Celebrating the 50th Annual Holiday Project
Serving those facing food insecurities since 1974
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The Capital Region Food Program (CRFP) is proud to announce the milestone 50th edition of its Holiday Project, a remarkable achievement in its ongoing commitment to alleviating hunger in the Greater Concord area.
The Holiday Project has been a cornerstone of CRFP's efforts to combat food insecurity. Through five decades, three generations of leadership and the tremendous support from volunteers, donors, and the community, CRFP has provided food for over 250,000 individuals facing food insecurities in our community year round! That’s more than 3,500 tons, or $5.1 million dollars, of food.
“Last year we transitioned the annual Holiday Project from the food baskets co-founded by my grandfather nearly 50 years ago, to providing holiday meal vouchers redeemable at participating Market Basket locations,” said Elena Alois, Capital Region Food Program Chair. “This proved to be a huge success amongst both recipients and our partner agencies. We were able to help feed 28% more families compared to 2021 as well as empower families to purchase the food and grocery items they need, when they need it over the holiday season.”
The revised Holiday Project also provides an opportunity to maximize the impact of community donations and reduce unintentional food waste. By providing families with more choices for their specific dietary and nutritional needs, CRFP can reduce unused food donations and create a more sustainable program.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Capital Region Food Program Board of Trustees
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Impactful Assistance
CRFP Holiday Project Officially Adopts Voucher Model
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Due to the overwhelming success and positive impact of the 2022 Holiday Pilot, the Holiday Project has officially adopted the voucher model for 2023 and beyond!
CRFP is consistently dedicated to finding the best way to serve the needs of our local communities. Last year’s inaugural Holiday Voucher Program proved to create a flexible, customizable, and sustainable food support program with even greater impact.
- Over 1,600 vouchers were distributed in 2022, a 28% increase from the number of holiday baskets distributed in 2021.
- 45% of the vouchers were used in January after the holidays. The extended time frame allows recipients to supplement holiday donations from other sources and purchase food when it is needed most.
- Significant reduction in food waste. Families and individuals were empowered to purchase food options that accommodated dietary, medical and cultural needs.
We expect participation in the Holiday Project will continue to increase this year, and for years to come.
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Help us mark our
50th Holiday Project with a donation that commemorates this milestone year!!
$1 per year, or $50
$5 per year, or $250
$10 per year, or $500
In whatever way you choose to mark this year, we are grateful for your continued support in assisting the CRFP to reduce hunger in the Greater Concord Area!!
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Year Round Distribution Project |
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The Year Round Distribution Project (YRDP) has witnessed a significant increase in monthly expense throughout 2023, compared to the previous two years. This increase comes from a combination of factors, including the higher cost of goods, the continued need for food substitutions due to supply limitations, and the increasing demand from our various partner agencies. |
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Household Statistics in NH
About one in four Granite State households reported an income of less than $50,000 in 2022, while one in six had an income of less than $35,000.
When adjusted for inflation, New Hampshire household income declined between 2021 and 2022 at a higher rate than during the 2008-2009 Great Recession.
In 2022, approximately one in every 14 New Hampshire children under the age of 18 was living below the poverty level.
About 98,000 Granite Staters lived in poverty in 2022, with roughly 50% of those at less than half of poverty-level income.
Source: nhfpi.org
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Updates from the
CRFP Board of Trustees
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A Familiar Face Moves to Chair |
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The CRFP board of trustees congratulates Elena Alois as the incoming Chair for the 2024-2025 fiscal years! Elena has been the Chair of the Year Round Distribution Project for more than 11 years, and brings tremendous historical knowledge of the organization, as well as valuable insight into the changing needs of the agencies we serve. |
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Welcome To Our New Trustees |
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Ariana Roy has joined the CRFP board of trustees, and also serves as a member of the CRFP finance committee. Ariana is the Branch and Business Development Manager of Merrimack County Savings Bank and is a member of the 2023 class for Leadership Greater Concord, through the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce. |
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CRFP welcomes Mark Painchaud to the board of trustees. Mark has been involved with the organization in various roles for more than 30 years, and has been an essential volunteer since 2006. Mark is currently the Regional Human Resources Manager for Enterprise Mobility covering the Boston Area.
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Tim Grotheer has completed his two-year term as Chair of the CRFP board of trustees and will now become Vice Chair, providing continued leadership support as the organization adjusts to the Holiday Project voucher model. Tim was instrumental in guiding the organization through a period of extraordinary change and logistical challenges during the pandemic. Thank you Tim!
Kathy Lagos has retired from the board after serving nine years as trustee. Kathy has been a CRFP volunteer for more than 20 years, including as a lead coordinator and volunteer to the legacy Holiday Food Basket Project. She played an integral role in the research and data collection instrumental for the board decision to pilot and now adopt the new Holiday Project model. We anticipate that Kathy will remain an active volunteer for the organization, but for now she is eager to spend more time with her grandchildren! Thank you Kathy, for your many years of contribution!
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December Business After Hours to Benefit
The Capital Region Food Program
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The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce (GCCC) and the Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) will hold their December Business After Hours networking event on Tuesday, December 12th at the Grappone Conference Center.
As has been the annual tradition for many years, the Chamber will waive the event registration fee for members who make a donation to the Capital Region Food Program's Holiday Project. Please visit the Chamber website for more information, or to register for the event.
The CRFP is grateful for the continued partnership with the Chamber, the CYPN, and the December BAH host, The Duprey Companies. |
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November 15th is Clean Your Refrigerator Day - time to make vegetable stock! |
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National Cocoa Day is December 13th, and should not be confused with National Hot Chocolate Day which is celebrated in January - why not enjoy both! |
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This newsletter has been funded in full by a grant received from
The Oleonda Jameson Trust
Special Thanks from the CRFP for the continued support
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From the beginning, every dollar donated has been used for the purchase of food. This practice continues today with monies donated to the Capital Region Food Program. Your support is vital to our success. All gifts are tax-deductible within limits prescribed by law and all dollars donated to the Capital Region Food Program are used to purchase food. Administrative costs and fees are underwritten. |
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