The Fabulous Find Donates $6,540 to The Chase Home

In the past 11 years, The Fabulous Find has given nearly $2 million to more than 155 area nonprofits, a history of giving that continues with a recent donation of $6,540 to The Chase Home. “We are so grateful for this donation, which will directly support our general operations,” said The Chase Home Executive Director Meme Wheeler.

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

While noting The Chase Home is reimbursed from the state for its services, the rate does not cover all expenses. “There are always gaps in funding that we need to fill in order to deliver a level of clinically adequate care,” she explained. “Community support ensures we can close these gaps.”

Board member Ben Lindberg, who helps organize fundraising events for The Chase Home, expressed gratitude at the role played by The Fabulous Find in the greater Seacoast community. “They have an incredible business model, one that has literally saved and improved countless numbers of lives throughout the region,” he said. “We are humbled by this support.”

Founded in 2010, Kittery-based The Fabulous Find partners with recipients each month and encourage them to use their contact lists to drive up merchandise donations and sales. All profits benefit these organizations at the end of their month. 

To learn more about The Fabulous Find, click here. 

Recent College Graduate Makes a Difference

After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis last fall, North Hampton resident Cole Schmitz had more than four months before his job started in New York City, which he put to good use. “I ran different events off-campus in the St. Louis area with college students and collected donations to raise money for nonprofits,” he said.

Throughout the spring, they raised approximately $13,500 for various causes, one of which included The Chase Home in Portsmouth. Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to have fantastic educational opportunities and guidance from my mentors throughout my life,” he said. “Many other people do not have the same possibilities, so nonprofits like The Chase Home exist to try and give kids a fighting chance.”

In addition to The Chase Home, other organizations for whom Schmitz helped to raise money included Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great St. Louis Area, and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“It’s crazy looking back on how much the community could do, given I only ran the events for three months,” he noted. “Someone in the grade below took over my position, so I know the legacy will continue to live on, and plenty of good will come from it.”

TD Thompson, Board Member of Chase Home (left) with godson Cole Shmitz (right)

In looking to the future, Scmitz expressed enthusiasm for his job at Investment Bank Guggenheim Partners, which he said does “a great job encouraging company participation in nonprofits.” “Last summer during my internship there, our community service day focused on helping high schools in the NYC area write their college application letters,” he said. “I will continue to volunteer through the company, but I also plan on finding new opportunities in the NYC area.”

For Schmitz, his commitment to philanthropy reflects in part participation in team sports throughout his life, experiences that demonstrated how individuals who work together can achieve more success. “I believe working with nonprofits is similar to being a team player,” he said. “If everyone does their part, this world will continue innovating and becoming a more equal and happier place.”

His guiding charitable philosophy is “effective altruism.” “It is the philosophy that most people want to make a difference but acting upon it effectively can be more complicated than expected,” he said. “While I had the free time to give up, it was most effective for me to use it to raise money for my causes.”

Moving forward, he envisions financially giving back to these causes because he will not have as much free time. “I will, however, always try to donate my time when I can,” he said.

The Chase Home “Enhancing” The Lives of At-Risk Youth

While school may nearly be out for the academic year, the pace of life at The Chase Home will increase during the summer, as staff plan and run the agency’s Life Enhancement Program. Providing “supportive and therapeutic adventures” for at-risk youth who live on-site at the home, the program complements a wide range of services aimed at helping youth develop tangible life skills across multiple domains.

“These are youth who have been mandated by the State to live here while we help them work on addressing complex issues that have adversely affected their lives,” said Executive Director Meme Wheeler. “In the summer, our Life Enhancement Program provides structure to what can be a difficult time of year for some of our youth.”

One recent example of the kinds of activities that take place in the program includes a trip to Andre Institute of Art in Brookline, NH. “They hiked the trails and saw several outdoor stone sculptures,” said Bethany Murabito, Independent Living Coordinator. “At night, the kids went to Funspot in Laconia and won a ton of tickets and prizes.”

