- Details
- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
User Rating: 5 / 5
There’s a lot of enthusiasm at Seacoast Mask Makers, an organization that was established only one week ago, and already has 1,400 members that are helping to sew face masks for First Responders, Retirement Homes, Police & Fire, and Correctional Facilities. They’ve completed 4,000 masks, and have already distributed 3,000 of them to local organizations in the Seacoast. This could be a major defense against Coronavirus hitting small communities hard like Barrington, NH.
Sarah Lachance has been working for the group from the very beginning – she saw the message that went out on Facebook from Javi Kalback, Founder and Logistics Engineer, asking for volunteers to make masks for healthcare workers. They shifted their mission of serving healthcare workers, like many hospitals, like Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover are only accepting them as a backup supply because they still have a supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) right now. Seacoast Mask Makers wanted to make sure that the masks were getting into the hands of people that needed them the most. Sarah said they don’t have masks sitting around.
There are dozens of groups that have requested masks so far, with most already receiving distributions. Seacoast Mask Makers is working with their partners to gain authorization to publicize additional organization as requesting or receiving masks. The following organizations are among those that are being served:
· Durgin Pines – Kittery, ME
· Edgewood Centre – Portsmouth, NH
· Hyder Family Hospice – Dover, NH
· Riverside Rest Home – Dover, NH
· Rochester First Responders – Rochester, NH
· Rockingham County Jail – Brentwood, NH
· Strafford County DOC – Dover, NH
· Wentworth Senior Living – Portsmouth, NH
Organizations can submit a request for the masks from Amy Ouellette, their intake coordinator. Riverside Rest Home has already requested several hundred masks. The Department of Corrections has also requested a fair amount because there’s no way to social distance inside prisons.
The masks are made from 100% cotton, so the cloth is readily available. It’s the elastic that is in short supply, used to make the straps. The masks need to be washed before use. The people that use these masks may not have the more advanced N95 masks, or they may use the cloth masks to prolong the life of the disposable N95 masks.
The masks provide 50-85% of the protection that an N95 mask provides. The cotton masks are being provided to local organizations, and some of the mask makers are also making them for themselves and their families. The pattern to make the cloth masks are available from Deaconess Hospital. You can also find out how to Donate Masks.
The Seacoast Mask Makers use donation hubs across the seacoast where people can drop off and pick up materials. This helps to ensure social distancing. There’s a supply coordinator that determines if there are supplies in various locations, and runners distribute supplies as needed to ensure each hub has what it needs. Kyle LaChance, the Supply Coordinator, has been instrumental in managing their hubs and ensuring that they're kept supplied.
Anyone who is sick or suspects they are sick or has been in contact with anyone that is sick, should not volunteer according to Sarah Lachance. She said they completed 1,075 masks on Saturday, and 572 masks on Sunday (less due to the rain), as well as 1,200 masks on Monday. “The requests keep coming in,” Sarah said, “We want to get our sewers ready so we can meet the demand when it comes.”
They’ve only been doing this for a week. The masks are only available for the Seacoast, however, there are other mask groups working to produce 100 million masks as part of the challenge from the American Hospital Association.
The Rosie The Mask Maker image brings back memories of the Rosie the Riveter moment during World War II, which Sarah says is “something for us all to collaborate on,” even though everyone is in their homes. Sarah said there’s another group they found that uses a similar image, however, she said their Photoshop skills are much better.
Rosie The Mask Maker was created by Trevor Barlett, Sarah’s boyfriend. Sarah acts as the Press contact for the group and also manages the Facebook page. She said, “If anybody has any materials they’d like to donate, we’re still accepting them!”
To request masks from our organization: https://tinyurl.com/seacoastmaskrequests
To volunteer: https://tinyurl.com/seacoastmaskhelp
Contact Seacoast Mask Makers:
Inquiries: Javi Kalbeck
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: http://seacoastmaskmakers.org
Twitter: @seacoastmasks
Instagram: @seacoastmaskmakers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seacoastmaskmakers/
- Details
- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update for March 31, 2020, on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.
On Tuesday, March 31, 2020, DHHS announced 53 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 367 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. The new cases are 31 adult females, 21 adult males, and 1 male under the age of 18 years. The new cases reside in Rockingham (21), Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (7), Strafford (6), Merrimack (5), Carroll (2), Cheshire (1), and Sullivan (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (5) and Nashua (5). Four of the new cases were hospitalized for their illness; thus far, 49 (13%) of the 367 positive cases have been hospitalized. Twenty-four of the new cases have no identified risk factors. Community-based transmission continues to increase in the State and has been identified in all counties with cases. Most of the remaining cases have either had travel to domestic or international locations or have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis.
New Hampshire 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Summary Report
(data updated March 31, 2020, 9:00 AM)
|
NH Persons with COVID-191 |
367 |
|
Recovered |
56 (15%) |
|
Deaths Attributed to COVID-19 |
3 (>1%) |
|
Total Current COVID-19 Cases |
308 |
|
Persons Who Have Been Hospitalized for COVID-19 |
49 (13%) |
|
Persons Tested Negative at Selected Laboratories2 |
5,663 |
|
Persons with Specimens Submitted to NH PHL |
3,293 |
|
Persons with Test Pending at NH PHL3 |
97 |
|
Persons Being Monitored in NH (approximate point in time) |
1,250 |
1Includes specimens presumptive-positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing.
2Includes specimens tested at the NH Public Health Laboratories (PHL), LabCorp, Quest, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and those sent to CDC prior to NH PHL testing capacity.
3Includes specimens received and awaiting testing at NH PHL. Does not include tests pending at commercial laboratories.
NH DHHS Daily Update on COVID-19 Archive
For more information, please visit the DHHS COVID-19 webpage at https://www.nh.gov/covid19.
- Details
- Written by Kat Roedell
- Category: Articles
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/
- Details
- Written by Patrick R. McElhiney
- Category: Articles
DURHAM, N.H.—Young adult parents (age 18-24) are disproportionately poor compared to both other young adults and older parents, and an estimated two-thirds of those who are poor receive the earned income tax credit (EITC), according to new research by the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. More than nine in 10 of them report participating in a safety net program.
“More than four in five young adult parents participate in at least one major safety net program,” said Jess Carson, research assistant professor with the Carsey School’s Vulnerable Families Research Program. “The most widely used of these programs, and the most effective at reducing poverty is the EITC. “Given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment, the EITC may be affected.”
Carson noted that 10% of poor young adult parents work in retail-related industries and 16% are in key service industries. “These industries are hard hit by the pandemic and lost earnings will affect these parents’ credit values under the current EITC structure.”
Programs like the EITC are especially effective at reducing young-parent poverty. Carson estimates that under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, poverty for this group would increase by 6.7 percentage points without the EITC.
“Reliance on the EITC is near-universal among poor young adults and those dollars go far in protecting these families and their children,” she said. “Policymakers could protect these credits though, perhaps by allowing filers to report prior-year earnings, counting unemployment benefits as income or extending the credit to family caregivers even if they have no earned income.”
The Carsey School of Public Policy conducts research, leadership development, and engaged scholarship relevant to public policy. They address pressing challenges, striving for innovative, responsive, and equitable solutions at all levels of government and in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.
The University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea, and space.
Page 13 of 77