Fiddlehead Farms Supports Seymour Osman Community Center Programs

Fiddlehead Farms Marketplace is partnering with the Seymour Osman Community Center (SOCC) in the 6th Annual Holiday Tree of Hope Fundraiser to support youth development programs that engage children in learning and provide a safe place during the critical afterschool hours.

Again this year, youth in SOCC programs have been hard at work creating ornaments to fill the Christmas tree at Fiddlehead Farms. Fiddlehead Farms customers, upon exiting the store, are invited to sponsor a child’s ornament with a donation and place it on the tree. All donations go directly to the SOCC Afterschool Program.

Last year customers gave over $2,500. Collectively over the past 5 years almost $10,000 has bee raised. These donations keep program fees low for parents and allow them to work longer hours, knowing their children are safe after school. In America today, 1 in 4 youth -- 15.1 million children – are alone and unsupervised after school. Afterschool programs like those at the SOCC keep kids safe, help working families, and inspire learning.

“We’re pleased to be able to support students’ academic achievement and give them opportunities to learn, socialize, and play after the school day,” says Thad Mandsager, Director of Family Services at the SOCC. “Our partnership with Fiddlehead Farms allows caring community members to directly contribute to the enrichment of children and families in Dover—in a fun, easy way.”

The Seymour Osman Community Center and Youth Safe Haven is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization affiliated with the Dover Housing Authority. The SOCC currently engages more than 100 children, most of whom are from the surrounding Mineral and Whittier Parks neighborhoods. Programs serve elementary students at Woodman Park School, middle school youth, and teens (The Quantum Program).

The SOCC’s programs are supported by the NH Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) initiative, Dover Housing Authority, JC Penney 4-H Afterschool Mini-Grant, donations, and parent fees. The 21st CCLC program awards competitive grants for expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending high-poverty schools.