Seacoast Mothers Association strongly believes that a large group of women working together can make a significant difference in this world! We also believe that helping children to learn to be generous with their time and energy is important. To accomplish this, we have organized our community service program, called the Giving Back Program. The Giving Back Program strives to get SMA families more involved in volunteering and fundraising for local charities that benefit other Seacoast families in need.

Each month, the GB Program sends out a Newsletter via a Big Tent News Blast with information about local volunteer and fundraising opportunities, as well as a featured GB volunteering event for the month. In the past, GB Events have included beach clean-ups, assembling Thanksgiving meal baskets, bike-a-thons and sorting thrift store clothing. Agencies we have worked to benefit include New Generation, Seacoast Family Food Pantry, Adopt-A-Block and the Jimmy Fund.

Additionally, the GB Program hopes to inform SMA members about our local charitable organizations by highlighting one per month in the newsletter and providing a list and description of many agencies in the Volunteer Pages, located in the Files tab on the SMA website.

The Giving Back Forum is the 'chat room' where SMA members can post volunteer opportunities or fundraisers they know about and want to publicize. Recently members have posted about gathering items to provide to a local family who lost their home in a fire and where to donate clothing and supplies to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

The Giving Back program began in the summer of 2009, so we're still working on improving and expanding it. If you have suggestions or would like to get more involved, please contact Jessica Sykora, the GB Program Coordinator, at jess.sykora@googlemail.com or 706-372-6562. Thanks and we hope to see you volunteering soon!

Here are our past Giving Back monthly events:

JULY 2009	Beach Clean-up with the Blue Ocean Society, Ragged Neck State Park, Rye, NH
AUGUST 2009	School Supplies Drive for Families First at the SMA Family Picnic
SEPTEMBER 2009	The PMC Kids Ride at Great Island Common, New Castle
OCTOBER 2009	Winter Wear Drive for Families First at SMA Halloween Costume Party and Halloween Parade at the Mark Wentworth Home
NOVEMBER 2009	Prepare Thanksgiving Food Baskets with Seacoast Adopt-A-Block
DECEMBER 2009	Toys For Tots Drive at the Holiday Party
JANUARY 2010	Help sort thrift store items for New Generation in Greenland
FEBRUARY 2010	Newborn clothing and blankets drive for Neighbors Helping Newborns at the Sweetheart Party
MARCH 2010	Baking Brigade for Seacoast Family Food Pantry to be included in Holiday food disbursements
APRIL 2010	Earth Day Beach Clean-Up with the Blue Ocean Society at Pierce Island, Portsmouth
MAY 2010	Household Necessities Drive for Hampton Community Coalition at Spring Fling
JUNE 2010	Exeter/Stratham PMC Kids Ride at Timberland Industrial Park
JULY 2010	Volunteer at the Dover Night Out
AUGUST 2010	School Supplies Drive for Families First at the SMA Family Picnic
SEPTEMBER 2010	Help with the Edgewood Center Nursing Home Annual Family Lobster Dinner
October 2010	Gift Card Drive for a Safe Place
November 2010	Prepare Thanksgiving Baskets with Seacoast Adopt-A-Block
December 2010	Toys For Tots drive
January 2011	Sort Thrift Store Items for New Generation
February 2011	Used Cell Phone and Ink Jet Cartridge Collection to Benefit Sexual Assault Support Services
March 2011	Join the Pease Greeters to Welcome Home Troops
April 2011	Baking Brigade for the Seacoast Family Food Pantry's Holiday food Distribution
May 2011	Household Necessities Drive for the Dover Children's Home
June 2011	Help at Action For Aidan Fundraiser