Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Nashua and Greater Salem needs 75 mentors, the result of landing a major grant to assist children most at risk for juvenile delinquency.

More than 200 national organizations applied for funds from the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Nashua-based organization was one of less than 30 to land a grant.

Joy Barrett, executive director of BBBS, said the agency is looking for volunteers to mentor the kids, and they need help right away.

“We’re very excited,” she told The Nashua Telegraph. “But we know we have a lot of work to do to make this happen.”

To be a mentor, a volunteer must be 18 or older and be willing to become a big brother or big sister. For information, contact Joelyn Drennan at 883-4851.  For the complete story on the grant, plus photos, visit The Telegraph at this link: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/950818-196/grant-aimed-at-boosting-big-brothers-big.html

Learn more about the Loaned Executive Program.

The grant will be applied to several United Way-supported programs that collectively serve more than 23,000 children, families, and elderly area residents and produce positive outcomes, including enhanced learning skills, financial stability, and better health.

“During a time when non-profit organizations are seeing much greater demand for services and reduced government assistance, this grant represents an important partnership in United Way’s work to address our community’s greatest health and human care needs,” said Paul Hebert, UWGN president.

United Way’s work includes a periodic community needs assessment, which sets a clear course for investment of valuable resources in the most effective local programs. UWGN’s partnerships with non-profit agencies help families attain economic self sufficiency, improve the community’s health, and help children reach their full potential.

“Our longstanding support of United Way and its local agencies is based on a shared goal of strengthening communities and making opportunity possible,” said Ken Sheldon, Bank of America New Hampshire president. “This grant will enhance several programs in the Nashua area that have already proven incredibly effective.”

Companies interested in the benefits of partnering with United Way can learn more on our “Ways to Participate” page.

United Way of Greater Nashua President Paul Hebert (in LIVE UNITED shirt) receives a football representing $1,000 in proceeds from the Rotary Club of Souhegan Valley’s recent Monday Night Football fundraiser. Assisting (from left) are Rotary Club President Jeremy Twomey, Treasurer Bob Ellis, and Vice President Chris Malloy.

Many thanks to the Rotary Club of Souhegan Valley for raising $1,000 for United Way of Greater Nashua through its second annual Monday Night Football event. Also known as the “Happy Hour Club”, the Rotary Club of Souhegan Valley has designated United Way of Greater Nashua as its local charitable recipient organization for 2012, and is planning its next event, a Kentucky Derby Party, set for May 5 at the Nashua Country Club.

IRS-certified volunteers provide one-to-one tax filing help.

To help local working individuals and families attain financial stability, the Greater Nashua Asset Building Coalition (GNABC) is offering free income tax preparation at four area locations beginning Saturday, January 28th.

All volunteers are trained and certified on IRS-approved software. The volunteers will help filers prepare their 2011 federal income tax returns and determine whether they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other tax credits. Free tax returns prepared by coalition volunteers for tax year 2010 brought $2.74 million in refunds back to Nashua-area households; $6.5 million has been returned to the region over the past four years.

To receive free tax filing assistance, total income per return cannot exceed $49,000 for tax year 2011, and must not include more than $3,150 in investment income. Volunteers file the returns electronically, which facilitates direct deposit of refunds into taxpayers’ bank accounts,usually within 10 days.

Last year; 433 Greater Nashua filers claimed $622,000 in EITC. According to the IRS, more than 26 million people – or 79 percent of those eligible – received nearly $59 billion in EITC nationwide in 2011. That means approximately 21 percent of taxpayers who qualify for EITC do not claim the credit they deserve.

“The EITC can return $1,000 or more to low-to-moderate-income households that are struggling with everyday expenses,” said GNABC Coordinator Ray Peterson, Vice President of United Way of Greater Nashua. “Families can use this lump sum not only to pay off debts and buy necessities, but also to build assets, such as starting a college savings account.”

EITC allowances vary with income levels, filing status, and number of children. For example, a single parent with one child, earning less than $36,052, or a married couple with one child, filing jointly and earning less than $41,132, may receive up to the EITC maximum credit of $3,094.

