Category: Portsmouth

Cornerstone VNA Anniversary Event Recognizes Donors and Award Recipients

Cornerstone VNA Anniversary Event Recognizes Donors and Award Recipients

 

Rochester, NH – Cornerstone VNA, your local nonprofit home health provider, celebrated their donors, 2023 Cornerstone Awardees, and their 110-year history at a special event last month at the Rochester Performance & Arts Center (RPAC) in downtown Rochester. In addition to special donors, attendees included current and former board members as well as past staff and current members of Cornerstone VNA’s clinical leadership team. This special event was generously underwritten by Daystar, a technology management company based in Newington, NH.

 

In recognition of Cornerstone VNA’s milestone anniversary, photos, articles, and stories were shared to shine the spotlight on the many healthcare heroes throughout the organization’s 110-year history. A special history timeline was on display along the brick wall at RPAC; a replica of a larger timeline that will be installed at the Cornerstone VNA office next month.

 

In keeping with tradition, President and CEO, Julie Reynolds RN, MS, announced the recipients of their Cornerstone Award, given each year to a local business, community member, volunteer, or staff member to recognize their dedication and commitment to advancing the mission of Cornerstone VNA.

 

The first Cornerstone Award recipient of the night was Stella Marcotte, longtime Rochester resident and dedicated office volunteer at Cornerstone VNA. Since 1990, Stella has cheerfully worked behind the scenes to support their office staff and field staff. Stella continues to volunteer every week, and with her fast hands, she quickly completes any task she’s assigned. Upon accepting the award and expressing her gratitude, she received many smiles and words of adoration.

 

The second Cornerstone Award was presented to Rinda Madden of Rochester, who worked at Cornerstone VNA for many years before retiring from her position as Home Care Team Manager in 2016. Rinda first joined the rehabilitation team as a physical therapist in 1993. It was noted that over the years, Rinda experienced many transformations in home health care including mergers, technology enhancements and changes in reimbursement. Since her retirement, Rinda has remained closely connected to Cornerstone VNA. She has generously supported various initiatives and specialty programs throughout the years, and she and her husband, Dennis, are also proud members of the Norma Snow Legacy Society. The Legacy Society was established in 2016 in honor of Cornerstone VNA founder, Norma Snow, and recognizes individuals who have made a planned gift to Cornerstone VNA.

 

According to Erika Lee, Director of Advancement, “It was an honor to recognize Stella and Rinda, whose gift of time, talent and treasure have played such an important role in advancing the mission of Cornerstone VNA.” Lee continues, “It was particularly poignant to celebrate them in this milestone year and in the company of so many people who share a passion for our mission.”

 

Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, President/CEO shares, “I continue to be inspired by the dedication and support that Cornerstone VNA receives for the important work that we do each and every day. Celebrating and awarding those who make a difference is so important.” Reynolds adds, “I hope others are inspired by this spirit of giving, and think about how they can make a difference by giving back.”

 

Cornerstone VNA currently serves Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides award-winning care and support through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty and Community Care. For 110 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end-of-life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.

 

Landscapes of Indenture: How Scottish Prisoners of War Shaped New England

Landscapes of Indenture: How Scottish Prisoners of War Shaped New England

 

South Berwick- New research conducted by an international team of archaeologists and historians is revealing the fascinating story of some of the earliest European settlers to the New England frontier. The public is invited to learn about their discoveries and help shape the future of this project at a forum on May 18, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at the Counting House Museum in South Berwick, Maine.

 

The story of 400 Scottish soldiers taken prisoner at the Battles of Dunbar (1650) and Worcester (1651) and shipped to New England in forced labor is one of the most compelling immigrant stories in early American history. Once freed after serving a five-to-seven-year indenture, the Scots were granted land and became permanent settlers, though their language, customs and Presbyterian faith strained relationships in “Puritan” New England.

 

A substantial number of the Scots served their indentures in the sawmills of the Berwicks and the Piscataqua region. The Old Berwick Historical Society has long been interested in their story. As lumberjacks and sawyers, these men helped carry out the first forest clear cuts in American history. The last of the Scottish prisoners’ indentures expired 1657–1659. This left New England merchants needing a new source of inexpensive and controllable labor and led to a growing number of enslaved Africans in the region.