Deep-sea fishing trip from the summer of 2019, part of The Chase Home’s Life Enhancement Program

While experienced as fun for the youth, Murabito cited a deeper purpose behind these activities. “This programming is crucial in teaching our youth important skills, such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, and problem-solving,” she said. “Being able to offer our residents supportive and therapeutic adventures that push them to succeed and grow is one of the most rewarding and affirming elements of this program.”

Chase Home’s Life Enhancement Program recently benefited from donations made through NH Gives and a $20,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s George W. Merck Fund. “We are so thankful for this support, because this program is underfunded, but so critically important,” said Wheeler. “This program helps us provide forgettable memories for youth that need time to be, well, just kids. It helps counterbalance the more serious aspects of our work.”

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

Embrace Home Loans ‘Literally’ Offers a Hand to The Chase Home

Set back from the road near downtown Portsmouth with vegetable gardens and substantial woods, The Chase Home often relies on support from local businesses to help maintain its property. “There are always projects here,” said Executive Director Meme Wheeler, who said The Chase Home recently welcomed Embrace Home Loans for outside yard work. “There was a lot to do, so we were thrilled when they offered to send a team of volunteers,” she added.

Crew of Embrace Home Loans in Portsmouth participating in Day of Caring at Chase Home

In total, 9 people from the Embrace Home Loans’s NH sales team spent an entire day limbing trees and bushes, weeding the flower beds, and leaf-blowing and cleaning up the driveway. The volunteer team also trimmed hedges, cleaned up and around the basketball court, weeded the tree/shrub line in front of the house, and spread 8 yards of mulch.

“It was an awesome and productive day,” noted Ray Tweedie, Producing Sales Manager for Embrace Home Loans in Portsmouth, who said volunteers came from their Portsmouth, Bedford, and Lebanon, NH offices. Referring to The Chase Home as “a fantastic local nonprofit that has been helping youth for more than one hundred years,” Tweedie said their support reflects Embrace’s belief in giving back. 

“We think that there are few things better than helping nonprofits and especially those that help young people,” he said. “We were honored to be at their facility, and many on our team have said they’d love to return for a fall clean-up, or any other projects they may have.”

According to Wheeler, having volunteers on-site at The Chase Home is “a wonderful experience.” “It is helpful for us as a staff, but it also shows the kids who live here that the community cares and is invested in them,” she said. “It sends a powerful message to our kids.”

Chase Home grounds spruced up by Embrace Home Loans in Portsmouth

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

The Foundation for Seacoast Health Awards $25,000 Grant to The Chase Home

The Foundation for Seacoast Health (FFSH) has awarded $25,000 to The Chase Home in support of its Seacoast Community Diversion Program (SCDP). Founded in 2016, SCDP is a court-mandated program that works with kids, ages 11 – 17, who have begun to struggle in the community. “The program seeks to ‘divert’ these youth from delinquent behaviors that will likely worsen without clinical, therapeutic and restorative interventions,” said Meme Wheeler, executive director of The Chase Home.

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home. In referencing FFSH’s support, Wheeler said it enables the program to maintain its current level of services in “still challenging times.”

“Last year was very difficult for our kids and staff, as we primarily worked through virtual means to provide the same level of support,” she said. “Major funding like this is crucial, because we are now working to return to in-person services. Changes in the service delivery model can be difficult, especially for kids and families in active crisis.”

According to Debra Grabowski, The Chase Home was viewed by their grants committee as “a well-run, responsible nonprofit serving Seacoast youth.” “They are known to be a good partner and to make effective use of grant funds,” she explained. “The Seacoast Community Diversion Program specifically employs a proactive, creative approach to help youth and their families build resiliency skills and, in some cases, avoid formal punishment structures.”

In helping youth avoid traditional punishment for various (nonviolent) crimes, Wheeler said SCDP shifts the focus to building skills and character within a framework of accountability. “The program is also unique because it features embedded suicide screening and prevention services,” she said. “We have access to a licensed drug and alcohol counselor for complete assessments…The program serves as a hub or a matrix for a variety of services.”

In addition to FFSH, the program is supported by the State of NH, NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network and Kennebunk Savings. Initial seed funding from Exeter Hospital helped launch the program. “This is a community-based program with community input from all sides,” explained Wheeler. “We cannot thank the Foundation for Seacoast Health enough for this award, which will impact our program and local communities well into next fiscal year.”

