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Dear Friends,
As the only nonprofit community health center in Strafford County that provides affordable, quality health care—we’ve tried to accommodate the huge surge of people seeking care. We’ve converted all available space, including closets and bathrooms, into new exam rooms and offices. This helped immediately serve 1,000 additional new patients but it is not enough—there are over 14,000 people in need of affordable health care in this area. We want to provide an alternative to expensive emergency center visits and hospitalization for the uninsured because that’s something we all end up paying for. AGCHC has a long-term solution that will make a big impact on this problem: build a new facility and embark on a capital campaign to fund it.
Our new Building will serve over 12,000 patients, save over $250,000 in overhead costs, employ more people, stimulate local economic activity, and reduce overall health care costs. It will also help break the cycle of rising healthcare need, decreasing available aid, and escalating medical costs. The building will increase access to care with efficient services under one roof, in a central location.
Our capital campaign: Changing Spaces ~ Changing Lives is over 80% toward our $6.6 million goal! We are almost there but we need you. What’s more, our patients need you. We have many unique ways to get involved. I invite you to read on, take that next step and join us in "Changing Spaces~Changing Lives!"
Sincerely,
Janet Atkins
Executive Director
new building construction, October 2010
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Become A C ommunity Hero
Be part of the "Changing Spaces~Changing Lives" Campaign
Save your business tax money
See your name "up in lights"
Tell the government where to put your taxes &
Help solve your community’s health care problems!
Avis Goodwin is not the only non-profit you’re hearing from these days with a strong need for your support but we do stand out from the crowd in our ability to uniquely give you a monumental return on your investment. Our "Changing Spaces~Changing Lives" campaign is in full swing and offers you two amazing incentives to get involved–Tax Credits and Naming Opportunities.
For a short time your donations are not only tax deductible they are eligible for Tax Credits. Additionally, donations currently provide the once in a lifetime opportunity to put your name on a piece of the new building. You can make an impact on community health and help your business at the same time – it’s a win-win!
How does it work? Say your business donates $10,000- you can receive a Tax Credit from the state of $7,500 and after federal charitable deductions, the total gift actually costs you $1,500. So for $1,500, your company:
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gets public recognition for a $10,000 gift
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names a piece of the building at that $10,000 level through our Naming Opportunities
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leverages tax dollars directly into our community for a vital health center through CDFA Tax Credits
There is a Community Hero in all of us …if you want to directly help change the lives of 12,000 people and be forever connected with community-changing health care, donate now to our new building and please take advantage of the Tax Credits and Naming Opportunities. To learn more, please contact Susan Fitzgerald Reichert, Capital Campaign & Major Gifts Officer at 603.516.2556. |
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Somersworth Mayor, Lincoln Soldati welcomes Avis Goodwin to Somersworth
"Dreams Accomplished, Beginnings Anew, A Monumental Moment, Celebrated With You"
That was the theme of the day Thursday, May 20th, 2010 when more than 100 AGCHC staff, supporters, dignitaries and friends gathered for groundbreaking ceremonies of the new building. Located at 311 Route 108 in Somersworth, the new building is slated for completion in the Spring of 2011.
This long awaited project is a dream come true and has been 41 years in the making. No one was more proud and excited to see that first dig than founder, Mrs. Avis Goodwin. Now 91, Mrs. Goodwin commented, "The need is so great…the new building serves a tremendous need and I am so proud of these people and the staff."
The new building will allow AGCHC to serve an additional 3,500 patients which will bring better health to a total of 12,000 local people annually. The new building brings an estimated 8 long term and 35 short term additional jobs to the area. The Center will employ a total of about 130 people.
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Eyecare, Podiatry & Reiki, Oh My! Making Specialty Services Accessible to Patients
StraffordCare is a growing AGCHC program that connects uninsured patients in Strafford County to a network of specialty doctors willing to offer services at discounted rates.
StraffordCare participants work with a care coordinator who connects them to needed services such as ophthalmology, chiropractor care, gastroenterology, holistic services, etc. It is a highly flexible and customizable program. Doctors and Specialists determine the resources they have available and they individually set the number of patients and percentage of rate reductions that their practices can afford.
CLICK HEREfor a list of current StraffordCare Providers
 To qualify for StraffordCare, AGCHC patients must live in Strafford County, NH, be under the age of 64, be below 250% of poverty, and have an established primary care physician. If patients do not have a primary care practitioner, a new patient appointment will be scheduled for them. Patients must not be eligible for existing services such as NH Medicaid or Medicare. StraffordCare does not replace existing programs in the community, it compliments those programs. For more info please contact Care Coordinator- Jessica Garlough at 516-2551.
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"Changing Spaces~Changing Lives" has everybody talking…
Here’s what your friends and neighbors are saying about their contributions to the Changing Spaces~Changing Lives Campaign:
“The Rotary Club of Dover is proud to support Avis Goodwin Community Health Center. They are deeply rooted in the community and provide individuals of all ages with integrated, comprehensive and quality healthcare. Partnering with the Rochester Rotary Club in this initiative was important, so together we could help Avis Goodwin continue to support the seacoast community.”
~Sean Fitzgerald, Dover Rotary President.