 

Landscapes of Indenture is an international investigation of the lives of the Scots and the environmental impact they and other laborers had on the New England frontier. Old Berwick Historical Society is a partner in the project, along with the University of New Hampshire, Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site, Durham University in England and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The team of archaeologists, historians and paleoecologists are currently conducting fieldwork on sites associated with the Scots in southern Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire. Come learn about the project and share any ideas you may have on the future direction of this work.

 

For more information, contact Emerson Baker at ebaker@salemstate.edu.     

Cornerstone VNA Achieves We Honor Veterans Partner Level 5

Cornerstone VNA Achieves We Honor Veterans Partner Level 5

Rochester, NH:  Cornerstone VNA, a nonprofit home health and hospice care provider, is proud to announce that their Hospice Care program has achieved Level 5 status with the We Honor Veterans program. This is the highest recognition level of this important program.  This special recognition reflects Cornerstone VNA’s deep commitment to ensuring veterans have access to quality end-of-life care.

 

According to We Honor Veterans, Cornerstone VNA is the only partner agency that has achieved Level 5 status in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. Maureen E. Steer MDiv, Holistic Disciplines Manager at Cornerstone VNA notes, “This honor is a reflection of the hard work that the entire team puts into ensuring our veterans are given the best level of care possible.”

 

We Honor Veterans is a national Hospice provider awareness campaign conducted by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. As a We Honor Veterans Partner, Cornerstone VNA is better prepared to build organizational capacity to provide quality care for veterans and to strengthen partnerships with veteran organizations. In addition, Cornerstone VNA strives to increase access to hospice and palliative care for veterans living in the community and to network with other hospices across the country to learn about best practice models.

 

According to The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), Hospice programs can “earn their stars” and matching We Honor Veterans logo by completing activities for each of the five levels of commitment. This allows VA staff and Veterans to easily identify hospices that have made a commitment to offer veteran-specific care and services provided by a competent and highly skilled workforce. The NHPCO adds, “By recognizing the unique needs of America’s Veterans and their families, community providers, in partnership with VA staff, will learn how to accompany and guide them through their life stories toward a more peaceful ending.” To maintain Level 5 status, a Hospice is required to recertify on a yearly basis.

 

According to Julie Reynolds, Cornerstone VNA CEO, “We are privileged to honor veterans and their family members, and to express our gratitude to them for their gallantry and service at the end of their lives.” As a We Honor Veterans Partner, Cornerstone VNA is proud to give veterans a helping hand and the support they need at end-of-life. 

 

For more information about the We Honor Veterans program at Cornerstone VNA, contact Maureen E. Steer MDiv, Holistic Disciplines Manager, 603-332-1133 x1152 or msteer@cornerstonevna.org.

 

Cornerstone VNA currently serves Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll Counties in New Hampshire and York County in Maine. The team at Cornerstone VNA provides award-winning care and support through five distinct programs: Home Care, Hospice Care, Palliative Care, Life Care-Private Duty and Community Care. For 110 years, Cornerstone VNA has been committed to bringing services to people of all ages so that families can stay together at home, even when facing the challenges of aging, surgical recovery, chronic or life-threatening illnesses or end-of-life care. To learn more about Cornerstone VNA, visit www.cornerstonevna.org or call 800-691-1133.

STUDENT ACTORS MEET WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

STUDENT ACTORS MEET WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

“Terezin: Children of the Holocaust” performed at Brooksby Village

 

 

April 28, 2023 – Amesbury, MA – With the dramatic rise in Anti-Semitic incidents, regionally and nationally, a group of local student actors had the unique opportunity to meet with Holocaust survivors, on Tuesday, April 18th at Brooksby Village in Peabody, MA.  The students were at Brooksby to perform the highly regarded play Terezin: Children of the Holocaust for hundreds of Brooksby residents.

