St. Vincent de Paul Society Food Pantry to Relocate

The St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP) has decided to relocate its community food pantry operation to the Fort Rock Farm on Newfields Road in Exeter, as part of the planned construction of a new St. Michael’s Parish campus on the site. This location will give the food pantry room for a much needed expansion while keeping their operation accessible. The parishioners of St. Michael’s, local churches and the United Way will continue to support the organization. “While Squamscott Community Commons will be a great community facility,” said Cleo Castonguay, President of the Exeter Conference, “our membership felt that we could best serve our clients in the area by going to the new St. Michael campus. We hope that our advocacy program can still have some presence in the Commons, to better assist our clients and to network with the participating agencies”

Carol Aten, Executive Director of Squamscott Community Commons, reflected on the change in plans. “Our volunteers have long believed that the needs of our community often are hidden. We had hoped that by bringing the food pantry into the community center, we could elevate the visibility of both the services they provide and the opportunities available for our community members to volunteer, contribute and make a difference. It remains our goal to provide a single, convenient location at which residents can access a variety of community support services, in a way that also provides a reduced cost, collaborative environment for the nonprofit agencies themselves. While we are sorry to lose the food pantry as an agency tenant, we agree that this decision is in their best interest.” The St. Vincent de Paul Society continues to be a supporter of the Commons and is interested in exploring the possibility of alternative programming and presence on the Squamscott’s Linden Street site. Details are being discussed and might include a community drop-off location for donations, as well as an auxiliary office location. As with all aspects of this project, Squamscott Community Commons will develop a plan that prioritizes the community’s needs and supports the services provided by all of its participating nonprofit agencies.

Squamscott’s proposed 80,000 square foot facility is currently under design with architect Joel Bargmann, AIA, LEED of Bargmann, Hendrie + Archetype of Boston, MA. Harvey Construction of Bedford, NH has been retained as the construction manager. Participating agencies include Exeter Center for Creative Arts (ECCA), Great Bay Kids Company, Richie McFarland Children’s Center, Rockingham Community Action, SeaCare Health Services, and Southern District/YMCA Camp Lincoln. The integrated and sustainable green design of the new community center will enhance the tenant agencies’ capacity and reduce their long-term operating costs. Through independent and cooperative effort, the agencies will be able to maximize the quality and efficiency of the programs and services offered to regional community residents. For details, go online at www.squamscott.org.