HRCU names ‘Main Street Stage’ at RPAC: Seacoast business news

HRCU names ‘Main Street Stage’ at Rochester Performance & Arts Center

ROCHESTER — What began as a casual conversation between two non-profit leaders several years ago culminated last Wednesday night with the dedication of the HRCU Main Street Stage at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center. HRCU made an additional $10,000 donation to help fund the many youth programs offered by RPAC. Board members and employees from both organizations, along with other community members, marked the occasion with a special event that included Rochester City Mayor Paul Callaghan as a guest speaker.

Starting back in 2015, HRCU President & CEO Brian Hughes and Rochester Opera House Executive Director Anthony Ejarque started talking about what they could do to help “bring back” the downtown. Their respective organizations both shared the same goal of revitalizing and strengthening the Rochester community. The Opera House wanted to expand its youth programming and was looking for additional performance and rehearsal space. HRCU was in possession of a building downtown that was sitting vacant. A partnership was formed that would see the empty storefront of 32 North Main Street transformed into the beautiful space that is now the Rochester Performance & Arts Center.

Hughes began his remarks thanking both Boards for their support of this community-minded partnership and expressed “it’s great to see that families are coming back to the downtown. This donation is to help RPAC continue to provide theater camps, music lessons, scholarships and recording opportunities to our local youth”.

Ejarque agreed with his sentiments echoing “downtown is now a hub of activity. We at the Opera House are very thankful for the support of HRCU. They helped us bring this new space back to life and offer the youth programming that is so vital to our community”.

President of the Board of Directors for the Rochester Opera House John McKenna said, “We certainly couldn’t have done this alone. Thank you to the City of Rochester and to HRCU for recognizing the impact of what we do and providing your continued support”.

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Rochester City Mayor Paul Callaghan responded, saying “former Mayor Harvey Bernier recognized that the arts are a catalyst for economic revitalization and growth, and I want to congratulate these two organizations on their unique relationship. If the Opera House can be restored and the arts can be expanded, then people start to think that maybe anything is possible”.

Rochester Chamber hold ribbon cutting for Integrity Home Team at Bean Group

ROCHESTER — The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting recently for Integrity Home Team at Bean Group, who are thrilled to open their doors in Rochester at 65 Hanson Street. All of their agents live and work in their local Rochester communities and they are happy to be able to assist you in their new location.

With 30 years of combined experience, Sarah O’Brien, Managing Broker, Nicole Daigle, and Kelley Patterson, Associate Brokers are licensed in both Maine and N.H., and are eager to help with all of your real estate needs.

Visit them at yourintegrityhometeam.com to learn more about them.

Record-breaking 18 scholarships awarded by Rotary Club of Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — The Rotary Club of Portsmouth hit a new high by granting 18 scholarships totaling $60,125. Seventeen Portsmouth High School and one Philips Exeter Academy seniors each received a minimum of $3,100, at a recent luncheon, held at the Portsmouth Country Club. Because of COVID this was the first in person scholarship ceremony, since 2019. Scholarship Committee co-chairs Lindsey Reid and Tristan Shanley were, “so pleased to have the students join their families and the club members, at the traditional luncheon. It is inspiring, to be able to award so many deserving individuals, who have persevered as students, during such an unprecedented time.”

New this year, the Living Innovations Scholarship, awarding assistance to Seacoast residents of any age who are pursuing a career in health and human service professions. This year’s recipients are seeking careers in nursing. This year’s recipients are Tess Brams, University of South Carolina; Molly McCafferty, Coastal Carolina University; and Hannah Westlake, Endicott College. In the future, Rotary’s hope for this scholarship is that recipients will have sensitivity throughout their lives and careers, to the unique circumstances of caring for the elderly, children, and adults with developmental and behavioral challenges, and those dealing with the issues of substance abuse.

The Rotary Club of Portsmouth congratulates all the students and their families:

Bill Genimatas Scholarship: William Chamberlin, Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. James B. Clayburgh Scholarship: Lilia Potter-Schwartz, Yale University.

Joseph J. Shanley Scholarship(s): Rosayla Gonzalez, UNH; Max LaLime, Baldwin Wallace University; Analise Marin, Berklee School of Music and Bakhtavar Sidhwa, UNH.