 

Terezin, depicts a day in the life of six children imprisoned in Camp Theresienstadt in the Czech Republic.  It has been performed both locally and across the globe for more than 50 years.  The performance on April 18th had special meaning for the student actors who met with the survivors prior to their performance.  The group generously shared their emotional personal stories from the war and their connections to the themes of the play.

 

In 1939, at the age of six, Margot Holender was sent to live in the French countryside to avoid escalating bombardments in Paris.  Her parents joined after one year, only to have her father taken away in the middle of the night by SS officers.  Ms. Holender shared that seeing the student actors in costume was difficult for her. “When I see that little fellow, wearing that star…I can see all my cousins, myself, I could have been wearing a star like that and sent away to a concentration camp…  When I look at you I don’t see little American happy children, I see kids in a concentration camp.”

 

Brooksby resident Rita Kaplan shared that she was saved by the “Kindertransport.” England had invited Jewish children from Germany to stay in England to keep them safe from the war.  In January 1939, at 14 years old, she went on a train by herself to England to stay with an acquaintance of her great aunt.  Her parents escaped Germany in July of 1939, however, the rest of her family was not as fortunate.   “We couldn’t get my grandparents or my mother’s sister out and they were killed.  My grandparents were killed in Theresienstadt and my aunt was murdered in Poland.” 

 

Amely Smith shared that her grandfather had died of typhoid fever in Terezin.  She too had lived in Germany until her family escaped to England in 1939. She shared photos and letters from that time with the student actors. 

 

Retired Army corporal Dick Connuck and his wife Marion provided the perspective of a young, American GI.  In 1945, at the age of 19, he was in Germany as the labor camps were being liberated.  He described seeing, “these strange people in striped pajamas… as they were being freed from the labor camps.”  They came upon Dachau, the infamous concentration camp, and saw a German soldier being stoned to death by a group of newly liberated prisoners. Later they came to a railroad site where he counted 39 railroad cars loaded with dead bodies.  “Dead men and women… Some naked bodies, some barely clothed but piled up like pieces of wood. This was April 29th, 1945.  As you can probably tell by my voice it did affect me.  And it’s lasted to today.  You’ve heard of post-traumatic stress syndrome?  I have it… I can wake up during the night and I’m having a flashback.  But I’m able to deal with it because of you.  I can talk about it and get it out and what I’m doing is putting some stones on your back, you’re helping me carry them.” 

 

Ava Valianti, an 8th grader from Newbury, MA who has performed in Terezin in a variety of roles over the past 9 years, said of the experience with the survivors, “Getting to know these survivors and their stories brought Terezin to life for all of us.  We always try to make sure we are representing real people and their experiences, but this had so much power because we met people whose lives were forever changed by the Holocaust.  Our play rang true to them, and it reaffirmed that we need to keep telling these stories.  Being a part of this play has changed my life, and I’ll never forget meeting these extraordinary people.”

 

Following the meeting with survivors, the students performed Terezin for more than 200 residents of Brooksby Village.  Audience members thanked the student actors and Anna Smulowitz for their commitment to sharing the stories of Holocaust victims.  Brooksby resident Nancy Fast, shared, “What talent and how enlightened and bright they all were.  It showed great respect for the older generation and to keep the stories talked about.  So we ‘never forget’.”

 

Playwright and director Anna Smulowitz noted, “While the play takes place during the Holocaust, it teaches audiences about the consequences of hate and discrimination in our everyday lives, the need for greater social responsibility, the power of every individual voice in standing up to hate, and the inherent childhood capacity for hope.  Terezin looks forward to another 50 years of inspiring young people that art ignites action.”

 

Terezin will be performed for the public on Monday, May 15th at 7:00PM at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, MA.  For tickets please go to https://www.firehouse.org.

 

Terezin: Children of the Holocaust is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to fighting racism, antisemitism, discrimination, intolerance and bullying through education and the arts. 

 

For more information please visit the website at http://www.terezin.org.

