News coverage of Belknap House inspires $25,000 gift

LACONIA — It’s not everyday that a local charity receives a windfall donation after word of its mission and its success spreads.

Within 24 hours of The Laconia Daily Sun article about Belknap House on Aug. 6, Chris Brown of Bedford, the largest nationwide owner of Jersey Mike’s Subs franchises — including one in Tilton — contacted Belknap House Executive Director Paula Ferenc, offering $25,000 to support the program for homeless families.

“In the spirit of gratitude and investing in housing families, on behalf of all the families we serve and the board of directors, we’re immensely grateful, and to The Laconia Daily Sun for showcasing organizations such as ours,” Ferenc said Monday.

“Homelessness is top of mind and a national issue,” said Brown. “What inspired [me] most was the how, the why and the solution. They have the formula to solve the problem of homelessness and keep families together. The basic skills that people haven’t been taught or don’t know how to do include filling out a rental application for housing,” said Brown. “When you read and see it in print, the stress that homelessness causes on children. I have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. I can’t imaging having to explain that to my kids. What they’re doing is working. I hope we can expand and continue the services they offer.”

This year Belknap House celebrated its fifth year of operating as a homeless shelter, first as a cold weather-only shelter, then expanding in 2020 to serve families year-round. Since opening its doors, Belknap House has sheltered 86 families and 1,628 people, and provided 11,065 bed-nights for children. Between March and the middle of June this year, five families at Belknap House found permanent housing, Ferenc said.

What makes Belknap House distinctive statewide are its wraparound services and on-site education designed to set families on a no-obstacle course toward securing and maintaining a permanent place to live. The shelter on Union Avenue, with room for up to six families at a time, offers classes in budgeting, cooking, parenting, finding and applying for jobs, finding housing, and how to be a successful tenant. It connects parents and youngsters to outside programs in the community, including Head Start, which prepares young children for school.

“You hear stories of kids that go on to be wildly successful after a simple act of kindness changes someone’s life,” said Brown. “We hope what we’re doing changes the trajectory of families long-term.”

The donation will cover the costs of metal roofing and changes to the outdoor entrance to make it safer during winter, with the balance going to programs.  Belknap House’s $300,000 yearly operating budget comes from a mixture of grants, private donations, fundraising, and income from the towns that send resident families there, said Don House of Belmont, board president of Belknap House.

“It takes a lot to run this,” House said. “We’re staffed 24-7 because of the needs families have. The programs that enable families to become more self-sufficient [are] a large part of our mission.”

House said the program is a standout because it’s unique and one of the few that focuses on keeping families together. “That was our original goal. We recognized the critical need that children had,” based on reports of students experiencing homelessness in area schools, and increases in family homelessness in Belknap County.

It provides a safe place for parents to be with their children — not separated or split up and sent to live temporarily with relatives, Ferenc said, and gives parents space to do the work and address barriers and move forward. “We want our programs to be strong,” she said. “That’s what makes Belknap House unique. We’re able to help families move forward.”

Belknap House’s primary yearly fundraiser is a golf tournament set for Monday, Sept. 12 at Laconia Country Club, which seeks sponsors as well as participants who can sign up by phone, 603-527-8097 or by email, execdir@belknaphouse.org.  

“I would like to challenge the region’s business owners to match or beat my donation,” Brown said. He said one of the key reasons he was attracted to funding Belknap House is its low to negligible administrative costs, coupled with its heavy reliance on volunteer staff.

“All the money goes to support the mission,” Brown said. “Local news matters and your reporting matters. If it wasn’t for your highlighting Belknap House and their anniversary, I would have no idea that this happened.”