Farmington Community Preservation Program
The FCPP, a program of Strafford Network, is a community support organization that works with the Farmington community to identify needs and build collaborations to address those needs. Funding for the FCPP comes from the Piscataqua Region Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation.
A major avenue from which community needs are identified is the monthly meeting of the Farmington Youth & Family Roundtable. The Roundtable is a networking group of representatives from schools, non-profits, municipal and other organizations that work with youth and families in Farmington. These meetings are open meetings and occur the 2nd Tuesday of the month (except for the month of July) from 1-3 at the American Legion Hall at 526 Main Street in Farmington.
A recent example of the Roundtable's work is securing free summer meals for Farmington and Middleton's children birth through 18 through the Summer Food Program. These children were eligible for free breakfasts, lunches and suppers due to the high percentage (51%) of children receiving free and reduced lunches during the school year. The Roundtable identified the issue of community children going hungry during the summer months and were able to form collaborations to secure this valuable service for the communities' children. The summer meals program began the summer of 2010 and will continue through 2012 when eligibility will be re-determined.
Recently the group has identified that hungry children are struggling on weekends and vacations when school lunches are not available. The Roundtable is currently seeking financial support to be able to implement the NH Food Bank's Backpack program to provide food to hungry families during those identified times.
Additional activities of FCPP staff include
- Co-facilitating the Seacoast Continuum of Care Meetings
- Co-Chairing the Steering Committee for the Strafford County Family Justice Center
- Secretary for the FAMEE (After-school Program) Advisory Board
- Participating on the Steering Committee for the CA$H Coalition for Rockingham and Strafford County
- Project Assistant for the Healthy Homes Strategic Plan through the Health & Safety Council of Strafford County
- Asset Development Assistant to Strafford County CAP
For further information please contact Heather Hesse-Stromberg, Program Coordinator, at 335-2210 or hhesse-stromberg@straffordnetwork.org.