New community hub brings health care, youth programs, food assistance and nonprofit services together under one roof
MANCHESTER, NH — After years of planning, fundraising and collaboration among nonprofits, business leaders, donors and community advocates, the Mark Stebbins Community Center officially opened its doors on Manchester’s West Side on September 8, creating a new hub for children and families.
The center represents a $20.7 million investment in the community, including an endowment intended to support its operations and maintenance in perpetuity. The Catholic Health Care Foundation of Greater Manchester announced a $1 million gift toward the project’s final fundraising efforts.
Named for the late Mark Stebbins, a longtime New Hampshire philanthropist, the center reflects his commitment to supporting children and families in Manchester and encouraging nonprofits to work together.
For his wife, Sally Stebbins, who helped lead the project, the opening represents the fulfillment of that vision.
“Mark grew up in Manchester and always focused philanthropy towards children and families in Manchester, and wanted non-profits to collaborate together,” she said. “This center is the ultimate culmination of Mark’s vision.”
Beginning September 9, children and families will be able to access a range of services at the center, including health care, after-school activities, a food pantry, community navigators and referrals to other nonprofit organizations.
“Those who pass through these doors will have access to health care, children’s after-school activities, a food pantry, community navigators, and referrals to other nonprofits, all in one place,” Stebbins said. “This will impact lives for generations.”
$1 Million Gift Helps Complete Fundraising
The Catholic Health Care Foundation of Greater Manchester’s $1 million commitment was announced during the opening celebration.
“We have witnessed the incredible efforts of all of you involved; the network of donors and non-profits and community leaders who came together with compassion to help families here on the West Side,” said Alex Walker, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Care Foundation of Greater Manchester.
The gift came as project leaders announced that fundraising had surpassed its original $18.5 million goal.
According to Jeanine Tousignant, project director for the Mark Stebbins Community Center, $20.7 million has now been raised for the project, including an endowment to help fund the center’s long-term operations and maintenance.
The project also received a multimillion-dollar grant through Community Project Funding secured with the efforts of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Business and institutional donors also played a significant role, including M&T Bank, St. Mary’s Bank, CGI Business Solutions, Catholic Medical Center, Northeast Delta Dental, Hannaford and Bangor Savings Bank.
A One-Stop Resource for Families
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester and Amoskeag Health are the center’s anchor tenants.
Together with additional nonprofit partners, they will provide services intended to address several needs facing local children and families — from affordable, walkable after-school care and health care to food assistance, community meeting space and connections to other community resources.
For Amoskeag Health President and CEO Kris McCracken, the collaborative nature of the project is one of its defining characteristics.
“In truth, I have never met so many wonderful, like-minded, heartfelt, and inspiring people as I have met throughout this journey,” McCracken said.
“That is what I think makes this place so special. It wasn’t one organization. It wasn’t one person. It wasn’t one grant, one donor, one elected official, one architect, one construction team, or one community leader. It was all of us.”
That partnership is central to the center’s mission: bringing organizations together so families can access multiple forms of support in a single location.
From “Apollo Project” to Reality
For Diane Fitzpatrick, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester, the center fulfills a vision that once seemed almost out of reach.
“For many years, I spoke with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester Board of Directors about expanding our services to this part of the city,” Fitzpatrick said. “I jokingly called it our ‘Apollo Project’ — an ambitious idea that sometimes felt beyond our reach.”
But, she added, “meaningful change begins with the courage to think boldly.”
The new facility now provides the Boys & Girls Clubs with a physical presence on the West Side and an opportunity to expand access to programs for local youth.
Leaders Highlight Long-Term Impact
The opening brought together community leaders and elected officials who emphasized the potential long-term impact of the center.
“This day is about hope, opportunity and love,” said Gov. Kelly Ayotte. “This center will make an incredible difference and will lift up children and families here in Manchester.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais described the project as a major investment in the West Side.
“Turning this dream into reality so quickly is nothing short of super human,” Ruais said. “This center represents transformative change to the West Side of Manchester. Our kids will benefit for generations to come. It is remarkable and life-changing.”
For the Stebbins family, however, the significance of the project goes beyond the building itself.
The center represents a transition from fundraising and construction to the work that motivated the project in the first place: helping children and families.
“With the opening of the center on September 9, now the real positive effect begins,” Sally Stebbins said. “Mark’s vision and legacy shifts to stories of impact for generations.”
