AP GoodWorks
Make the world a better place — find your passion, and get involved.
Since 2018, AP GoodWorks has donated the equivalent of 1 employee for over 10 weeks of volunteering each year.
Meals on Wheels
Every Tuesday morning, Access Pointe employees pack and deliver hot meals, provide safety checks, and interact with a designated elderly client base throughout Southern NH. Access Pointe works with Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County, the provider of Meals on Wheels/Community Dining, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing over 8,000 hot meals per week on average to elderly, homebound, and disabled adults.
AP is dedicated to helping Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County promote the improved physical, mental, and social wellbeing of qualified adults. By providing nutritious meals, health education, opportunities for social interaction, and other related services, AP is able to help better the lives of those we serve. We are committed to promoting self-reliance and independence through dependable, well managed, and compassionate services.
MORE ABOUT Meals on Wheels
Senior Hunger Facts
- Sixteen percent (16%) of seniors “face the threat of hunger,” meaning they are at some level of food insecurity.
- There was a 65% increase in hunger among the senior populations from 2007 to 2014, which is credited partially to the economic recession that started in 2007.
- Approximately 55,000,000 seniors are expected to be in America by 2020, according to the US Census Bureau.
- Around 80,000,000 seniors are expected to take up 20% of the population by 2050.
Source: Aging in Place. The facts behind senior hunger. https://www.aginginplace.org/the-facts-behind-senior-hunger/. Accessed April 4, 2019.
It’s more than a meal…
Since starting in 2018, we have learned to respect the diversity, patience, and compassion of our elderly community. We have grown to love each and every client for their quirks and eccentricities and enjoy hearing stories of different people and backgrounds. As much as we are there to bring them food and provide companionship, they are equally there for us by sending us off with a full heart and a smile.
Since 2019, 2 Access Pointe employees have been board members for Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County in New Hampshire. They sit on the governance, development, and strategic planning committees.
Women’s Self Defense
One of Access Pointe’s employees is a certified instructor in women’s self-defense and teaches classes throughout the Greater Boston area. We believe comprehensive self-defense courses for women begin with awareness, prevention, risk reduction, and avoidance, with progression into the basics of hands-on defensive training. The program focuses on realistic self-defense tactics and utilizes techniques that all women are capable of performing, thereby empowering women to make their own decisions regarding self-preservation and self-defense. We are dedicated to educating women on defensive concepts and techniques against various types of assaults with these easy, effective, and proven self-defense tactics, providing women with the knowledge they need to make an educated decision about resistance.
Boston Speaks
Boston Speaks is an organizational day program for children ages 5-12 with physical and behavioral disabilities. The camp is free for participants, and 100% of the donations made through the camp go to the Aspergers and Autism Network. Access Pointe believes that supporting programs like these is what it means to support the community and is dedicated to doing so by providing lunch donations for program participants and staff.
River Clean Up
Millions of tons of trash are left along our nation’s rivers and streams every year. Roadside litter also makes its way into our waterways through storm drain systems. All this trash takes away from the beauty and safety of our waterways, and we at Access Pointe believe that helping mitigate the amount of waste in our public waterways is essential. During our annual clean up along southern New Hampshire’s Souhegan river, we found tires, diapers, rusted tin, beer cans, glass, and other non-biodegradable items.
MORE ABOUT RIVER CLEAN-UP
Access Pointe finds river cleaning crucial because:
- Nearly half of assessed waterways in the US are too polluted for fishing, swimming, and drinking.
- Forty percent (40%) of America’s freshwater species are at risk of extinction2
- Climate change is bringing more severe droughts and floods, putting increased pressure on water resources across the country. More than one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states will face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as a result of climate change3
- Pollution and habitat destruction threaten fish, wildlife, and our own health and well-being3
References:
1. Denchak M. Water pollution: everything you need to know. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
2. Hance J. Nearly 40 percent of America’s freshwater fish in danger. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://news.mongabay.com/2008/09/nearly-40-percent-of-americas-freshwater-fish-in-danger/
3. American Rivers. Rivers and climate change. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/rivers-and-climate-change/
Smokin’ Wheels for Hot Meals
Access Pointe is committed to providing support and guidance for the annual Smokin’ Wheels for Hot Meals event organized by Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County. With drivers of all experience levels taking to the Club Motorsports course and a barbecue provided by 302 West Smokehouse, guests are always thrilled with their Ticket to Drive experience and the connection it brings to their local Meals on Wheels community.
MORE ABOUT SMOKIN’ WHEELS FOR HOT MEALS
Meals on Wheels of Hillsborough County uses this time to spread awareness of the growing hunger and social isolation in the homebound, elderly, and disabled population of Southern NH. Access Pointe is pleased to be a part of this community-focused benefit.
New Horizons
Since 1973, New Horizons has worked to help low-income individuals address the multitude of social issues that face them. New Horizons has since grown into an adult homeless shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, and Angie’s Shelter for Women. Access Pointe has volunteered at several events, including assisting with food pantry operation, setting up the annual Thanksgiving breakfast, and delivering holiday gift baskets.
MORE ABOUT NEW HORIZONS
BEFORE COVID-19:
- In New Hampshire, 119,990 people are struggling with hunger. Among them, 27,980 are children1
- One (1) in 11 people struggle with hunger2
- One (1) in 9 children struggle with hunger2
- People facing hunger in New Hampshire are estimated to report needing $71,451,000 plus per year to meet their food needs1
References:
1. Feeding America. Food insecurity in New Hampshire: Before COVID-19. Accessed September 29, 2021.
https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2019/overall/new-hampshire
2. Feeding America. Hunger in New Hampshire. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-hampshire
1. Feeding America. Food insecurity in New Hampshire: Before COVID-19. Accessed September 29, 2021.
https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2019/overall/new-hampshire
2. Feeding America. Hunger in New Hampshire. Accessed September 29, 2021. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/new-hampshire
Mission 22 White Mountain Rally
Mission 22 is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that provides 3 primary services to combat the ever-rising veteran suicide rate: veterans treatment programs, memorials, and national awareness. The Mission 22 White Mountain Rally is an annual event that raises awareness for the 20+ veteran lives lost every day to suicide. Access Pointe is honored to be invited to the event and is committed to helping educate the public on veterans’ health issues.
Amirah
Amirah is a multifaceted aftercare organization for survivors of sex trafficking. Through long-term trauma-informed recovery in one of its safe homes, Amirah’s residential program employs the whole-person care model to help survivors begin healing. Outside of its safe homes, Amirah’s survivor-led outreach groups serve victims in prisons and local community centers in need of support and resources. An Access Pointe employee dedicates a minimum of 10 hours a month volunteering at the North Shore of Boston, MA safe house. AP has also contributed to fundraising efforts such as hiking (“Moving for Amirah”), which directly impact the survivors.
Holiday Toy Drive
An Access Pointe employee helped collect toys and raise money for the Wonderfund, which was founded to exclusively serve children engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF). The Wonderfund collaborates with DCF, which allows the opportunity to work directly with social workers to meet the individual needs of these children. AP collectively raised over $1,500 and donated over 500 toys.
