We cannot express in words, what the Love Promise program means to our community… at Our Community Cares, Every Child is Ours, we faced the constant reality that children in our school district sometimes go hungry! Sometimes they didn’t have warm clothes, and sometimes were couch surfing without a true home, and it broke our hearts! My husband and I decided that some way, somehow, we would make things better. Together with friends and neighbors we created ECIO our community cares. At first, we were mostly self-funded, raising money became a weekly job. We made do with whatever we could spare, beg borrow or find. As a local organization, we used to spend hours, and hours, of time, trying to raise money to help feed hungry kids! Even after spending a lot of time doing that, we found there was always more we wanted to do!

 

When we met Scott Ives, the GM of Belknap Subaru through the Tilton Rotary we found someone else who wanted to make a difference. When we described what we were trying to do, he immediately committed the dealership to helping us. Scott and the two Mark’s (Mark Johnstone, the owner, and Mark Mallahan the general sales manager) and the entire staff, quickly got on board. Along with our dedicated volunteers, and help from supermarkets, and other stores, we are making big things happen!

 

For the last 4 years we have been a team…and we ARE making a difference. We have established food pantries in each of the schools we serve. Teachers serve as our eyes and ears…they see who comes to school without a coat, or without a lunch, we provide the things that are needed…coats, mittens, hats…and most importantly food. It is done in such a way as to not embarrass the child and family. This happens hundreds of times a year…all because Belknap Subaru is proving that Subaru is more than just a car, and Belknap Subaru is much more than just a car dealership!