No appointment is needed for the free tax preparation, which runs Saturday, January 28, and every Saturday through March 24, from 9 AM to 3 PM at Triangle Credit Union, 33 Franklin Street, Nashua. Free tax filing help also will be available at the following locations and times:

Nashua Public Library
2 Court Street, Nashua
February 1 – April 16
Mondays and Wednesdays 10 AM-7 PM
Fridays 10 AM-2 PM

YMCA-Merrimack
6 Henry Clay Drive, Merrimack
February 6 – April 16
Mondays 9:30 AM to noon

Wadleigh Public Library
49 Nashua Street, Milford
February 7 – April 10
Tuesdays 9:30 AM-2:30 PM

Tax filers should bring all their relevant tax information, including: social security card(s) for themselves and their dependents; W-2 and 1099 income reporting forms; copy of their 2010 tax return; driver’s license or photo identification card; tax identification number of their child care provider; and any mortgage company statements received during 2011.  Checking or savings account numbers and bank routing numbers are needed for direct deposit of refunds.

To locate tax preparation sites in New Hampshire, call 2-1-1, the statewide information and referral service.

GNABC members include United Way of Greater Nashua, the Internal Revenue Service, City of Nashua, NH AARP Tax-Aide Program, Triangle Credit Union, Nashua Pastoral Care Center, University of NH Cooperative Extension, Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter, YMCA of Greater Nashua, Southern NH Services, LinkAbilities, Adult Learning Center, NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, and Harbor Homes.

Paul Hebert

I’ve been a United Way volunteer and a donor for almost 20 years now, and I’ve seen first-hand how our local United Way improves people’s lives and strengthens our community.  It’s a great organization, and I am excited to have the opportunity to lead it.

There are significant challenges right now in Greater Nashua, but there are also tremendous opportunities.  Our community is fortunate to have so many leaders in the private and public sectors who share a vision for working together in new ways to solve the big problems of our time.  The future looks bright from my new desk!

United Way of Greater Nashua has big plans, and we look forward to telling you about them very soon.

For now, I just want to say hello and I’m really happy to be here!

Stay tuned, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Paul Hebert

Don Mattise, retiring President of United Way of Greater Nashua

After 22 years of leading efforts to raise and invest tens of millions of dollars into Nashua-area social service programs, United Way of Greater Nashua (UWGN) president Don Mattise announced he is retiring, effective today.

Under Mattise’s leadership, UWGN transformed how it addresses community needs and developed numerous partnerships that bring the power of multiple resources together for the common good.

“We’ve come a long way,” says Mattise. “The Community Chest – our old name – raised a lot of money and gave it to pretty much every social service agency around. Over the years we’ve developed a detailed system of assessing the needs of the 11 communities we serve, setting service priorities, and reviewing agency program proposals to make sure our donors’ contributions are used most effectively. Our trained volunteers pick the best of the best, and then we measure results. For our donors, it’s the best way to know that they are making a difference for their neighbors in need.”

In addition to partnerships with agencies, Mattise oversaw UWGN’s collaborations with numerous organizations that shared the vision of a stronger community. As a result, Greater Nashua now benefits from:

• 2-1-1 New Hampshire, United Way’s statewide information and referral service, which connects thousands of Nashua-area residents to social services annually
• The Greater Nashua Asset Building Coalition and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which over the past four years brought $6.5 million in federal tax refunds back to local residents
• The Greater Nashua Workforce Housing Coalition, which works to increase access to safe, affordable housing for working families
• Beyond Influence, a regional coalition that seeks to improve the health and well-being of local youth through alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention
• United Way-Youth Venture, in partnership with Nashua Community College, which helps local teens put their ideas to work for social good
• Self-sustaining social service programs that were launched with the help of a UWGN seed grant, including:
• Transitional housing programs of Nashua Pastoral Care Center, Harbor Homes, and Greater Nashua Interfaith Hospitality Network
• The Greater Nashua Dental Connection, which provides affordable dental care to income-eligible individuals
• The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Clinic, a predecessor to the Nashua Area Health Center

“We have been extraordinarily fortunate to have staff people, board members, agency people, and above all donors who understand that just throwing money at a problem is not very likely to change the situation in the long run,” says Mattise. “Helping folks so that, going forward, they can help themselves – that’s what it is all about.  And we have a lot of people in this community who have been willing to give a lot of caring, a lot of time, and a lot of money to make that happen.”

