VeraniCARES About Hope for NH Recovery

$750 donation will support programming, resources for people in recovery from addiction

The drug epidemic in New Hampshire has been making both local and national headlines, but beyond the headlines are stories of real people working toward or maintaining their recovery on a daily basis. In light of how addiction touches so many families, VeraniCARES, Verani Realty’s philanthropy and social development initiative, donated $750 to the nonprofit Hope for NH Recovery to support people and families in recovery.

Hope for NH Recovery operates statewide and has five centers that offer a variety of weekly meetings, including mutual support groups, faith-based groups, and more. The center also has spaces for art, yoga and meditation, knitting, quilting and other activities. Focused on peer-to-peer support, staff are open about their own experience with addiction and are there to support people’s lives in recovery.

“Peer to peer is based around shared experience that coaches and staff have with their own stories about their addiction and their recovery,” said Brian Mooney, executive director of Hope for NH Recovery. “That helps people understand they’re not alone in this.”

Kristyn Nelson, an agent in Verani’s Bedford office and a VeraniCARES ambassador, became aware of Hope for NH Recovery through a fellow agent.

“Bob Ramalho from Verani reached out to me to say I have this organization that is really near and dear to my heart, and we said let’s run with this – this sounds great,” Nelson said. VeraniCARES focuses on shelter-related and community causes, and Hope for NH Recovery was a natural fit.

Ramalho, who is based in Verani’s Londonderry office, reached out because he had a close family member who went through addiction.

“Until it really hits home, whether it’s a mother, father, daughter, son, anybody – you don’t realize what it can do,” he said. “I found myself in a situation just looking for people, places, whatever that would offer help. And Hope, at the time, was one of the very few.”

Mooney said that historically, rates of addiction have stayed steady, but the types of drugs being used now are more dangerous, and it’s harder to distinguish what is safe and unsafe. As a result, they have seen a spike in the number of people who need help.

Donations like the one from VeraniCARES primarily support the centers’ operations. Hope for NH Recovery’s Executive Administrator Karla Gallagher said donations allow their centers to help people free of charge. Whether someone has top of the line insurance or none, anyone is welcome to their services. She said the VeraniCARES donation will make this type of equal treatment possible.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be part of the community and know there are other people like VeraniCARES out there that know this is rewarding,” said Kelly Riley, the Center manager for Manchester. “When you see the name pop up and know they care about Hope for NH – that feels good.”

To learn more about Hope for NH Recovery’s services, visit hopefornhrecovery.org. To learn more about VeraniCARES visit verani.com.