Agency Details:

Friends Foster Grandparent Program

The Friends Program is a human services agency whose mission it is to "strengthen communities by building relationships that empower people, encourage community service and restore faith in the human spirit."

Description:
The Friends Program is a non-profit organization created in 1978 to provide volunteer youth mentoring services. It has expanded since that time to incorporate four programs and serve clients in eight counties. It operates the Foster Grandparent Program, Emergency Housing Program, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Junior Senior Friends Program. More than 4,800 children, youth, seniors and families are served each year by over 1,400 volunteers. Services are provided at no charge. It is one of the largest volunteer based organizations in New Hampshire.

History:
The national Foster Grandparent Program is a federal Senior Corps program under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). It evolved out of the Older Americans Act of 1965 and the War on Poverty as an opportunity for moderate income seniors to earn a small stipend for providing individualized attention to needy children to help them succeed at school and life.

Senior Corps programs (including Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program and RSVP) have been authorized by Congress under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act until 2009 when they were reauthorized under the Serve America Act. All CNCS programs across the nation are sponsored on the local level by community based agencies such as the Friends Program.

Contact people:

Alane Hill, Project Director, (phone), (email) Margo Toppan, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email) Katie McKerley, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (800) 536-1193
Office fax number: (603) 226-3884

Address:

249 Pleasant Street Concord, NH 03301 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.friendsprogram.org

Miscellaneous Information

Name of Executive Director (or equivalent) if not listed above:
	Jerry Madden
Type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)3
Is your organization a Health and Human Service agency?
	Yes

Last updated on October 9, 2009