“Don has been a real force for good in United Way and throughout the community” says United Way board chairman Rolf Goodwin of Nashua. “He cares, he’s results driven, and he’s been at it long enough so that he knows all the players. I’m grateful he’ll be consulting with us for a while. We’ll miss his knowledge and expertise when he leaves.”

Mattise says that the time is right for a transition. “It has been a great ride. And now United Way of Greater Nashua is taking up some big initiatives. To do it right, my successor should be in place to push these initiatives with a long view.” One such project is to cooperate with community donors and providers such as the City of Nashua, local hospitals, the Chamber of Commerce and other leaders to jointly identify a single community health issue that they can attack together. “We want to change the game, not just apply Band-Aids,” says Mattise. Another is cooperation to set up a new administrative services provider for social service agencies. “We are confident we can help them become more efficient and improve their administrative side so that they can focus on what they do best: providing services to the needy folks in our community.”

United Way board member and Community Investment Chairman Paul Hebert of Nashua has been appointed UWGN President, and will be assisted by board member and Campaign Co-chairman Bob Larmouth of Hollis. “We’ve got a strong staff. Paul and Bob are energetic and focused. And Don will be helping us with the transition. We’re looking forward to a positive time,” says Goodwin.

For Mattise, it is time to start thinking about catching up on missed time with his family.  “Our kids are in Pennsylvania and aging family members there could use our help.  My wife Chris and I are aiming to spend time there this summer,” said Mattise. “Until then, we’ve got things to do and people to help right here.”

"Tax" courtesy of 401k on Flickr

The Greater Nashua Asset Building Coalition (GNABC) is offering free income tax preparation training to individuals who volunteer to assist low-to-moderate income area residents with their federal returns during the upcoming tax season.

Volunteers will receive IRS-certified tax preparation software training through a self-paced online class (approximately 30 hours). In exchange, volunteers commit to assist taxpayers for two to four hours most weeks between January and April 2012, at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites in Greater Nashua.

Volunteers who complete the training will assist filers with preparing their 2011 federal income tax returns and help determine whether they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Free tax returns prepared by coalition volunteers for tax year 2010 brought more than $2.74 million in refunds back to Nashua residents.

“Becoming a volunteer tax preparer is a great way to gain valuable experience, help families save money, and benefit our entire community,” said GNABC Coordinator Ray Peterson, vice president of United Way of Greater Nashua. Greeters and support staff also are needed and require only minimal training, he said.

For more information or to sign up, contact Ray Peterson at 603-882-4011, or ray@unitedwaynashua.org.

On April 26, 2011, the United Way-Youth Venture-Nashua Community College program hosted a group of emerging leaders from Kazakhstan.  It was truly a pleasure to explain the program and its community benefits to our visitors through their translators.  The guests work with youth in various capacities, including cultural preservation, volunteerism, and youth civic engagement. They were so enthusiastic to hear more about the Venture teams in our community.  In fact the mission of our Urban ABC’s team from Souhegan High School is almost identical to that of a group in Kazakhstan.  Urban ABC’s works to promote respect for public property and align a positive feeling about graffiti as a form of art. They are teaching ‘graffiti’ art classes and also sell hats, t-shirts and stickers to generate a profit for their Venture team.  We look forward to having these two groups collaborate even if only electronically for idea sharing.

Other discussions surrounded around how we introduce the program at our schools and also how we prepare the students for their presentations.   There was also interest about United Way’s role in this partnership and in the community as a whole.

Many of these organizations in Kazakhstan are seeking funds and I was able to share some of our best practices in Greater Nashua.  The group also talked about connecting with Youth Venture and its parent company, Ashoka. They are hoping to enhance existing programs and move forward with others that Kazakhstan youth want to put in motion.

Overall it was a wonderful opportunity to show our united front in working to inspire and encourage youth in our respective communities!

Alyssa Johnson (left), with visitors from Kazakhstan and Tim Horgan, Program Director for the World Affairs Council of NH (back row, left)