» Collaborations

Collaborations

RMCC is an organization that proudly preserves our historical roots.  We were founded by families to provide services to families.  We strongly believe that what we do has a major, compelling and lasting impact on others’ lives.  Our services reflect the belief that the needs of all children are best met by considering the values and priorities of the whole family.  We work in a family-centered organization that believes that working successfully together involves developing common goals, supporting one another to accomplish tasks, being playful, and striving to be the best we can.  RMCC employees and board members are bound together by the following core values:  professionalism and passion, empowerment and support, the importance of play and lastly, teamwork and play.  We are committed to these values and believe they contribute strongly to our success not only within our own business but also through collaborations throughout the community.

Community Collaborations

  • Pease and Great Bay Kids Company
  • Squamscott Community Commons
  • RCCRN
  • The Medical Home Project
  • Exeter Chamber of Commerce
  • Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce
  • Tenants Association at Pease

Squamscott Community Commons

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Squamscott Community Commons plans to construct a 90,000+/- square foot community center that will be home to a full-service family YMCA, and over ten agencies that provide programs and services in health, wellness, arts, culture, nutrition, childcare and recreation to the region. The mission of the Squamscott Community Commons is to improve the quality of community and family life by creating and maintaining an intergenerational center that provides social, health, recreational, cultural and education opportunities for all. SCC will be the keeper of the mission, and be continually responsive to the changes in the needs and demographics of the community. SCC will own, manage and maintain the community center building, develop and sustain the adjacent Little River Nature Preserve, and coordinate the tenants and their programs. The integrated and sustainable design of this centrally located facility will create increased awareness of and involvement in charitable organizations by the public who use it. Participating agencies, local businesses and health services will benefit from new partnerships and collaborative ventures that will enhance the community that they serve. The community center’s operation will be funded through fee for service programs and lease revenue from participating non-profits. With sound planning and design, our multi-tenant center will build capacity and reduce operating costs for its agencies. Our agencies, in turn, can focus on what they do best: providing good programs and services for our community.

COMMUNITY NEED

Squamscott Community Commons was originally established in 1998 as a 501c3 charitable organization called “Court Street Common.” The vision that has held in place from the beginning was to create a central location where area non-profit organizations could be housed, along with the construction of a new YMCA family-based facility to serve the region. Although a variety of organizations are trying to implement the priorities of serving youth and their families, the delivery of these programs is difficult without adequate space. The community is often unaware of these splintered yet meaningful efforts. Additional research conducted in 2004-05 (including a Community Needs Assessment through the Y-USA) brought to light the changing demographics and “aging” of the region and the increased need for senior services. Community needs pinpointed were:

Additional youth and teen activities needed: the problems of substance abuse, negative behavior, need for after school activities and keeping kids engaged in the community

  • A lack of family-oriented programs in the area
  • A generation gap: no facility in area where people of all ages can co-mingle
  • A need for affordable family-based fitness programs to combat the rising rates of obesity and related health conditions
  • Need for expanded nutrition, food delivery and meal programs for seniors and families
  • Lack of sufficient and affordable infant, child and after school care
  • A need for additional services for seniors, including transportation, adult day services, care coordination, and support
  • Area non-profits are in need of affordable, accessible, appealing space to meet individual agencies missions
  • Lack of community meeting space in area for meetings, programs and events
  • Need for a community “living room” or gathering place, and a central location for community calendars and resource information
  • Increased coordination and access needed for mental and physical health services for the no and low-insured

GREAT PROGRAMS

Preliminary surveys of the agencies show that Squamscott Community Commons will house over 165 full and part time employees, over 200+ volunteers, and serve more than 40,000 residents from across the county annually. The majority of the participating agencies also serve low or no income households in the community.

  • Full size indoor pool for year-round recreation and family fun
  • After school and summer programs for school age youth
  • Meeting space with kitchen facilities for community groups
  • Offices for social service agencies serving the varied needs of all citizens
  • Fitness facilities for youth, adults, and senior citizens
  • Theatre, music, art and dance for youth and teens
  • Programs and services for senior citizens
  • Parent and senior support and education for nutrition, literacy and wellness
  • Child care and family activities for children from birth to 5
  • Resource and referral services ~ connecting individuals and families to their community
  • Gymnasium for youth and adult programming and recreation
  • Community literacy programs
  • Public access to the Little River and adjacent natural recreation area

GREAT PARTNERS

The level of agency collaboration in the Exeter area is growing but the educational, vocational, and recreational resources available for citizens are limited by lack of space. Squamscott Community Commons has organized a wide variety of community groups and strategic alliances under one roof to provide cost-effective services throughout the area. This one-stop-shopping approach avoids duplication of resources and provides access to the entire community. The following organizations will have tenant space or programs in the new community center, and have been involved with the planning process to meet our community’s needs:

  • Community Food Pantry
  • ECCA (Exeter Center for Creative Arts)
  • Great Bay Kids Company
  • Richie McFarland Children’s Center
  • Rockingham Community Action (WIC, Nutrition, Child Care and Literacy Programs)
  • Rockingham Nutrition and Meals on Wheels
  • Sad Café
  • SeaCare Health Services
  • Service Link
  • Southern District YMCA/Camp Lincoln

Additional collaborations in program and service support will be with:

  • Exeter Adult Education
  • Alternative Education Program
  • Local charter schools
  • Exeter Conservation Commission
  • Exeter River Local Advisory Committee
  • Exeter Parks and Recreation Department
  • New Outlook Teen Center
  • SASS (Sexual Assault Support Services)
  • Seacoast School of Technology
  • Service clubs (Kiwanis, Rotary)
  • City Year NH
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Taoist Tai Chi Society

Visit their website at www.squamscott.org