Rotary Club of Portsmouth Scholarship(s): Charlie Couglin, Carroll School of Management at Boston College; Elisabeth Drakatos, UNH; Taylor Hodgdon, Bentley University; Grace Jenkins, Virginia Tech; Nikoli Kozak, University of Minnesota; Maxwell LaLime, Baldwin Wallace University; Patrio Marcus, Boston University; Kevin Mickela, UNH; and Madeleine Pettis, Elon University.

The special guest speaker was Lucy Ferrini, a 2021 Rotary Scholarship recipient who recently completed her first year at George Mason University.

For more information on the Rotary Club of Portsmouth visit portsmouthrotary.org.

Ambassadors of the Dover Chamber of Commerce become designated as mental health friendly individuals

DOVER — The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors were recently designated as safe, judgement-free mental health-friendly “individuals”, a collective body of community members, by the Dover Mental Health Alliance. The DMHA’s Mental Health Friendly initiative offers individuals and organizations free training to learn how to recognize and respond to a youth or adult who may be experiencing emotional distress.

The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors are members who work with new chamber members to ensure they know and take advantage of the benefits of membership. This core group of business leaders assist the Board in active membership contact and help Chamber staff at functions and events. For more information about the Dover Chamber of Commerce:  https://www.dovernh.org/ambassadors

The Ambassadors received Mental Health First Aid training which teaches people how to recognize and respond to someone who may be in emotional distress. The group also received ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experience) training, which dives deep into the neurological, psychological and physiological impact of trauma and how it relates to our biggest health and social problems such as substance use, housing insecurity and mental health.

Ann Vennard, from Cornerstone VNA and Dover Chamber Ambassador Chair shared “Recognizing our role in the community as Chamber ambassadors, making connections with local companies and organizations and community members, there was tremendous consensus that we should educate ourselves on mental health best practices and become more of a resource and support to those in our community who live with mental health challenges. We are honored to be a part of such important work.”

Margaret Joyce, President of the Dover Chamber of Commerce stated “The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce is extremely grateful to have an organization like Dover Mental Health Alliance not only be a member of the chamber but also a beneficial resource in the community.  We are proud to see the GDCC Ambassadors be recognized as mental health friendly individuals as we continue to find more ways to impact the community for the better.”

Suzanne Weete, Co-founder of the DMHA went on to say, “The Dover Chamber is a perfect avenue for the DMHA to engage with businesses to learn how to support the overall mental health and wellness of their employees. Work stress, lack of work-life balance and pandemic challenges have affected our business people just as much as any other community sector.  We all experience emotional distress at some point in our lives. One in five adults live with a mental illness.  It makes sense for business leaders to promote mental health and wellness, and normalize these conversations in the work place so employees feel they can get the help they need without fear of losing their job.”

The DMHA “Place” designation is available to any business, organization, individual or institution that strives to support their employees, colleagues, and customers’ mental health. The DMHA vision is to create a culture that understands, embraces and addresses the complexities of mental health. The mission is to build a resilient community that is educated, responsive and conscious of the impact of mental illness.

The Dover Mental Health Alliance is part of the local, Strafford County non-profit community mental health center, Community Partners. For more information about Community Partners go to www.communitypartnersnh.org. For more information about the Dover Mental Health Alliance and upcoming trainings, visit www.dovermentalhealthalliance.org or email Suzanne Weete at suzanneweete@communitypartnersnh.org.

Dover Rotarians plant flowers

DOVER — Continuing a long tradition, Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Dover, purchased and planted flowers for the gardens at Henry Law Park recently.

Eversource and Service Credit Union underwrite 2022 ‘Spring Forward’ Annual Awards Celebration

ROCHESTER — Eversource and Service Credit Union will be underwriting the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 “Spring Forward” Annual Awards Celebration. The event will be held on Wednesday, June 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., at The Oaks Grandview Ballroom at 100 Hide-Away Place in Somersworth.

The Annual Awards Celebration will feature an elegant selection of hors d’oeuvres and a food bar, entertainment, and the announcement of the 2022 Business of the Year, 2022 Non-Profit of the Year and 2022 Citizen of the Year award recipients. The Chamber will also conduct a raffle drawing for a $1,500 cash prize, sponsored by First Seacoast Bank.

For additional information, please contact the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce at 603-332-5080 or visit their website, www.rochesternh.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: HRCU names ‘Main Street Stage’ at RPAC: Seacoast business news