HOLIDAY BASKET HELPERS

Students and staff bought holiday gifts for 44 Upper Valley children through New Hampshire Partners in Health, a statewide charitable organization. Thirty-four Common Ground groups (home rooms) volunteered to buy the gifts requested by the families of children with chronic illnesses such as cancer, spina bifida or muscular dystrophy. Seven additional staff members each sponsored a child's gifts directly, and three home-schooling families who wanted to join the effort picked up and delivered all the presents gathered at HHS. Each child received three necessary clothing items and three other gifts.

In addition to the Holiday Baskets, New Hampshire Partners in Health gives year-round help to families in negotiating the medical system, meeting their special needs during a child's hospitalization, planning for school and problem-solving around financial concerns. NH Partners in Health's web site (www.nhpih.dartmouth.edu) says: "Our community-based programs address the needs of families of children with chronic health conditions in New Hampshire. We work with schools, medical providers, churches, social services, and other community institutions."