"This was a decision that made excellent business sense for our company and also allowed us to make sure that our tax dollars are used to promote a cause we strongly believe in— providing quality health care for the uninsured and underinsured population in our community. We would strongly encourage other businesses or individuals to make a contribution. If you pay New Hampshire taxes, the tax credit allows you to essentially direct your taxes towards better healthcare within your own community."
~Michael Thompson MD, Logical Innovations
"Federal Savings Bank is proud to support Avis Goodwin. This donation is a direct reflection of our commitment to making a difference locally and positively impacting the quality of life in the communities in which we serve. AGCHC provides invaluable services that are particularly important during this time of economic uncertainty. By contributing to this new building, it is our hope that they will be able to more easily provide these important services to even more deserving individuals and families in our local communities.
~James J. O’Neil, Jr., President and CEO, Federal Savings Bank
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Your Name "Up In Lights"! Become a permanent part of the change…
Avis Goodwin Community Health Center is building a new home! The Changing Spaces ~ Changing Lives Campaign provides a unique opportunity to make a gift that forever links your name – or that of a loved one – to community changing healthcare with the following Naming Opportunities:
Medical Wellness Wing ~ $75,000
The Atrium ~ $50,000
Federal Savings Bank Lobby ~ Reserved by Federal Savings Bank
Dental Wellness Wing ~ $35,000
Conference Room ~ $25,000
Medical Suite (POD) ~ $25,000
Mental Wellness Wing (Business Suite) ~ $25,000
Robert P. Hatch Prenatal Wing ~ Reserved by Garrison Women’s Health Center
& Pamela S. Bertram, MD
Avis L. & Robert E. Goodwin Family Board Room ~ Reserved by the Goodwin Family
Bus Shelter ~ $15,000
Community Laboratory ~ $15,000
Women, Infant, Children (WIC) Wing ~ $10,000
Children’s Play Station ~ Reserved by Dover & Rochester Rotary Charities
Relaxation Rooftop Deck ~ $10,000
Adopt a Lab ~ $7,500
Medical Exam Room ~ $5,000
Prenatal Exam Room ~ $5,000
Dental Operatory ~ $5,000
Mental Health Office ~ $5,000
Granite Tribute Bench ~ $5,000
Granite Tribute Cobblestone ~ $500
Don’t forget, these contributions are also eligible for our Tax Credit Program! For more information about the Changing Spaces ~ Changing Lives Campaign, please contact Susan Fitzgerald Reichert, Capitol Campaign & Major Gifts Officer sfitzgerald@agchc.org or 603.516.2556
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WIC Changes Having Local Effect by Phoebe Bonaparte-Krogh
For the past several years there’s been a nationwide push towards healthier living, especially when it comes to eating. Everyone’s been bombarded with messages to eat more whole grains, fewer sugary drinks and more fruits and vegetables, but as often is the case, the best path is usually the more expensive one. For WIC mothers, like Katie McCauley, it can be hard to get the food you need when budgets are tight, which is why WIC’s nutrition expansion in October of 2009 is still having such joyful reactions.
WIC (Woman, Infants & Children) provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. Avis Goodwin Community Health Center is the agent distributing the WIC program to Strafford County.
When WIC overhauled its food choices for the first time in 50 years seven months ago, Katie was able to take a few steps closer to buying the wholesome foods she already knew she and her son, Fionian needed. As a Breastfeeding Peer Councilor and program assistant for WIC, Katie is working diligently to give mothers and their children all the pieces they need to be healthy and she’s already seen how happy families are with the new changes. "New participants are amazed at what WIC offers. Participants who haven’t been on the program in a while and are reapplying are very pleased," commented Katie. The McCauleys are now receiving more fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread and brown rice as a result of the changes.
The mothers aren’t the only happy ones. Jen Ganley, an Avis Goodwin WIC Nutritionist, can finally preach what WIC practices. Before the changes they would council mothers on what were the best foods for them, but then the food packages the mothers received wouldn’t always mirror what they said. As Jen said, "It was awkward before (the changes) because we would tell them what they should eat, but they weren’t being given those things." Issues such as the increased sugar from the high amounts of juice in the packages were frequent problems for Jen and her fellow nutritionists who would urge people not to use it all.
One of the greatest differences between 1950’s diets and today’s diets is the variety that we can now choose from. Both Katie and Jen agreed that increased variety is one of the greatest changes in the program. The soymilk and tofu have been great for vegetarian clients and the new tortillas can make anyone’s diet more interesting. Many of the cultural food options have yet to gain popularity in Strafford County, but, as Katie said, "It is nice to know that if we did have cultural needs WIC has more options." Giving people the ability to buy different foods is allowing them to try things that they might otherwise not have spent their money on.
"WIC needed to take another look at the nutrition concerns of (today’s) society," said nutritionist Jen, "and that is exactly what WIC did." With the addition of more nutritionally dense foods, Katie can feed Fionian more fruits and vegetables while taking pride in watching Mom’s new to WIC do the same. Jen is able to provide counseling on what foods are best for each family and then actually see them get the recommended food. Strafford County and Avis Goodwin are eagerly putting WIC’s changes in practice, and with the help of women like Katie and Jen, families everywhere are taking several steps closer to better nutrition.
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