Blog

Returning to the Office With Safety In Mind Since March 2020, most of our area agency’s employees have been working from home. Conversations with the families we support, all-staff meetings, intakes, and department meetings have all - for the most part - been...

Website & Social Media Prove To Be Instrumental In Keeping Us Connected Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our blog posts and social media pages were used as an interesting and in-depth way to give information alongside the conversations we were having with each other when...

Meet The Council...Joe Goulet The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12 volunteers. ...

The 32nd Annual Golf Challenge: Register Today! Join us Monday, August 23rd, for the 32nd Annual Community Crossroads Golf Challenge. We are excited to announce that this year the highly-anticipated event will take place at a new location - Atkinson Resort & Country...

Creating Conversations About Healthy Relationships & Sexuality One of the most important parts of life is the connections we make with others. Our family, friends, teachers, co-workers, and neighbors are just some of the people who may impact us in a positive way. A...

Learn, Lead, Create Change - The New Hampshire Leadership Series The New Hampshire Leadership Series is currently recruiting for the class of 2021-2022. According to the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability website, “The New Hampshire Leadership Series...

Meet Our 2021 Scholarship Recipients Six outstanding local high school seniors were announced this month to receive the 2021 Community Crossroads Scholarship. Each honoree was awarded a $750.00 scholarship. These outstanding student leaders achieved positive change...

Universal Design: An Environment That Benefits All What Is Universal Design?   “The concept focuses on “designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status...

#YouAreNotAlone - May Is Mental Health Awareness Month May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), this year’s campaign is #YouAreNotAlone. The organization’s website states, “we will use this time to focus on the...

Meet The Council...Karen Hatch The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12 volunteers. ...

Community Crossroads Embarks on Historic Global Pandemic Response February and March have marked a historic milestone for Community Crossroads, one in which we may not have anticipated. The agency has responded to the pandemic by organizing and implementing the first...

How A Service Dog Can Change a Life Randy Pierce is an avid hiker, a presenter at events all across the nation (both in-person and virtually), the author of the 2018 book, ‘See You At The Summit: My Blind Journey from the Depths of Loss to the Heights of Achievement’,...

#CelebratingDifferences  - April Is Autism Acceptance Month Changing The Language It’s April! It is also Autism Awareness Month, also known as Autism Acceptance Month by many organizations and advocates. According to the Autism Society of America, which is committed...

Choosing Self-Directed Services In recent years, more and more families have chosen to use our Self-Directed Services options for their family member. According to Area Agency Director Cynthia Mahar, “there are a variety of reasons more families are choosing this...

The Importance of Disability Representation In The Media  Award season is upon us. The 93rd Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, April 25th and while a date for the 74th Tony Awards hasn’t been confirmed yet, plans are being made to hold the ceremony around the...

Training The Next Generation Of Leaders The New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (LEND) is an interdisciplinary leadership program through a collaboration between the Institute on Disability/UCED at the University of New...

Making The Decision To Go To College March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month and a good reminder that planning for the future is critically important for ALL high school students finishing their Junior and Senior years. Late winter and early spring are a...

Meet the Council...Patricia Szweda The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12...

How Brain Injury Survivors and Caregivers Have Adapted To Change Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD) Coordinator Sam Martin held a monthly Brain Injury Caregiver Support Group at the Community Crossroads office. Since last November, she and...

30 Years After Laconia School Closing - Where We Are Now 30 years ago, in January 1991, the Laconia State School closed permanently. This institution, which at times had more than 1,000 residents living there, segregated people with disabilities from their family,...

A Look At Special Education During a Pandemic When schools switched from in-person classes to fully remote learning last spring, students, parents, and educators alike had to adapt to the new changes this type of learning brought.  Whether it was learning how to use...

Family Centered Early Supports & Services: Where It All Begins We are introduced to many of the individuals and families we serve through our Family Centered Early Supports & Services department. ESS Coordinator Tammy Dudal said, “Family Centered Early Supports &...

Vaccinations: Frequently Asked Questions In recent months there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines. Questions about the roll-out of the vaccine in New Hampshire, the safety of the vaccine, and how vaccines work have been asked. Director of...

How Technology Is Becoming More Accessible For All Throughout the past year, remote and hybrid learning have taken over the lives of children, parents, and educators alike.  The change from in-person learning to hybrid or remote learning was a sudden change, and made...

Meet the Council...Mike Phillips The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12...

Teamwork Is Key In The Face Of New Challenges The Representative Payee (Rep-Payee) department at Community Crossroads currently helps over 300 people of varying income levels better manage their money, understand the importance of saving money, and pay bills on time...

