Governor Wentworth District nonprofit helps local families in need

WOLFEBORO — The Lakes Region is known for its stunning scenery and allure as a vacation destination, but the natural beauty and pockets of affluence often camouflage the year-round struggles of families in dire financial straits.

In the Governor Wentworth School District, which encompasses the towns of Brookfield, Effingham, New Durham, Ossipee, Tuftonboro, and Wolfeboro, Outreach Counselor Deb Bunting estimates that as many as 30 percent of the students are from families coping with poverty.

In an innovative effort that may be the first of its kind in New Hampshire, local residents have stepped up to help. The Governor Wentworth Area Volunteer Co-Op (GWAVCoop) formed in 2015 to pick up where support from federal, state, and regional programs leaves off. GWAVCoop matches anonymous in-kind or monetary donations with the specific needs of children or families identified by school social workers, counselors, nurses, and other personnel.

Over the past year, the more than $14,500 raised gave a middle school child his first pair of new sneakers, paid costs for instrument rental for a student who could otherwise not afford to learn to play a musical instrument, secured a rent deposit for a grandmother who suddenly had custody of her grandchildren, purchased school sweatshirts for low-income students at Kingswood Middle School, and met many other needs.

“A school sweatshirt may seem like a small thing, but a new item of clothing is huge when you only have one other sweatshirt that you wear every day and you are trying to fit in,” said Bunting. “Teachers are so happy to be able to do something to help a student who is struggling, and they present gifts in such a sensitive way that kids feel so happy and relieved to receive the support. The help from GWAVCoop is worth its weight in gold.”

The concept of matching local donations to meet specific local needs originated with Wolfeboro resident Margery Thomas-Mueller. After she moved to the area, Thomas-Mueller began to learn about the financial imbalances in the region. When an “Evening of Awareness” shone a light on local poverty, attendees made unsolicited donations.

“What do we do with this money and the people who want to help their neighbors? We came up with the idea of having an email list of people who want to help,” said Thomas-Mueller. “School social workers put out a list and we match up needs with anonymous donors. We are just the conduit between the schools and the people who want to help.”

Rev. Gina Finocchiaro of First Congregational Church established GWAVCoop as a church outreach program so donations are tax-deductible. Since its founding, Rev. Finocchiaro says the organization has “succeeded beyond my imagination. It is a beautiful example of community at its best.”

Finnocchairo says the organization is meeting tangible needs as well as trying to provide an opportunity for children and families to increase their confidence.

“If a child is receiving new shoes for the first time, he or she experiences shopping for new shoes for the first time as well. We try to plant seeds so the gift of new sneakers or a sweatshirt or some other item is really much more than that,” she said.

In addition to contributions from individual donors, GWAVCoop collaborates with local businesses to maximize the impact of donations. Over the past year, the organization has been able to meet every request made through the Governor Wentworth School District, but each year brings more requests for help.

Thomas-Mueller says the priority for 2019 is to get more people involved so GWAVCoop can meet more needs.

“You can sign up on our email list to fund a specific request or make a general financial donation. Either way, you know that you are actually doing something that helps somebody right where you live or vacation. It’s personal,” said Thomas-Mueller.

To join the email list, make a contribution, or find out more, visit https://gwavcoop.org.