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Diane DiPersio Joins Bean Foundation As Director

Diane DiPersio is joining the Bean Foundation on July 1, 2024, as its new Foundation Director.

Diane comes to us from the Manchester Community Music School where she spent the past twelve years serving in numerous roles, most recently as Senior Director focusing on development and communications. Prior to that Diane worked as a Freelance Writer producing marketing materials for corporate clients, Marketing Manager for the National Fire Protection Association, and Marketing Manager for the Home Shopping Network.

Having worked on the fundraising side of development for many years, Diane is excited to be stepping into her new role as Director and helping forward the mission of the Bean Foundation, as well as all the amazing non-profit organizations that serve our community.

Bean Foundation Contributes $275,000 Over Four Years To Manchester's Youth Enrichment Partnership

The Youth Enrichment Partnership brings together funders, schools, and community organizations to address the complex needs of Manchester's youth. The Bean Foundation was the first foundation to become an active, collaborative partner with the Granite United Way to launch this unique city-wide program. The goal is to support low-income middle school youth and their families with year-round and city-wide opportunities that promote long-term success.

The Youth Enrichment Partnership (YEP) provides mental health services, academic supports, and enrichment opportunities — free-of-charge — to the places where youth feel safe and connected, like schools, after-school centers, and summer programs. This unique collaboration of funders, schools, and 14 different community organizations has revolutionized the youth-serving field and eased the transition during this critical stage of development. Over the past few years, the YEP has served over 800 students annually.

In addition, training and professional development of youth-serving staff and educators has been a crucial part of the Youth Enrichment Partnership's model. Training is a key component of keeping staff up to date on issues in the community as well as provides resources to help staff fill their toolboxes. Training topics have covered areas such as suicide prevention, working with marginalized populations, adverse childhood experiences. Over the past three years of the program, Granite United Way staff, YEP partners, and experts throughout the country have facilitated nearly 4,000 hours of training and professional development.

Bean Foundation celebrates 50th anniversary

The Norwin E. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation trustees celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Foundation at its annual meeting on November 14, 2017, at the Palace Theatre. They were joined by grant recipients, area non-profit leaders, area funders, community leaders, and past and present trustees to hear Mr. Bean, portrayed by Al Heidenreich, tell how the couple decided to leave their estate in a trust to benefit the residents of Amherst and Manchester, New Hampshire. Mrs. Bean was portrayed by Barbara Heidenreich. Senior Trustee Tom Donovan explained how the trust was set up and how the board of trustees was formed. As examples of the grants that have been awarded by the Foundation, former trustee Paul Spiess spoke about the Clock Tower Renovation Project in Amherst, CASA Founder Marty Sink introduced CASA volunteer Garrie Stoutimore to tell about her experience representing a CASA child, and President and CEO Peter Ramsey of the Palace Theatre told about the Bean Foundation support that made it possible to renovate and reopen the Palace Theatre in 1974. In closing, representatives of dozens of nonprofits that have been funded by the Bean Foundation over its history stepped to the stage and announced the names of their organizations, creating a picture of the diverse age groups, skills, ethnic groups, interests, and subject areas which have been impacted by the generous gift of Norwin and Elizabeth Bean since 1967.

A Stark Donation

By David Lane/Union Leader
Photo credit: David Lane

6/28/12 — Selma Naccach-Hoff, chair of the Bean Foundation, left, presented a $10,000 donation to former Gov. Steve Merrill, co-chair of the Gen. John Stark Gravesite Restoration Project, and Pat Howard, president of the Friends of Stark Park, in front of the Stark family gravesite in Manchester on Thursday.

Crisis Response

In response to community concerns about a crisis in affordable housing in Manchester, Trustees of the Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation have targeted grant money each year since 2002 toward four key housing-related organizations, one of which is NeighborWorks Greater Manchester.

"Quiet" capital campaign for teen center and transitional living home

Child and Family Services would like to thank the following donors who have contributed over $357,000 toward the renovation of our 99 Hanover Street Teen Resource Center and the new transitional living apartment house on Union Street, Manchester.