Building Skills Through Leadership Training Program This past fall, six of Community Crossroads’ employees participated in Franklin Pierce University’s Leadership Training Program. This 20-hour program, which was customized specifically towards those who work for our...

2020 Door Decorating Contest Did you know that each year we hold our very own door decorating contest here at the office? This year, we decided to change up the contest and allow people to decorate their doors, desks, windows and anything else that could be decorated...

Meet the Council...Kim Habib The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12 volunteers. ...

Support Disability-Owned Businesses This Holiday Season “Support Small businesses” is a phrase we often hear. It is important to shop and/or get services from these types of businesses because they are run by those in your local community, they often give back to...

Making The Holiday Season A Little Brighter Believe it or not, the holiday season is upon us once again!  For many, the holiday season is full of joy and happiness, but it can also come with a sense of worry for families who are in need of meals, clothes and other...

Something To Smile About Tuesday, December 1st is known worldwide as Giving Tuesday (#GivingTuesday). This day is focused on encouraging people to do good, collaborate with each other, and celebrate generosity. During this holiday season, Community Crossroads is...

Supporting Families Through a Difficult Time When it comes to the Family Support department at Community Crossroads, creativity, looking to others in the department and agency for resources, and having the ability to problem-solve are all crucial when it comes to...

A Language Worth Knowing  Described by the National Association of the Deaf as a “visual language”, sign language is the primary form of communication used by those who are deaf, hard of hearing and/or unable to communicate in America. Sign language is expressed...

Meet the Council...Jen & Carol Dabrowski The Community Crossroads Family Support Council (FSC) is an advisory board to the Community Crossroads agency to support, educate, and empower families. Families helping families is the best way to describe this group of 12...

2020 Direct Support Professional and Home Care Providers of the Year Each year, Community Crossroads selects a Direct Support Professional and Home Care Provider to receive the DSP and HCP of the Year awards. The recipients of this award exemplify the dedication,...

Increasing Access and Opportunity For Those With Disabilities October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The U.S. Department of Labor created, and organizes NDEAM annually to focus on ”employment issues and celebrate the many and varied...

Sharing My Story With The Candidates If you ever have the chance to speak with candidates running for public office, or those already elected, I would recommend taking full advantage of the opportunity.  Earlier this month, I spoke with candidates seeking to represent...

Olmstead: A Step Forward For Disability Rights  In 1999, the United States Supreme Court held that people with a disability have the right to receive state funded supports and services in the community rather than live in an institution as long as:  The person’s...

Meet Tanya Hart Newkirk, Our New Director of Budget & Financial Operations Over the summer, Community Crossroads hired Tanya Hart Newkirk to be our new Director of Budget & Financial Operations. Despite being new to Community Crossroads, Tanya has nearly a decade of...

.Why We Should All Care About Issues Those With Disabilities Face On November 3rd of this year, eligible Americans have the right to cast a vote in the 2020 Presidential Election. While there is a lot of discussion surrounding that one vote in particular, there will...

Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer  Board of Directors. Bylaw, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are currently 14 members of the Board...

My Day At The 31st Annual Golf Challenge The 31st Annual Golf Challenge was a day filled with friends reuniting, new friendships forming, raffles being won and lots of golf. This year’s fundraiser, which took place at the Candia Woods Golf Links, may have looked a...

Dear Frontline Workers, Thank You For All That You Do The week of September 13-19 is Direct Support Professional (DSP) and Home Care Provider (HCP) Recognition Week. These frontline workers dedicate countless hours, and use a multitude of skills to help ensure a happy...

Facing Roadblocks To Reach The Green While the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be roadblock for all of us in various ways, we at Community Crossroads have been determined to hold an annual golf tournament that is both fun and safe for everyone involved.  On Thursday,...

Your Chance To Ask Questions To NH Gubernatorial Candidates On Tuesday, September 8th, New Hampshire residents will have the chance to vote in our State Primary Election. Prior to reaching the polling booth, it is important to conduct research about the candidates so...

Family Support Council Gives New Opportunities Through Grant  Each year, the Family Support Council gives grants to families so they can attend the annual Family Support Conference. Unfortunately, this past April, the Family Support Conference was cancelled due to...

Don’t Miss This...Child Care Aware of NH Program Currently, many families are preparing for the upcoming school year. For those who are looking for alternative child care options that accommodate remote learning in early childhood and after school settings, the free...

Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are currently 15 members of the Board...

