Shaheen tour Spring Street NSL&S site
NASHUA – U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess on Friday in touring the Spring Street site that will house the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.
The former Sacred Heart Elementary School has been undergoing extensive renovation and rehabilitation, enduring despite the pressures created by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the national economy.
Sen. Shaheen worked to provide $900,000 in funding for the project, noting the growing need for such community organizations.
“The pandemic exacerbated housing insecurity, and those effects are still being felt by families across New Hampshire. That’s why I helped secure $900,000 for this transformative expansion project in Nashua through the annual funding legislation I helped write,” Sen. Shaheen said in a written statement.
“The need for shelter space and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Nashua is acute, and I appreciate the critical work NSKS does on the front-lines to support vulnerable Granite Staters.”
The NSKS, which has served Greater Nashua since 1981, is now headquartered at 2 Quincy St., the former home of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Spring St. building is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese and leased to the NSKS for $1 per year.
Once the Spring St. location ready, with its four floors and 20,000 square feet, the NSKS will be able to move all of its operations there.
The new center will feature a 48-bed family shelter, an 18-bed shelter for single men, a 14-bed shelter for single women and 11 studio apartments for permanent, supported housing.
In-house physician equipment and two large classrooms.
In addition to the food pantry and meals served, the NSKS has provided clothing, toiletries and assistance in finding employment, educational opportunities, plus navigating the path to public assistance and other government services.
Donations to help all of the organization’s programs can be made at nsks.org. More information is available by calling 603-889-7770.
