Portsmouth Charity Helping To Feed The Hungry On The Seacoast

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England radio personality and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

I think if 2020 taught us anything it was that no matter what we're going through, if we're in an okay position, we need to look out for our neighbors. The amount of generosity that poured out during 2020 was incredible. And like I've said a billion times and will a trillion more: No one looks out for their own like New Englanders.

Back in June, the City of Portsmouth decided it was time to form The Clipper Strong Fund, a mini-grant program to help preserve Portsmouth's small businesses. (Hence the Clipper name, because of the high school mascot. Get it?)

Since their formation, according to the City of Portsmouth website, the Clipper Strong Fund has dished out various $500 mini-grants to a boat-load of Portsmouth businesses, including New England Printing Group, Loaded Question Brewing Company, The Gift Massage, Portsmouth Escape Room, River Run Bookstore, NH Chiropractic Clinic, Performance Muscular Therapy, Piantedosi Art Gallery, La Maison Navarre, Sages Entertainment, Bridge Street Bistro, Pragmatic Consulting, CJ Physical Therapy, Makunia Cleaning, Board and Brush, Portsmouth Eye, F45 Gym, Henri Salaun Sports, and Wren's Nest Village Inn.

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And as if helping all of those businesses wasn't enough, the Clipper Strong Fund just dropped their biggest single donation yet: $1,000 to Gather, which is the Seacoast's largest hunger relief agency. And with the way they distribute food based on their website, that $1,000 could make so much amazingness happen.

So, if you do math well (and I went to Barron Elementary in Salem, so you know I can), when Gather says that $25 can feed one child for one week, that means $1,000 can feed 40 children for one week. Or even one child for 40 weeks. When they say that $50 covers a grocery delivery for a home-bound senior, that $1,000 takes care of 20 home-bound seniors.

Better yet, what about when Gather says that $100 can feed one family for a month? That means that with that $1,000 that the Clipper Strong Fund just donated, that 10 families in need can be fed for one month. Or one family can be fed for 10 months. Regardless of how you split it, that $1,000 is going to go a long way and do a lot of good.

The best part about this, too, is a lot of the grant money was raised not only from Portsmouth residents, but also other Portsmouth businesses. That's when you know you live in a good area, and one that cares about each other and the community. Customers and even competing businesses donate money to keep each other alive.

Do you understand now why I keep constantly saying that no one looks out for their own like New Englanders? Because we do things like this.