Ready To help our neighbors in need?? let’s go!
Whether you’d like to learn about nonprofit organizations on the Seacoast, wish to contribute financially, or are interested in volunteering your time, take a peek at a variety of Seacoast nonprofits that are making a difference in our community. We’d like to extend a sincere “thank you” to each and every one of the caring individuals who work tirelessly to make these organizations operate throughout the year; we appreciate your time and dedication to better our community.
RETT’S ROOST
Rett’s Roost provides hope and healing for families affected by childhood cancer and child loss. Our mission is to offer free, therapeutic retreats and joyful social gatherings that foster emotional healing, community, and resilience. Located in Maine and serving families across New England and beyond, Rett’s Roost creates a safe, compassionate space where parents, children, and siblings impacted by cancer and child loss can create peer connections while fostering closeness and understanding within their family unit. Families participate in group activities focused on nature, animals, art, music, and movement-based therapies and find solace in the shared experience of enduring cancer as a family and potentially losing a child or sibling. Our vision is to compassionately support each family’s healing path toward renewed joy, strength, and hope
take a peek!
ON BELAY
On Belay provides free year-round adventure programs for youth impacted by a loved one’s cancer. In its 20th year, On Belay’s programs are intentionally designed to use adventure programs as a vehicle to provide a supportive community of like-experienced peers, uncover inner resilience, and to give these kids permission to have fun during such a challenging time. On Belay’s activities include rock climbing, sea kayaking, challenge courses, hiking, cross country skiing, mountain biking, surfing, and much more! Programs take place in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts and are open to children ages 8-18 who have a loved one newly diagnosed with cancer, actively in treatment, in remission, or who have passed away. Cancer disrupts the whole family system, On Belay is there for those kids whose lives have been turned upside down by a loved one’s cancer.
take a peek!
Gather
Founded in 1816 by a group of compassionate women dedicated to feeding the families of fishermen on the Seacoast, Gather is one of the oldest social service agencies in the country. Gather’s mission is to offer innovative programs that build food security in welcoming and dignified ways, and they provide nutritious food and prepared meals to those experiencing hunger on the Seacoast in NH and Maine. Over the past decade, the organization has revolutionized its approach and expanded from a traditional food pantry to incorporate innovative mobile markets that distribute fresh food at the neighborhood level and specialized programs that remove barriers for those most vulnerable and hard to reach, including children, people without access to transportation, seniors, and people with disabilities. Gather is the largest food assistance organization on the Seacoast, serving more than 10,000 residents each month and distributing over 1.6 million pounds of food each year.
take a peek!
Friends in Action
Friends in Action is about friendship, laughter, companionship, fun and community connections. Everything that we all want in our lives to make us happy. Our goal is to help people who might otherwise be very isolated have real, meaningful friendships, places to go, things to do and people to meet. Friends in Action gives participants something to look forward to week after week, helping them live active, rich lives. We do this by offering a variety of programs during the week. Examples of programs include Basketball, Movie Club, Art and Game Club, Volunteering at Echo Thrift Shop and Theater Class.
take a peek!
Connections Peer Support
Connections Peer Support is a mental health nonprofit organization that supports Seacoast adults through hope-based tactics and interpersonal relationships with like-minded individuals who have gone through similar mental health challenges. At Connections Peer Support we have three main programs: our daytime peer support center in Portsmouth that offers a variety of support groups, our transitional living program in Northwood, and our non-crisis warmline that offers mental health support by certified Peer Support Specialists from 5-10 PM daily by calling (603) 427-6966. All of our programs are free for NH adults! The goal of Connections Peer Support is to empower individuals through their mental health recovery and to support them with their individualized health and wellness goals.
take a peek!
End 68 Hours of Hunger
End 68 Hours of Hunger is a public non-profit effort to confront the approximately 68 hours of hunger that some school children experience between the free lunch they receive in school Friday and the free breakfast they receive in school Monday. This program puts nourishing food in the hands of school children to carry them through the weekend. Each bag of food provides two breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners for a child. Our local programs are operated entirely by dedicated volunteers. We have programs in eight states and provided 1.5 million meals to 5,000 children during the 2023-2024 school year. We support 360 children every weekend in the Seacoast area!
take a peek!
NEW GENERATION
New Generation provides shelter and transitional housing for pregnant women and mothers with children who are experiencing homelessness due to the lack of affordable housing combined with individual challenges such as domestic violence, financial hardship, substance misuse and mental health illness. For our residents, New Generation is a safe, caring and motivating environment where they can pursue their goals for a new beginning – and begin to rebuild the lives they want to live. Our in-house programs connect residents to employment and a supportive community with access to essentials needed for nurturing family development. Our residents receive intensive case management, life-skills coaching, parenting counseling and stabilization services, gaining the skills to build long-term stability for their family
take a peek!
