Ashley’s Story: The Light House celebrates first graduate

I’d like to introduce you to someone who is very special. Ashley came to the Light House one year ago. I remember the days before she came, talking to her on the phone multiple times. She was crying, anxious and terrified.

“What will be different about this time?” she asked me, obviously worried. She had been to countless programs and rehabs, all resulting in short-term sobriety. Every time, she was lured back into addiction, dysfunction and, ultimately, a suicide attempt.
I could hear in her voice that she wanted so badly to heal, to restore her family, to be free from the addictions that had a grip on her like a vice.

“Our program is different,” I told her. “We are different.”

Ashley came to the Light House bone thin, shaking, and defeated. I’ll never forget on that first day when she came out of her bedroom sobbing because she had looked in the mirror for the first time in many months. She didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her. She was lost. But I knew, God was seeking her.

Ashley’s path was not easy. It was messy. It was tiring. It was complicated. But with time, love and faith, the light in Ashley began to flicker and right before our eyes it was a blazing fire!

Click here to continue reading on the Manchester Ink Link website.

Domestic Violence Support

Domestic violence and child abuse/neglect often occur within the same families. The Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) understands, consistently screens for, and provides services related to domestic violence within families involved with DCYF.

If you are a victim of domestic violence in need of assistance, please call New Hampshire’s statewide 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault hotline at (866) 644-3574.

If you are currently involved in an open DCYF assessment or case, you may access domestic violence services directly through DCYF by contacting your child protective service worker (CPSW) or the domestic violence specialist in your district office.

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior used by one person to gain and maintain power and control over another person in the context of an intimate (or formerly intimate) relationship. Coercive behaviors may include emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as psychological intimidation, threats, stalking, and economic control.

Click here for more information.

Lifeline Chat and Text

Lifeline Chat and Text is a service of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline), connecting individuals with crisis counselors for emotional support and other services via web chat or texting 988.

All chat and text centers in the Lifeline network are accredited by either the American Association of Suicidology or the International Council for Helplines. Lifeline Chat and Text is available 24/7 across the U.S. and certain territories.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is committed to providing individuals in emotional crisis with support, which can include connection to specialized services for different populations. Click here to learn more about these options.

Ready to Chat?

To start a text conversation instead, send a text to 988. Your conversations are free and confidential.

Click here for more information.

Transit To Trails: Free bus trips this summer to state and local parks

MANCHESTER, NH – A partnership between environmental groups, public transportation and social services organizations will once again host Transit to Trails, a program providing transportation to walking and hiking trails, state parks and water destinations to Manchester residents. This year Transit to Trails will be available at no cost to riders.

Transit to Trails is a seasonal service that operates on the first Saturday of each month from June through October of this year. Riders can arrive at Veteran’s Memorial Park in downtown Manchester the day of the event, board the bus and be transported to outdoor spaces within 30 miles from the heart of the city.

This year, Transit to Trails will visit city parks, state parks and nature centers. Destinations for 2023 include:

June 3: Pawtuckaway State Park
July 1: Manchester City Parks Day and ORIS Fresh Start Mobile Market
August 5: Bear Brook State Park
September 2: New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center
October 7: Pawtuckaway State Park

Click here for more information.

Sponsoring Hawks For Life

Pennacook Pregnancy Center of Manchester NH sponsors the spring benefit for Hawks for Life, a pro-life club at Saint Anselm College.
The Pennacook Pregnancy Center recently sponsored the annual spring benefit for Hawks For Life, the pro-life club at Saint Anselm College. Pro-life students and faculty from several area colleges participated. The event enjoyed the highest turn out to date, with 90 to 100 students and faculty attending, including two Saint Anselm Abbey monks and two Diocesan priests. The banquet featured a speaker who shared the details of her personal decision to choose life.

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Top 9 Reasons to Avoid Dollar Stores

This is a very good question, but mostly it’s because they sell so many private-label items that are exclusively made for them. If you’re trying to stay on a budget, dollar stores have certainly some perks. It won’t matter if you do some impulse shopping simply because everything is so cheap that it won’t hurt your wallet. Unfortunately, even if you’re happy that you can buy your everyday basics for a dollar, you may not get the best bargain by shopping there.

There are some reasons you should stay away from dollar stores when it comes to household shopping, even if the temptation is humongous.

Click here for more information.

Delta Enterprise Corp. Recalls 2-in-1 Outdoor Kids Swings Due to Fall Hazard

After receiving several reports of swing seat restraint straps breaking, Delta Enterprise Corp recalled 2-in-1 Outdoor Kids Swings sold nationwide and online at www.walmart.com and www.deltachildren.com from March 2022 through October 2022 for between $20 and $33.

This recall involves 2-in-1 Outdoor Kids Swing with model numbers SW86508MM, SW86516MN, SW86575MM, SW86576MN and SW86577PW. The model number is printed on a Delta Children’s label with a blue heart on the bottom of the swing. The swings are made of plastic and have a bucket seat with a three-point safety harness and a high back that has a silhouette of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse or PAW Patrol on top. The swings measure 16 inches wide by 10.8 inches deep and 22.2 inches high. Included rope measures 36 inches from the top of the swing. The swing is recommended for children ages 9 months through 4 years old and holds up to 50 pounds.

The swing seat restraint straps can break, posing a fall hazard to young children. Consumers should immediately stop using the 2-in-1 Outdoor Kids Swings and contact Delta Enterprise Corp for free replacement straps.

Click here for more information and visit CPSC.gov/Recalls for important product safety recall information.

Fisher-Price reminds consumers of 2019 recall of Rock ‘n Play Sleepers

Fisher-Price has reannounced its 2019 recall of the Rock ‘n Play Sleepers on Monday after at least eight infant deaths occurred after the initial recall, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“On April 12, 2019, at the time the original recall was announced, over 30 fatalities were reported to have occurred in the Rock ‘n Play Sleepers after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained, or under other circumstances,” the commission said in a statement. “Since the recall, approximately 70 additional fatalities have been reported, which includes at least 8 fatalities that were reported to have occurred after the initial recall announcement.”

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Continuous Medicaid Ends March 31, 2023

Individuals have been receiving Medicaid coverage continuously during the COVID-19 federal public health emergency (PHE), even if they did not complete a redetermination of eligibility when it was due, or provide DHHS with requested information. Last year, Congress passed legislation ending this continuous coverage, which is now set to end on March 31, 2023. Individuals must complete their redeterminations or respond to Department requests for information about eligibility status in order to keep their Medicaid coverage.

Click here for more information.