As for FFSH’s next steps, Grabowski said its Board of Trustees has approved three strategic grant categories in 2021-2023. They include increased access to mental health services, reduction of youth and adult suicide, and improved community based services for older adults. “The Diversion program clearly overlaps two of our grant priorities,” she said. “We are pleased to provide funding to support this valued and effective program.”

To learn more about the Foundation for Seacoast Health, click here.

To learn more about SCDP, click here.

NH Rapid Response Makes a Difference at Chase Home

In 2020, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a $2 million grant to New Hampshire, which led to the formation of a new statewide community mental health center (CMHC) program. Created in response to the pandemic, this program—NH Rapid Response—has enabled staff at Chase Home to receive additional support from Seacoast Mental Health Center, Inc. (SMHC).

“Our staff have been under extraordinary pressure in the past year,” remarked Chase Home Executive Director Meme Wheeler. “It’s important we provide our staff with additional support during these still difficult times.” Support through this program includes crisis intervention services, mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and other related recovery supports for un and under insured individuals as well as healthcare and first responder organization workers.

According to Lianna Nawn, MSW, SMHC Emergency Services clinician, people on the front lines and direct care personnel often suffer from compassion fatigue, burnout and chronic stress, especially in light of the pandemic.  “We’ve seen an increase of depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief across all populations — no one is immune,” she said. “This program allows us to directly help support these critically important workers, either in crisis and for ongoing care, while they continue to serve the community. This, in turn, supports our greater community as a whole, which is an important component of SMHC’s mission.”

Lianna Nawn, MSW, SMHC Emergency Services Clinician

Founded in 1963 to address the mental health care needs of the New Hampshire Seacoast, SMHC provides “a broad, comprehensive array of high quality, effective and accessible mental health services to residents of the eastern half of Rockingham County.”

Noting staff have already begun to take advantage of SMHC’s services, Wheeler expressed appreciation for the support. “We are very grateful for NH Rapid Response and assistance offered by Seacoast Mental Health Center,” she said. “This investment in our staff is really an investment in our kids and the community.”

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

For more information about SMHC, call 603-431-6703 or 603-772-2710, or click here. 

The Chase Home Receives $10,000 Grant

The Chase Home has received a $10,000 grant from The Rite Aid Foundation’s KidCents program to provide support for at-risk youth and families throughout New Hampshire. 

“It’s so important for our organization to receive aid, especially during this ongoing pandemic,” said Chase Home Executive Director Meme Wheeler. “It helps us meet complex community needs with clinical support and services available 24/7.”

Founded in 1877, Chase Home is a residential treatment facility that also provides a variety of in-home services to at-risk youth, ages 11 to 18.

“We work to stabilize families and help them develop tangible life skills so they can better manage and advance their own lives,” she added. “We appreciate The Rite Aid Foundation and their investment in our kids.”

Matthew DeCamara, executive director of The Rite Aid Foundation, said they appreciate organizations like Chase Home. The Foundation supports 480 local nonprofits through its KidCents program, which is funded through Rite Aid customer donations. 

“KidCents charities like Chase Home address the toughest challenges in our neighborhoods and provide life-changing and life-saving programs to keep children and families healthy, nourished and safe,” said DeCamara.

COVID-19, he noted, has presented “unprecedented challenges for these organizations.”

“We have marveled at the dedicated community leaders, staff and volunteers who have tirelessly worked and advocated for children’s health,” he added. “We’re thankful for their incredible efforts, as well as for the valued generosity of Rite Aid customers.” 

To learn more about KidCents, Click Here.

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The Chase Home Receives $1,000 Grant

Serving at-risk youth and families from across the Seacoast and New Hampshire, The Chase Home recently received a $1,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Wesley Gardner Charitable Fund.

The support, according to Chase Home Executive Director Meme Wheeler, will support general operations.

“An unrestricted gift like this enables us to use it in a way that fills an immediate need,” she said. 

Citing the continued impact of the pandemic, she said it is important Chase Home continue to raise awareness of the needs of at-risk youth.