AIDS RESPONSE SEACOAST
ARS is a nonprofit, community-based HIV/AIDS service organization providing case management, direct support services, education and advocacy to persons and communities affected by HIV. Client services include medical case management, access to life-saving medications and medical care, assistance with access to mental health or substance use services, emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities, transportation, a food pantry and more. ARS is the only AIDS Service organization serving the New Hampshire Seacoast region (Rockingham and Strafford counties) and has been doing so since 1987.
ARS provides these services at no cost to anyone with HIV/AIDS.
take a peek!
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine offers comfort and compassion to families with pediatric patients, ensuring they can stay close to medical care. Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, RMHC Maine is a home-away-from-home, with two House programs for overnight stays & two Family Rooms directly on the pediatric floor of hospitals in Bangor and Portland. Our mission is to ensure families can stay near their hospitalized children, recognizing that the family’s ability to work closely with their child’s medical team is essential for healing.
take a peek!
Great Bay Services
Great Bay Services is a nonprofit organization that has worked to provide innovative program enrichment, case management, independent living support, and employment empowerment to adults with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and autism for over 70 years in the New Hampshire seacoast and southern Maine regions. We are committed to serving the lives of our adult partners to fulfill their aspirations and realize their dreams beyond all expectations.
take a peek!
Fair Tide
Fair Tide’s mission is to reduce homelessness by providing housing and supportive services to individuals and families in the Seacoast. We develop and operate deeply affordable housing, partner with landlords to match their units with families and individuals who have housing vouchers, and offer short and long-term case management. Fair Tide also operates a thrift store for low-cost clothing and housewares, with proceeds benefiting our Housing Program. As a co-founder of Mainspring, Fair Tide will move to 22 Shapleigh Road in early 2025 to provide our variety of programs and services.
take a peek!
3S ARTSPACE
3S Artspace believes art is essential. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization grounded in an unwavering appreciation for the vital role that contemporary arts play in the health of a community, both locally and globally. They believe art has the power to transform individual lives, bridge divergent perspectives, and establish meaningful connections between and across communities.
Thanks to the support of our community and its business leaders, 3S Artspace is able to provide the space to share transformative experiences, engage in meaningful discussions, and serve artists and audiences in impactful ways.
look at all of the good happening in our community!
Footprints Food Pantry
For over thirty years, Footprints Food Pantry has been dedicated to reducing hunger in the region. Footprints delivers essential resources with dignity, respect, and a focus on abundance to tackle both immediate and long-term food insecurity.
Expanded programming includes community dinners, a free breakfast cafe, a prepared meal program, culinary job training, cooking and nutrition classes, and refrigerated food lockers, alongside our current services: weekly food distributions, home grocery deliveries, Phinn’s Pet Food Pantry, Community Gardens, Older Resident Pantry, School Pantries, and the Footprints’ Community Support Fund.
As a founding partner of Mainspring: The Seacoast Social Services Collective, Footprints aims to deepen its impact, build a stronger community, and support the holistic well-being of the individuals and families we serve. Together, Footprints is creating a future where everyone has the resources to thrive.
take a peek!
Greater Seacoast Community Health
Greater Seacoast Community Health is a network of community health centers providing primary care, pediatrics, dental care, prenatal care, behavioral health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, mobile health services, WIC, social work services, a pharmacy, parenting classes, playgroups and home visiting. The network includes Families First Health & Support Center in Portsmouth and Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth; the Strafford County Public Health Network is also affiliated with Greater Seacoast. Services are for everyone — infants to seniors, single people and families, insured or uninsured, all income levels. We strive to make our many programs and health services integrated, high quality, affordable, recovery friendly, trauma informed, inclusive and easy to access.
take a peek!
The Kittery Art Association
Founded in 1958, The Kittery Art Association Gallery and Shop is located at 2 Walker Street, in the heart of Kittery Foreside. The gallery features the work of Seacoast Artists in monthly shows and welcomes new members and art appreciators of all ages. We also offer an array of workshops, demos, artist talks, and concerts. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, committed to our mission: to promote knowledge of the arts, stimulate interest in the work of local artists, and express appreciation for the abundant creativity in the seacoast area.
take a peek!
Education For All Children
Education For All Children (EFAC) is an education-to-employment program serving Kenyan youth who demonstrate strong academic merit and socio-economic need who would otherwise be unable to access quality education beyond 8th grade, when the school system in Kenya becomes fee-based. EFAC supports students through high school and post-secondary school, as well as providing a comprehensive personal and professional development program. This holistic approach encourages students to emerge from the 8-year program ready to launch their careers, creating a path out of poverty that transforms their own lives and positively impacts their families, communities, and country.
take a peek!