Teen Resource Center: The Gibney Family Foundation, St. Mary's Bank, Cogswell Benevolent Trust, Goldie Halpin Foundation, Madalaine von Weber Trust, C.A. Hoitt Furniture, Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, Citizens Bank Foundation and Susan Moran.

Transitional Living Program: TD Banknorth, Greater Manchester Charitable Trust, Cogswell Benevolent Trust, Robert L. Chiesa Homeless Youth Challenge Grant from the Agnes Lindsay Trust, Cobb Hill Construction, C.A. Hoitt Furniture, Norwin S. and Elizabeth N. Bean Foundation, Wadleigh, Starr Law Firm and partners, Samuel P. Hunt Foundation.

To date we have raised nearly 65% of the goal for these two projects. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help Child and Family Services serve the needs of homeless, at-risk youth in Manchester area by contributing toward these new facilities, please contact Ruth Zax, drector of development, zaxr@cfsnh.org.

Award Winning Support

Tom Donovan receives a plaque from the President/CEO of Child and Family Services, Michael Ostrowski, thanking the Bean Foundation for its support.

New Program Helps Immigrant Girls Gain Confidence

By Kathy Remillard/Union Leader Correspondent
Photo credit: Kathy Remillard

6/9/12 — UpReach Riding Center: Girl Power through Horse Power focuses on working together, respect, responsibility and choices.

GOFFSTOWN — While many are familiar with UpReach Theraputic Riding Center's use of horses to assist those with developmental delays, they may be surprised to know that the center is now helping to bridge cultural gaps as well. The Girl Power through Horse Power program is a new collaboration with the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the Office of Youth Services, said Kristin McGraw, program coordinator for the center. Funded by a grant from the Bean Foundation, 14 immigrant girls from Manchester's Elmwood Gardens are nearing the end of a 12-week program that has taught them about relationship building, working as a team, respect, responsibility and choices. As other programs run by the center, horses play a large role in reinforcing the concepts the girls learn in small groups. Girls brush the horses and perform other tasks as teams, to encourage group cohesiveness.

These girls are mostly Muslim, who come from some of the most distressed countries in the world, said UpReach's Director of Development Barb Miles, who wrote the grant. It's a very powerful experience, she said, noting that the group has become much more confident since the course started.

McGraw said she's been impressed by the progress the girls have made over the past 12 weeks. The transformation has been very, very cool, she said.

Throughout the program, participants discussed many female American role models, such as First Lady Michelle Obama, country music star Taylor Swift and New Hampshire's Christa McAuliffe, so that they could see how many leadership opportunities are available to women. They come from countries where women don't have powerful positions, McGraw said. Miles said there's been a cultural education — not only for the girls, but for the staff as well. One thing Miles said she didn't anticipate was the group's fear of the center's resident cat, Minnie.

In the Muslim culture, cats are considered dirty, and Miles said staff had to introduce the seemingly simple concept of owning a pet. Miles eventually had to explain that the cat was an employee of sorts at the center. When they saw Minnie, it was terror, Miles said. The cat issue really threw us for a loop. Many of the girls weren't sure of the horses, either.

I used to be scared of them, said Safia Mohamed, but added that working with the horses reinforced the lessons learned in class. Roaa Bashir said she grew more comfortable with the horses over time, eventually feeling brave enough to braid part of a horse's mane.

The group will hold a celebration next week, once their last class is completed.

The center plans to apply for more grant funding to continue with the program.

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Nehemiah Bean and the Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine

By Aurore Eaton/Union Leader

5/8/12, 5/15/12, 5/22/12 — Looking Back: The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company's Machine Shop in Manchester, New Hampshire rolled out its first steam locomotive engine on March 1, 1849, and after a successful run in this business ceased locomotive production in February 1858. In July Ezekiel Straw was put in charge of the operations. This made him the top administrator for the entire company, as he was already managing the real estate, the water power system, and textile manufacturing. Straw, a civil engineer, was always looking for innovative ways to increase the company's reach and profitability, especially if it involved technological innovation. Under his leadership, the Machine Shop would next take on the exciting challenge of manufacturing steam fire engines.