Partners in Health Program Continues To Help Those With Chronic Health Issues Community Crossroads is the home to our region’s Partners in Health (PIH) program. This program, which began in New Hampshire in the ‘80s, supports those with chronic health issues from...

2020 Policy Partners Virtual Graduation This past June, the 2020 Policy Partners Graduation ceremony was held virtually. Last September, this group of individuals attended their first session with an eagerness to learn more about how to become a leader in the...

Meet the Board...Jim Watson Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer  Board of Directors. Bylaw, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Grants at Work The ‘Grants at Work’ portion of our website highlights some of the many ways our fundraising dollars are put to use. Throughout the year, events such as our Golf Tournament, Silent Auction and Kids Carnival raise both money and awareness of who we are...

Meet the Board...Laurie Giguere Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer  Board of Directors. Bylaw, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

On June 27th in the afternoon, a couple dozen individuals and families got together on Zoom to participate in a fun scavenger hunt which was hosted by Mike Needleman of the Family Support Council. The event was fun and loud and hilarious! Everyone participated by...

Don't Miss This...1st Annual Virtual Golf Event Community Crossroads’ 31st Annual Golf Challenge will take place in September. However, you can get involved today and all summer long in our brand new virtual golf event! Here is how it works: Visit this link! Play a...

Community Crossroads’ Virtual Fundraiser Was Successful Thanks To YOU! On Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00 PM, we began our first ever 24-hour virtual fundraiser. For those 24 hours, members of the Community Crossroads Board of Directors, longtime fundraiser attendees,...

PTSD Awareness Month The month of June is PTSD Awareness Month. ABD (Acquired Brain Disorder) Service Coordinator Sam Martin said “lots of folks have PTSD as a result of their injury coming from something traumatic.” She added that the Brain Injury Association of New...

Local High School Seniors Selected for Community Crossroads’ Scholarship Six local high school seniors have been chosen to receive the annual Community Crossroads Scholarships to Outstanding Local High School Seniors. The recipients of this $750.00 scholarship have...

Helpful Resources During this difficult time, families, organizations and employees are adjusting to the many changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here are some helpful, fun and educational resources that may be of interest to you: https://www.visitnh.gov/ - This...

One of Community Crossroads’ generous employees has been making masks for people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are available for anyone who is in need of one regardless of occupation, age or reason for need. Over 125 masks have been completed so far and they have...

Meet the Board...Elaine Lavin Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Meet the Board...John DeBaun  Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Meet the Board...Dawn George Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Meet the Board...James Dickerson Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Supporting Women with Disabilities According to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), unemployment is the highest for women with disabilities. It has been estimated from the United Nations that 75 percent of women with disabilities are unemployed and...

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month The month of March is Brain Injury Awareness month. Throughout the month, many organizations across the country including Community Crossroads are putting forth the effort to de-stigmatize brain injuries, empower those who have...

Another Successful Kids Carnival On Saturday, February 1, families from around the community gathered for the 23rd Annual Kids Carnival, one of our major fundraisers. Located at the Woodbury Middle School in Salem, the event included demonstrations, games, raffles,...

Meet The Board...Cathy Spinney  Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Don’t Miss This...23rd Annual Kids Carnival Our 23rd Annual Kids Carnival takes place on Saturday, February 1 at the Woodbury Middle School in Salem, NH. This enjoyable day will put a smile on the faces of kids and families of all ages.  Here are some of the...

Oral Health is connected to Overall Health “Oral health is connected to overall health” according to Community Crossroad’s Director of Oral Health Services, Angela Boyle. That statement is the foundation for an innovative and life-changing at Community Crossroads.    ...

Planning For The Future of Community Crossroads Every three years Community Crossroads creates a new Strategic Plan based on trends that are seen both within the organization and out in the community. On November 14, the Board of Directors for Community Crossroads met...

Tis’ The Season of Giving From delivering turkey dinners to families in need to ‘giving trees’ places in different businesses around the community, Community Crossroads strives to give to families in need in creative and helpful ways during this time of year. One of...

Don’t Miss This...Guardianship Training On Saturday, February 8th Community Crossroads is hosting a Guardianship training session. The session, which will take place from 10:00 am until noon, will be centered around the responsibilities, authorities and limitations of...

Meet the Board...Jadine Levesque Community Crossroads is governed by an all volunteer Board of Directors. By law, at least a third of the members must be someone with a developmental disability or a family member of someone with a developmental disability. There are...

Awareness for Employees with Disabilities The Month of October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month  (NDEAM) . The goal of National Disability Employment Awareness month according to the U.S. Department of Labor is to educate employers and those within...