Ink 4 Pink
Ink 4 Pink is a New England non-profit based out of the NH Seacoast, on a mission to help breast cancer survivors feel at home in their bodies with nipple, breast, eyebrow, and scar camouflage tattooing. We believe that all survivors deserve to feel complete after recovery, regardless of their financial situation, so we provide financial assistance to cover the cost of these life-changing tattoos.
take a peek!
The Key Collective
The KEY Collective provides K-12 youth from low-income families throughout NH’s seacoast region access to sports and other youth activities for free or at a reduced cost with no red tape and no social stigma attached. Their vision is to ensure that every child—regardless of financial means—has the same opportunities as their peers without any social stigma attached. The KEY Collective’s #areuin? card program connects kids to scholarships and discounts for activities and programs through partner organizations. Additionally, they offer a scholarship program that provides up to $200 per year per child for activities not covered by #areuin? card partners, such as music lessons, art classes, and summer camps.
take a peek!
7 Rivers To The Coast
Do you want to explore new places and learn how you can help protect our region’s rivers, bays and coast? If so, 7 Rivers to the Coast is your new, go-to resource to learn more about the water resources that make our region such a spectacular place to live, work and play. It’s an effort—more than two years in the making—by a partnership of agencies, organizations and community groups working together to protect and restore the Great Bay estuary and the seven rivers that flow to the coast. Explore our interactive map, take a peek at the events calendar, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and sign-up for our newsletter to keep current with our local waters. All groups involved in the development of 7 Rivers to Coast concur that when we act together, small actions add up to a big impact.
take a peek!
Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society
Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society in Salisbury, MA is a cat-exclusive rescue dedicated to improving the lives of all cats and providing support and education for the people who care about them. Since our inception 32 years ago, MRFRS has assisted over 147,000 cats – placing more than 25,000 cats and kittens in homes through our adoption program, and spaying/neutering over 90,000 cats through our low-cost Catmobile and our community cat clinic. We exist due to the generosity of donors and volunteers like you!
take a peek!
Arts In Reach
Arts In Reach (AIR) empowers young women and gender-expansive youth in the Greater Seacoast region through free, inclusive arts-based programs that foster creativity, confidence, and community. We offer a range of programs, including visual arts, music, theater, writing, and dance workshops, designed to inspire self-expression and personal growth. By combining artistic exploration with mentorship and life-skills development, AIR provides a supportive environment where participants can thrive socially and emotionally. Our programs serve youth ages 11-22, focusing on those who may face barriers to access, ensuring that creativity and connection remain accessible to all.
take a peek!
Mainspring Collective
The Seacoast Social Service Collective is a transformative approach to community care. As a community resource hub, Mainspring unites over a dozen nonprofit partners under one roof, providing individuals and families with streamlined, comprehensive access to support. By integrating services through centralized intake, shared data systems, and coordinated case management, Mainspring eliminates the barriers of fragmented, siloed services. It offers non-profit partners shared overhead, shared mission, and a collaborative model of care where each agency is a cog in the wheel rather than the wheel itself. The Mainspring model not only supports individuals seeking assistance and the nonprofit partners administering care but also supports the whole community as each person, each child, and each family is cared for with respect and dignity utilizing a comprehensive and strategic design.
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Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats
Formed in 2002, Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Adventure Weekend, Inc. (DBA Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering hope and enhancing the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. The organization is named in memory of Betty J. Borry, who, in 1995, founded Adventure Weekend, an outdoor, adventure-based weekend retreat where women of all ages and stages of breast cancer could challenge themselves physically and emotionally. Today, our mission is to further Betty’s legacy of support and empowerment for women with breast cancer by providing challenges and adventures, expressive and healing arts activities and peer support in an inclusive and invigorating outdoor retreat environment where women gain confidence, make new friends and discover the healing power of nature.
take a peek!
Seacoast Science Center
Seacoast Science Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to marine science education, situated in Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, New Hampshire. At Seacoast Science Center, they believe that science-driven education is essential for fostering conservation and promoting positive, restorative changes in our environment. With a variety of exhibits, programs, camps and events, the Center offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to explore the wonders of marine life and gain a deeper appreciation for the ocean’s vital role in our global ecosystem. From an interactive touch tank and educational programs to guided community nature explorations and seal walks with our Marine Mammal Rescue team, Seacoast Science Center provides an engaging and inspiring environment where learning and discovery go hand in hand. Whether you’re a curious child or an adult eager to learn more and understand your impact, the Center invites everyone to embark on a journey of exploration and stewardship, ensuring that the beauty and health of our oceans are preserved for generations to come.
take a peek!
If there’s a nonprofit organization that you’d like to see featured on this list, please send an email to hello@seacoastlately.com!