July 2021 Update:  A Difficult Decision

To our treasured volunteers:

By now you have probably heard all too many times the phrase, “COVID has changed everything.”

As we feared, these changes have seriously impacted the function of Neighbors Helping Newborns. Since 2009, NHN has been recognized as 501c-3 charity by the State of New Hampshire’s Charitable Trusts Division. Years prior to that, under the leadership of Suzanne Woulfe and Elizabeth Cameron, we were part of Newborns In Need, a nationally recognized charity. We have had many successful years helping the youngest and most needy in NH and MA.

Before we could even think about resuming our activities, we knew we had many obstacles to overcome. The first was determining which hospitals were still interested in accepting donations from us. We have contacted the hospitals, and less than half of them remain interested in accepting our donations. Even among those who responded positively, there were additional restrictions that we are not able to accommodate.

The storage/work space has remained an issue from well before COVID, and has worsened. The rent on the 2 storage units has increased, even while we continue to have no income. We have not been able to find affordable or donated space that would meet both our work space and storage needs.

In addition to the storage expense, the premium for our liability insurance has increased. This insurance is required for us to remain in operation.

Also, some major positions on the board remain unfilled, and new positions that affect our operation have opened up. It was impossible to fill the board positions before COVID, and trying to fill additional positions is daunting.

As a result of the combination of all these issues, the Executive Board met on Tuesday, July 13, and voted unanimously to begin the process of dissolving the all-volunteer 501 c-3 non-profit organization of Neighbors Helping Newborns. This was a difficult decision for us to make, and we recognize that it is sad for all our wonderful volunteers as well.

To allow us to have a chance to say thank you and farewell to those we will not be meeting with regularly anymore, we invite you to come to our last meeting on Wednesday, August 4th, from 9 – 11am, at the First Congregational Church in Kingston, NH. We have yarn and fabric to share with you. Please do not bring any donations. We will soon provide you with a list of other organizations where you can donate items you have made. This will not be a work meeting, and we will be unable to provide any refreshments. Also, if you have not been vaccinated, please wear a mask..

We hope to see as many of you as possible on August 4th. IF YOU THINK YOU WILL BE COMING TO THE MEETING, please send an email to Freda at fweinbrecht@comcast.net. We’d like to have an idea about how many people can come. 

Be well! And please contact President Cheryl Killam at Cheryl@NeighborsHelpingNewborns.org or 603-382-8504 with any additional questions or comments.

From the Board of Directors:

Cheryl Killam
Freda Weinbrecht
Peggy Baker
Faith Blegstad
Marion Lake