiced that Barrington should have more events like this one in the future. If you couldn’t make it, we’ve put together a wrap-up of all of the non-profit organizations that were present. The Calef’s 150th Anniversary event will be covered in a separate article.
Lions Club
The Lion’s Club of Barrington was present, which has around 30 members from the community. They regularly meet at the American Legion every other Wednesday. They collect food for the food pantry, collect eyeglasses from our community, and provide free eye screenings to all students at the Early Childhood Learning Center.
The Lion’s Club has started the Leo’s Club, which is run by students ages 12-18. They meet at the Middle School every Tuesday after school, and there’s a late bus that students can still catch after the meeting. They help with other non-profit organizations such as Toys for Tots and 68 Hours of Hunger, in addition to providing drug awareness to students, and running a clothes drive. The students gain community service and valuable skills including teamwork and development skills. Over 35 students have signed up so far and even homeschooled students of the age group can sign up and attend their meetings. Leo’s Club is free to join – for more information, visit https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/discover-our-clubs/about-leos
Cornerstone VNA
Cornerstone VNA is a healthcare provider in Rochester NH that offers Telehealth, Maternal Wellness & Pediatric Care, Life Care, and Palliative Care Services to Barrington 37 other surrounding communities. They run a venue in Lee, NH called Flag Hill that helps raise money for people that can’t afford to pay for healthcare services. They also offer support groups in Farmington, Newington, and will soon offer a group in Alton as well.
Cornerstone VNA has been offering Telehealth services for 20 years now, which is a way for people with computers such as tablets to talk to a doctor from home for free. They don’t get reimbursed for the services they provide – they get grant funding as a non-profit organization.
There’s an annual silent auction to benefit the organization at Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee, NH on October 3rd, 2019. You’ll enjoy oeuvres, a wine tasting, a sweet treat raffle, entertainment, and bid on great silent auction items. The items will include handmade items, locally made products, and gift certificates from your favorite restaurants and businesses.
For more information, visit www.cornerstonevna.org
Wildlife Encounters
This ecology center and farm school in Barrington have a building site on Beauty Hill Rd that consists of 77 acres of land that they hope to turn into a place where the community can learn about nature and animals. They are currently applying with the Zoning Board to convert the land into facilities, including a barn and a greenhouse. Parking and a detention pond have also been proposed, but it’s too soon to tell if the Town will allow animals and unregulated pets, such as parrots, on the premise. The community wants them to be in Barrington, but currently, they’d have to transport the animals to the Barrington location every day, as the animals aren’t allowed to live there. We will be covering more about this development in the future, and you can also visit www.WEecoCenter.com for more information.
My Breast Cancer Support
This organization’s mission is to provide financial and emotional support to Breast Cancer Patients throughout the Greater Seacoast area of New Hampshire and Southern Maine on their individual paths towards wellness. They provide Patient Assistance Grants, Hope Chests, Wellness Programs, and Travel Scholarships. They are partnered with a number of healthcare providers, including Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Exeter Hospital, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, Frisbie Memorial Hospital, York Hospital, New England Cancer Specialists, Southern Maine Healthcare, and the Cancer Care Center of York County. For more information, you can visit www.MyBreastCancerSupport.org or call 603-759-5640.
There’s a CelebratePINK 5K Run-Walk on Sunday, September 15th to support local breast cancer patients. There will be kids' activities, lots of prizes, vendors, food, music and more. The Run Walk will be located in downtown Portsmouth and over the Memorial Bridge. You can register for the Run Walk online at www.CelebratePink5K.org
Barrington Public Library
The staff and volunteers supporting the new Barrington Public Library project will be going door to the door later this year to get to know their neighbors. They have a canvassing plan that they will be conducting during the Football season. They’re currently looking for volunteers to help out with this enormous task. They’re going to start in September and go through Thanksgiving.
The project is still looking for the last $10,000 it needs to fund the project. They need to raise a total of $500,000 for the new library, and they have already raised $490,000 of that goal. The most they’ve ever raised before was $60,000 for the old playground that has since been replaced by the Recreation Department. That money was fundraised 13 years ago. You’ll notice a new poster at the crossings of RTE-125 and RTE-9 that features teenagers, stating “We need a place to be…” soon.
For more information, please visit the Barrington Public Library Foundation at www.barringtonlibraryfoundation.org.
Barrington Community Garden
The Barrington Community Garden is located behind Calef’s, which grows and donates food to the Food Pantry each year. They have 16 garden beds, and for a $35.00 membership fee, you can adopt one and grow vegetables in it. People often offer to donate their surplus of Fruits and Vegetables to the Food Pantry as well. There’s a mentorship program, so if you don’t know how to garden, they will pair you with an experienced gardener that will help you. The membership fees go to paying for their drip irrigation system, tools, and supplies like fertilizer.
The USDA has a conservation easement program that could apply to this organization if it met the criteria, which could lower Calef’s taxes.