Summer Camps and more at the Carriage Barn

Summer Camps at the Carriage Barn in Kensington, NH:

  • Summer Camps run weekly from June 19 through August 25 for children in grades K through 8. No previous farm or animal experience is needed. Carriage Barn camps are inclusionary. Daily activities around the farm may include horseback riding, carriage driving, tending the gardens, enjoying our sensory trail, and learning about and interacting with the animals. Camps run Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm. Students must bring their own lunch, beverages, and snacks. Parent supervision is not required. Camp proceeds help support The Carriage Barn’s adaptive therapy programs. For more information, please contact The Carriage Barn at carriage-barn@comcast.net or thebarn@comcast.net. Please call 603-378-0140 or visit our website at carriage-barn.org. Also, please check out our Facebook page: The Carriage Barn Equine Adaptive Therapy Programs for more details about the camps or email us to request the camp flyer with dates and costs, etc.

Volunteer Opportunities:

  • The Carriage Barn Equine Adaptive Therapy Programs is looking for volunteers to assist with Therapeutic Horseback Riding & Carriage Driving, Fundraising, Events, and Fun Activities. Volunteers are needed at various times throughout the week to work with horses and clients. Teens, adults and retirees welcome (volunteers must be at least 14 years old). Experience and horse knowledge is a plus, but not required. Are you a student with a community service requirement (Honor Society, Scouts, 4-H, Graduation, etc)? If so, we would love to hear from you! Anyone interested in learning more can contact The Carriage Barn at 603-378-0140, email info.carriagebarn@comcast.net, or check out our website at www.carriage-barn.org. The program offers services in Kensington, NH and seeks to promote the health and well-being of individuals of all ages and abilities by enhancing their physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional healing and strengthening through equine activities. The Carriage Barn is a 501c3 Not-for Profit Organization, as well as a member center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International.

 

Horse Stall Available:

  • Horse Stall Available at the The Carriage Barn, 10 Trundlebed Rd., Kensington, NH (17 acres). 12’x12′ box stall, full turnout and board for $680/month. If interested, please call us at 603-378-0140 or email us at carriage-barn@comcast.net. Please share with friends/contacts who may be looking for a new stall.

About the Carriage Barn:

The Carriage Barn Equine Adaptive Therapy Programs is a 501c3 Not-for-Profit organization that seeks to promote the health and well-being of individuals of all ages with various challenges by enhancing their physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional healing and strengthening through equine activities. Program activities further this purpose by utilizing horses to provide opportunities for individuals with various challenges to form unique relationships that nurture and empower them in a way that brings new insights, self-confidence, improved communication, and relaxation. In the context of a quiet, natural outdoor setting, these activities provide a serene learning environment.

 

Cornerstone VNA Hosts FREE In Person Caregiver Event

Cornerstone VNA Hosts FREE In Person Caregiver Event

 

Rochester, NH – Cornerstone VNA, a local nonprofit home health provider, is pleased to announce the 7th annual Caregivers Connect, a special event that focuses on providing support to local family caregivers. This free in-person event will take place at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Dover on Thursday, May 18, from 1:30pm – 4:30pm, and is generously underwritten by First Seacoast Bank.

 

Attendees will hear from Vicki Kirby, APRN, of Victoria Kirby Wellness, who will speak on “Creating Calm & Fostering Resilience.” An integrative Nurse Practitioner from Bedford, NH, Vicki will help caregivers rethink and reinforce self-care in a way that is attainable and meaningful and most of all simple. The first fifty registrants will receive a complimentary journal after their attendance is confirmed on the day of the event. Respite for loved ones is available upon request.

 

Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, President/CEO of Cornerstone VNA shares, “We are incredibly happy to be back to an in person gathering for our annual Caregivers Connect event. Our theme this year will most surely resonate with our family caregivers in the community.” Janice Howard, Life Care – Private Duty Director at Cornerstone VNA adds, “In addition to the supportive discussion, this event will enable our caregivers to experience a sense of camaraderie. It can be very comforting to know you are not alone in your journey as the caregiver of a loved one.”

 

To register for this special event or to learn more, call 800-691-1133 x1109 or visit https://cornerstonevna.org/event/caregiver-connect-2023/.

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