The Homemakers Annual Auction Set for March 27

ROCHESTER—
Join The Homemakers in celebrating 35 years of building a healthy community at it’s 35th Anniversary Auction in March - an event which will feature both a live and on-line auction.
Eastern Propane and Oil is the major Home Health Care Patron sponsor of this year’s event. Other sponsors to date include D.F. Richard, a Health Care Advocate sponsor, Peach and McPherson, CPAs and Seacoast Redicare, Home Health Care Caregiver sponsors.
“While The Homemakers has grown and changed over the past 35 years, several things have not changed – our commitment to providing professional, compassionate and cost effective home health, home support and adult day care services, and our increasing need to raise funds to provide those elderly and disabled persons in our community with the vital healthcare services they need,” says Tammy Jordan-Cary, director of development at The Homemakers. “With the help of the community we’re hoping that our 35th Anniversary Auction will be among one of our largest fundraisers planned for this year.”
The Homemakers 35th Anniversary Auction will kick off with an on-line auction. Beginning March 1st, interested bidders are invited to participate in a special on-line event which will run from 8 a.m. March 1st through midnight March 21st on the Agency’s website www.TheHomemakers.org. In addition, bidders will be able to preview items that will be up for bid at the live auction, which will be held Saturday, March 27th at The Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick.
“Over the years, The Homemakers’ Live Auction event has become more than a fundraiser. It’s become a community event - an enjoyable, fun evening where people come together to support our cause while experiencing a wonderful night out with friends and members of The Homemakers’ family, says Jordan-Cary.
Tickets for this year’s 35th Anniversary Auction are $40 and include entry to the silent and live auction, appetizers and dinner. Tickets will not be available at the door and must be purchased in advance. Doors will open at 6 p.m. The silent auction portion of the evening will begin at 6 p.m. followed by the live auction event, featuring auctioneer Mark Ericson of WOKQ’s Morning Waking Crew.
Sports memorabilia, a meal for four delivered to your home each month, gift certificates to restaurants, golf courses and NH attractions; hand-made quilts, works of art and weekend get-aways are just a few of the more than 100 items that will be up for bid during the on-line and live auction events.
All donors of auction items will be listed on The Homemakers’ auction website. All business donors will also be provided a direct link on the auction website to their business. Sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,500 to $250 are also available.
To make a donation, for information about sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, contact Tammy Jordan-Cary at (603) 335-1770, ext. 114 or tcary@thehomemakers.org.
Photo caption: More than 100 items, including this hand-made quilt, will be up for bid at The Homemakers 35th Anniversary Celebration Live Auction being held Saturday, March 27th at the Red Barn at Outlook Farm in South Berwick. (Courtesy photo)

Jeans Day for Haiti PCA Students Raise Relief Money

DOVER—
Students at Portsmouth Christian Academy set aside their usual dress code for a day and donned pairs of jeans to help contribute to Haiti disaster relief efforts. This fund raising effort was a creative idea proposed by PCA senior Katie Hazell. She, along with two of her classmates, senior Anna Davison and junior Sarah Pease, coordinated this event to raise awareness of the crisis and to provide aid to earthquake victims.
Students were able to purchase a $5 coupon for the chance to wear jeans instead of the standard dress code. Once the event was announced publicly at the school, two anonymous donors came forward from the PCA community and offered matching gifts up to $1,500 and $2,000 respectively. Students, staff, and faculty raised a total of $7,800. All of the funds raised went directly to Heartline Ministries – an organization with a permanent presence in Haiti for more than 15 years, supporting adoption and women’s programs.
“Many students gave more. It was touching to see kids bringing in tens and twenties,” said Anna Davison. “In addition to the money brought in by Jeans Day, we also coordinated donations of medical supplies from local hospitals. More than 20 boxes were brought to Partners for World Health in Maine, so that the supplies could be taken to Haiti.”
This disaster struck a personal chord with all three girls. Last summer, they spent two weeks in Haiti on a mission trip in association with Heartline Ministries. The girls participated in an English Camp where they taught life skills as well as educational studies to children ages 4 to 14 at Maranatha Orphanage. When news of the recent earthquake reached Hazell, her initial desire was to be there physically to help out in some way. But she soon realized that was not a possibility for her. Instead, she proposed her idea for a Jeans Day to PCA Principal Steve Foley and within a few days the fundraising project was approved and well underway.
“I was very pleased with the success of the Jeans Day,” stated Katie Hazell. “However, I just want people to remember that the need is not going to go away in a month. It is an ongoing process and the nation of Haiti needs the continued support of our communities to rebuild. This is an essential opportunity for them to grow into a prosperous nation.”
If you too want to help, or simply learn more, visit heartlineministries.org.
Photo caption: Portsmouth Christian Academy students (left to right), senior Anna Davison, junior Sarah Pease, and senior Katie Hazell organized a Jeans Day event, which raised $7,800 for Heartline Ministries in Haiti. All funds went directly to earthquake victims for recovery and rebuilding. (Courtesy photo)

Seacoast CSA and CSF Day Coming to Winter Farmers’ Market

ROLLINSFORD—
Seacoast Eat Local will be hosting a CSA and CSF Day at their upcoming Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, Feb. 27th, at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and CSF (Community Supported Fisheries), meet the farmers and fisherfolk offering shares, and sign up for the 2010 season. Fifteen CSA farms are signed up to take part in this event.
Community Supported Agriculture and Community Supported Fisheries offer a terrific way for people to get a steady supply of local food directly from the producers. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season.
For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest. Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.
Each CSA and CSF has its own pricing structure and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Signups for CSA and CSF shares often begin in February by directly contacting the farm or sponsoring fishery. A list of CSA farms in the Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties is available at Seacoast Harvest, www.seacoastharvest.org, an online guide to local food sponsored by Seacoast Eat Local.