The Decision to Act On Wednesday, September 25, Policy Partners kicked off its 6th year with Community Crossroads. This program, which runs from September to March is an exclusive advocacy training program for disability advocates that are motivated to create...

Helping the Lives of NH Adults A connecting theme throughout the many aspects of the Community Crossroads organization is making a difference in the lives of those in the community.  Just one way this mission is accomplished is through its Choices for Independence...

On Thursday, September 12, Community Crossroads held our 30th annual Golf Tournament. The tournament, which was held at Candia Woods Golf Links in Candia, NH, brought in numerous people to play golf while raising money towards a great cause.  This year’s tournament...

Don’t Miss This...Fall Festival  It is that time of year again- Halloween stores are back open for the season, nearly everyone is sipping on Pumpkin Spice Lattes and the leaves have begun to change colors.  It must be fall! One autumn tradition here at Community...

New Hampshire Council for Developmental Disabilities Offers New Gran Don't miss this... Earlier this year, the New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Council (NHDDC) rolled out (NHDDC) rolled out a new grant for those who are impacted by developmental disabilities....

30 Years of Impact - A Look at the Community Crossroads Golf Tournament Thirty years ago, Community Crossroads held its first Golf Tournament as a fundraiser to help those served in the community. This event brought in just over 30 golfers and raised $2,600. While...

Family Support within the Community A major aspect of Community Crossroads is Family Support and it is designed to help families in the community in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons.  Family Support can be branched into two different entities known as...

Goodbye Bill! Friday June 28th saw the end of an era here at Community Crossroads. After 26 years as our Chief Financial Officer, Bill Dillon moved on to a well -deserved retirement filled with golf, grandkids, and time at the lake with his wife Ann. Bill leaves...

Introducing Colby's Crossroads My name is Colby Dudal and I have been associated with Community Crossroads throughout my entire life. I am a new employee for Community Crossroads and I will be writing blog posts about myself, the company and people who are involved...

Working Collaboratively for Emergency Preparedness The NH Emergency Preparedness conference, was held in Manchester on June 4th, 2019.  This conference, which is in its 15th year, brings together over 800 emergency responders from across our state, including police,...

My Life Visions Experience Life Visions, a partner to Community Crossroads where I spend every Monday and Friday, has proven itself as not only a place of opportunity, but also a place where individuals can have lots of fun and be themselves. Parents and caregivers’...

100 Smiles for the Holidays Campaign I recently had a chance to meet with Angela Boyle, the Director of Oral Health Services at Community Crossroads. I interviewed Angela to gather more information about her and what she does, and also learn more about our 100 Smiles...

Introducing Ann-Marie Miller Several months ago when our long time Chief Financial Officer, Bill Dillon announced that he would be retiring in June of 2019, we were all devastated. How could we replace someone who has held such a key position for 25 years, especially...

Early Supports & Services Recently, Community Crossroads arranged for me to go and do an intake with Tammy Dudal, the Family Centered Early Supports & Services Coordinator. We met up at a family’s home and I got to see, first hand, what kinds of things Tammy does for...

Talking with Nick-a DSP Recently I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time at Life Visions with their theatre group, but this week I was able to sit down and interview one of the Direct Support Professionals (DSP’s), Nick Saporito. Nick helps out with the show the...

Our Collective Attendance Gave Us Power It was wonderful to be invited to the classy Community Crossroads Community Partnership event held on Thursday, October 11th at the Atkinson Country Club. I was invited because I am currently a trainee with the UNH NH-ME LEND...

Recently I was able to experience a sort of “thank you” that the Family Support Council at Community Crossroads provided for the staff, as well as learn exactly what what they do. The Family Support Council (or FSC), in my understanding, is a group of individuals who...

Carole's Corner-Gettin' Around For many years, the “Corner” was part of the agency’s Compass, and before that, Connections.  Today our newsletter has wonderfully expanded into social media.  Who knew I would one day become a “Blogger?”  Not me…..but alas, times change...

This week I got to meet Kristine Houle, the intake and eligibility coordinator for ages 4 and up, and got to sit down with her and discuss everything she does. I chose her to feature because if you’re a parent or client, Kristine will be one of the very first people...

Should YOU attend our Partnership Event? We think so and let us explain why. Meeting and talking to your elected representatives can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s one of the reasons why we started the Partnership event six years...

So, I should probably start with introducing myself. My name is Megan Batchelder. I am a senior over at Salem High School and for my first semester I will be interning over at Community Crossroads in Atkinson, NH. I am 17 years old (as of September 13th, 2018 - yay!),...