Pastoral Counseling Services (PCS) hosted its 27th Good Samaritan Awards Celebration on Sept. 14, and honored five individuals for their outstanding service to their communities. Honorees were: Tom & Chrissy Harte, the Rev. Jed Rardin, Amy Chhom, and Lynn Stanley.

Franklin VNA & Hospice recently received a $2,000 Community Impact grant from the Eversource Foundation. This Community Impact Grant will be used to provide Hospice care to uninsured and underinsured patients.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation will hold its 19th Annual Women Building Community Luncheon (WBC) on Thursday, Oct. 19, 12 to 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Manchester. The Women’s Foundation will also present its SHE Change award, at the Luncheon. The SHE Change Award recognizes a New Hampshire organization for its innovation, collaboration and strengthening opportunity for New Hampshire women and girls, and will be announced at the event. Registration for this event is now open. Tickets and information at: nhwomensfoundation.org

Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) is hosting a peanut butter and cereal drive throughout the month of October in partnership with #NHBanksGiveBack, a volunteer celebration organized by the NH Bankers Association. Peanut butter and cereal donations are often requested by food banks to ensure children struggling with food insecurity have access to healthy and nutritious meals. Peanut butter and cereal donations can be dropped off at any of The Merrimack’s eight locations.

The Southern New Hampshire Ukulele Group (SNHUG) performed through Friday’s rain showers at this year’s Deerfield Fair - and made it count. The group raised enough funds to become a “Rock Star” sponsor for Dartmouth Health Children’s Hospital via the Ukulele Kids Club (UKC). The UKC’s Rock Star program (theukc.org/rockstar/) ensures that sponsor funds will go directly to their facility of choice to provide music therapy and instruments to children hospitalized there.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is pleased to announce the approval of New Hampshire’s State Plan on Aging (SPOA) by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. The four-year plan, coordinated through the DHHS Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services (BEAS), is committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive statewide system of long-term services and supports that prioritizes person-centered care.

WORK Lakes Region, a Coworking and Event Studio sets its sights on opening later this month as construction heads for completion at 51 Elm Street in the Lakeport region of Laconia. In preparation for opening, WORK Lakes Region’s membership enrollment is now open.

Franklin Savings Bank awarded $62,200 in grants to 11 community organizations through its Fund for Community Advancement, the philanthropic arm of the bank. Representing the 46th grant cycle, this year’s recipients include Andover Historical Society (Franklin), $6,000; Archways (Franklin/Tilton), $5,000; CATCH Neighborhood Housing (Franklin), $4,000; Danbury Historical Society (Bristol/Franklin), $6,000; Franklin Opera House, $5,000; Granite VNA, $1,000 (Central and Southern NH); Hill Center Church (Bristol/Franklin/Tilton), $6,000; Northfield Economic Development Corp. (Northfield), $5,000. The Granite State News Collaborative (Boscawen/Bristol/Franklin/Gilford/Goffstown/Merrimack), $7,200; Twin Rivers Food Pantry (Boscawen/Bristol/Franklin/Tilton), $7,000; and Webster House Children’s Home (Statewide), $10,000.

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