“There may be a vaccine, but it will be some time before we return to anything remotely normal,” noted Wheeler. “The last calendar year has forced us to increase staffing in all programs to better support our youth and their families, all of which raises our costs.”

Expressing appreciation for the support provided by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Wesley Gardner Charitable Fund, Wheeler said Chase Home is “fortunate to have strong community support.”

“We could not achieve our mission without such amazing people and organizations behind us,” she added. “Truly, we cannot thank the community enough, because all that support helps our kids have a better life.”

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

Kennebunk Savings puts ‘spotlight’ on The Chase Home

Kennebunk Savings recently awarded $5,000 to The Chase Home in support of its Seacoast Community Diversion Program (SCDP), which holds youth accountable for disruptive behavior while providing education and support services.

“It’s primarily a court-mandated program that serves as an alternative to traditional punitive measures that research shows pretty much do very little to reduce delinquent behaviors,” said Executive Director Meme Wheeler. “It’s a program that accepts youth from the community, too.”

It is also a program that has caught the attention of Kennebunk Savings, which has again invested $5,000 into it as part of its Spotlight Fund. Launched in 2016, the fund “shines a light on critical issues” that affect local communities. 

“We take our commitment to our community seriously,” said Bradford Paige, President and CEO, Kennebunk Savings.”When we say ‘purpose driven,’ this is the purpose we’re talking about.”

In recent years, this purpose has been directed toward recovery from substance use disorder, which directly intersects with SCDP.

“Working with The Chase Home is a unique opportunity to ‘fund upstream’ on this cause, making a real and positive impact on at-risk youth,” added Paige. “We love the direct work that Chase Home does and the way they work with schools and like-minded organizations to connect these kids with services they need.”

According to Cory Towne-Kerr, who manages SCDP, last year’s pandemic exacerbated the struggles of youth and families served by the program.

“It was a difficult year that saw us move to a nearly all-digital platform for service delivery,” she explained. “We adjusted our approach and found creative ways to engage kids and parents, but their challenges changed as the pandemic worsened.”

Funding from the State, NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network and corporate supporters, however, provides the program a meaningful boost.

“We have expanded some services to help families build some of their organizational skills to meet new challenges brought on by the pandemic,” said Towne-Kerr. “We are also offering full scholarships for entry into the program and free services.”

Some of these free services include online classes, LADC evaluations, drop-in youth wellness sessions and pro-bono therapy. Founded in 2016, SCDP is one of 17 programs accredited by the New Hampshire Juvenile Court Diversion Network. The program receives referrals from SAU’s 16, 14 and 52 and from police departments in Stratham, Exeter, Portsmouth, Newington, Epping and Hampton.

To learn more about SCDP, visit seacoastcommunitydiversions.org. 

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

Local residents ‘running’ for The Chase Home

As part of the Winter Warriors Challenge, nearly a dozen local residents are running to benefit youth served by The Chase Home.

Founded in 1877, The Chase Home in Portsmouth serves at-risk youth annually through prevention, early intervention, residential and community-based programs. Some youth are served in the community while others live at The Chase Home.

“We are pledging to run 3,000 miles in January and will match 10% of all donations up to 10,000,” said Matt Sawyer, one of ten runners who make up The Icarus Project.

Representing a combination of runners from the Runner’s Alley racing team and a Seacoast Long Run group, The Icarus Project is ‘on pace’ to achieving its goal.

Members of The Icarus Project getting ready for a Sunday run to benefit The Chase Home.

“The team just just cleared 800 miles and is on track for the goal,” said Sawyer, who works at The Proulx Real Estate team in Portsmouth.

As for why the group selected The Chase Home, he said many of them are parents themselves.

“We appreciate the challenges of raising children, even under optimal conditions,” he said. “We know that the kids at the Chase Home did not start with all the advantages that most of us did and they will have to overcome challenges that we can’t even imagine…We all feel good about trying to generate some support for the kids at Chase Home.”

Executive Director Meme Wheeler said she is “humbled” at the outpouring of generosity.

“We are so thankful for Matt and the entire team for literally running for our kids,” she said. “This really means so much.”

To learn more about the fundraiser, click here.