 |  | | |  | 2024 Granite Leader Graduates |
| NHCEH recently celebrated the graduation of six inspired individuals from the 2024 Granite Leaders program! All participants have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, and now combine their experience, courage, and resilience with the leadership and advocacy skills needed to inform the discussion around homelessness.
Throughout the five days of training, participants heard presentations from diverse leaders working to end homelessness in NH and had the opportunity to tour the State House where they unexpectedly met both the Governor and Secretary of State! |
|  | Future advocates tour the State House as part of the Granite Leader training Left to Right: Jackson, Eric, Kenan, Spenser, Aby, Shawn |
| Each member of this new cohort has expressed interest in continuing their learning journey through NHCEH’s new Mentorship Program, which we will be rolling out later this year. It will provide graduates with eight weeks of 1:1 time with an assigned mentor who is currently sitting at the tables where Granite Leader advocates would like to have their voices heard. We look forward to working with this group of leaders and thank them for their commitment to serve their NH neighbors in need. |
| | 1st Annual Summer Solstice Celebration |
|  | Miss Kelly, a fierce advocate for homelessness, writes from personal experience about what works when fighting to exit homelessness. |
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What works? A seemingly simple question: two words that get to the heart of the challenge before us in solving homelessness. The answer is layered and complicated – but not impossible. There are solutions, and NH Coalition to End Homelessness (NHCEH), in partnership with The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, took the opportunity to celebrate the success of those who have overcome homelessness with New Hampshire’s first annual Summer Solstice Celebration.
Cities across the nation host Summer Solstice events on the longest day of the year as a counterpoint of hope to the memorial vigils (held in December on the shortest day of the year) that honor those who have passed away while homeless. New Hampshire has held vigils in December for many years. It was time to bring some hope back into the equation and celebrate the truth that homelessness is a solvable issue.
Nearly fifty individuals came together to represent the hope around an issue which often feels hopeless and to bring much-needed attention to the collaborative efforts positively impacting this crisis-level reality. The group of attendees ranged from those currently experiencing homelessness, to those who have exited homelessness, to representatives from organizations working to provide the necessary resources to support that transition. |
|  | Left to Right: Danielle Provencal from The Mental Health Center, Xiante Dahabi, NHCEH Board Member, Miss Kelly, Advocate and Peer Coach, Jennifer Chisholm, Executive Director, NHCEH, and Nicole Johnson, Program Coordinator, NHCEH |
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The resounding message of the evening was the critical need for community, for the coming together of many different resources to provide wrap-around support for each individual. Miss Kelly, our first speaker of the evening, is a strong advocate due to her own lived experience with homelessness. She refers to her community as IPOT - her individual personalized outreach team. The support she received from her team led to her successful exit from homelessness and today, Miss Kelly serves as a peer coach for others. “There’s a worthy life out there,” she says, “and it all starts with being housed.”
Jennifer Chisholm, Executive Director for NHCEH, appropriately focused the evening on hope and positivity and brought attention to the reported 2,000 individuals who have exited homelessness to permanent housing situations in NH in the past year. NHCEH looks forward to New Hampshire achieving functional zero for homelessness, where anytime homelessness does occur, it is rare, brief, and one-time. For now, we will continue to focus on what we know works: research to understand the state of homelessness from year to year, education to share best practices for success, and advocacy to raise the voices of those who truly believe that having a home is a human right. |
| | NHCEH Responds to Supreme Court’s Ruling in Johnson V. Grants Pass |
| On June 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people experiencing homelessness can be arrested and fined for sleeping outside when there are no safe alternatives. This decision permits cities and towns to enact ordinances that impose fines and criminal charges on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. NHCEH joins our partner organizations across the nation, all working to serve people experiencing homelessness, in feelings of heartbreak and frustration over this decision. In short, the criminalization of homelessness is disheartening and counterproductive. Evidence-based solutions and best practices do exist and NHCEH is working to ensure municipalities across the state are well-informed on a path forward that does not include the further victimization of people experiencing homelessness. Read NHCEH’s full statement below. |
| | | Jennifer Chisholm Is Our NH Coordinator for Capitol Hill Day 2024 in DC! |
| NHCEH’s Executive Director, Jennifer Chisholm, has joined thousands of other advocates in Washington, DC for Capitol Hill Day, an annual event that allows citizens to engage with Congress and lawmakers and inform them of the needs of our nation. Jennifer is serving as the designated NH coordinator for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. As a result of her work with NHCEH, Jennifer informs the conversation with a thorough understanding of the systemic causes of homelessness in NH and the best practices that lead to lasting solutions. Perhaps most importantly, she is energized by the foundational belief that having a home is a human right. We look forward to sharing her experience and presenting your opportunities to advocate for your NH neighbors! |
| | 66 Hanover Street, Manchester, NH 03101 603.264.9089 |
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