One of the many features provided to organizations by Barrington Town News is the Business Directory, which provides listings for each organization and business in town. This curated listing can be kept up to date by local businesses, and it provides features such as the ability for prospective customers to schedule meetings and request quotes. With the yellow pages going out of business, and the increase of mobile phone usage, a business directory listing is a huge advantage for local advertisers in Barrington, NH.
The difference between most listings and a curated listing is there is an effort made to make certain that the data is the most current and accurate. This is managed either by the businesses themselves through allowing a business owner to “claim” their listing, or by Barrington Town News through direct contact with the businesses.
One Barrington Town News Business Directory program is the “sponsored” listings for non-profit organizations. This allows business owners to select a local organization of their choice to receive a listing for free, through an act of kindness by that business owner to sponsor the listing. Barrington Town News doesn’t charge non-profit organizations the fee that the business owner pays for their listing – instead, the business owner donates to the non-profit organization, and in turn sponsors the non-profit organization.
This is a great way to give back to our community, since many non-profits have limited or non-existent marketing budgets. They get their directory listing for free, so everyone can find up-to-date information about their organization and the cost of that listing is donated to the non-profit on an annual basis from the sponsoring business.
Big Hit Media recently sponsored the local group of NH Quilts of Valor through an exclusive sponsorship of their business directory listing. Big Hit Media is a local advertising firm, specializing in digital marketing strategies, web design, and many other services. Scot Villeneuve, the owner, comes from a family of veterans, and when asked why he sponsored NH Quilts of Valor, his response was:
“I come from a family of combat and non-combat veterans. My father served in the infantry in the Korean War while my Father-in-law served in the Army during World War II and was on the beach during the D-Day invasion. The lessons I learned growing up ingrained in me a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by others on my behalf. I love the idea that these hand-made quilts are thoughtfully crafted to say, “thank you” to the brave men and women who serve.”
According to Scot, his company, Big Hit Media and its employees have a profound respect for the veteran community, and will always be supportive. Scot was a founding board member of ‘Building Dreams for Marines’, and also serves the veteran community of New Hampshire through various outlets. His goal for giving is to demonstrate appreciation to the heroes that serve.
Charlene Roche, the group leader of the local NH Quilts of Valor group, also known as “Bare Bones Quilters”, was founded in 2013. When asked what she thought about Scot’s commitment to contribute $100 a year to NH Quilts of Valor to sponsor their directory listing, she said, “Oh my gosh! We are so thrilled that we can go on for another year.”
“He has such a connection with other organizations… [that can help us]”, Charlene said. She mentioned how Ben Miller, who works at Big Hit Media, also has such a dedication to veterans. Charlene said, “We’ve been getting a lot of things from the National Headquarters [of Quilts of Valor],” such as the fact that there are now 14,000 quilts that need to be awarded.
“The more people hear about it, the more veterans want them,” Charlene said while mentioning that the State Coordinator, Donna Swanson was featured on NH Chronicle on WMUR. She said 26 veterans reached out after two airings of the segment.
Charlene also mentioned how another local group, “Quilts of Valor Stars,” has 4,000 members, and negotiates fabric contracts at cost with large companies, and produces their quilts for veterans that are out-of-state.
Scot Villeneuve offered to help NH Quilts of Valor with marketing their Facebook page. While she was at Big Hit Media talking with Scot and Ben, she said there was a fellow that came in, a Navy veteran from the 1960s, and she asked, “Were you touched by war?” He responded, “No,” and she said that the charter says that they must have been “touched by war” to receive a quilt.
There’s currently a deliberation going on at the National Headquarters, in which they are trying to interpret what is meant by the term “touched by war,” because currently, they thought that this left out soldiers who were mechanics or doctors not on the front lines of battle.
Charlene Roche said that Coronavirus has really impacted how their group can operate since all of the members of Bare Bones Quilters are over 70 years old and must be extremely careful now. Before the Coronavirus pandemic broke out, they had meetings with members from as far away as Tewksbury, Massachusetts, in addition to Berlin, Brentwood, and Somersworth, New Hampshire. The meetings have been held in Center Harbor twice a year until the closing of Keepsake Quilting. They hope to reconvene someplace in that area to accommodate members in Berlin in the future.
All the group’s meetings have been halted for three months, which the timeframe may increase or decrease depending upon what happens with the pandemic. Hobby Lobby called them because they were closing, and they told them “Use of the classroom and classes were canceled due to COVID-19.”
“When we start meeting again, we’re always looking for new members to come and sew with us,” said Charlene. She thinks it’s really great that everyone is coming together to create masks for health workers, but she said her daughter works at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, and she told her that they are not accepting masks.
There’s been so much attention on the subject of masks, that the President of the national Quilts of Valor organization advised all members to call ahead before creating face masks, because it’s uncertain what places will accept them.
Charlene just donated some homemade surgical hats, which are worn over the forehead all the way to the back of the head to contain a surgeon’s hair. “It was something to put a smile on their face – because they have a new hat.”
She also mentioned that she found out that specialty nurses and doctors don’t qualify for the $1200 checks from President Trump’s stimulus bill because they make too much money. She said she’s not aware of any QOV groups working on face masks at this time.
Some more interesting facts:
· Bare Bones Quilters, AKA NH Quilts of Valor, has awarded 130 quilts from their local group.
· They’ve only lost six quilts that were on their way to Louisiana. They disappeared in New Jersey.
The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. By providing hand-made quilts to service members and veterans, the mission is fulfilled. Charlene Roche is the local group leader and can be contacted by messaging at https://www.facebook.com/nhquiltsofvalor/