Community
At Bensonwood we believe in helping our local community and the world community. As such, we participate in a number of company sponsored events and also encourage individual participation in charitable giving.
Sustainable Forestry and Conservation Groups
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
The main focus of SPNHF is forest conservation in New Hampshire. Every year, SPNHF helps private landowners conserve thousands of acres through two primary methods: conservation easements and land donations.
The Pacific Forest Trust
Since 1993, the Pacific Forest Trust has worked to preserve, enhance, and restore America's private forests through education, innovation, and collaboration. This group is on the West Coast and they focus heavily on sustainable forestry practices.
The American Chestnut Foundation
This group is attempting to bring back the American chestnut tree by breeding blight resistant chestnut trees.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy works with communities and other groups to protect the lands and waters needed for the survival of the diversity of life on Earth. Bensonwood contributed to the New Hampshire chapter's efforts to purchase and conserve land on Fall Mountain.
Community Outreach
Fall Mountain Food Shelf
Bensonwood has supported the Food Shelf for many years. In addition to a monetary donation each year, we also donate non-perishable foods during the holidays and help to deliver goods, making at least one trip from Concord to Langdon, New Hampshire, per month, and more during the holidays.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a great organization that helps families to build their own homes and then buy them through zero-profit, zero-interest mortgages. Christine has been our direct link to our local Habitat chapter; she acted as treasurer for a year, and is still involved with the program on the Speaker's Bureau. In August 2007, Tedd Benson led a team of over 450 volunteers and built a Habitat for Humanity home for an Alstead, New Hampshire, family. See our News page for more on the incredible story.
Norris Cotton Cancer Center
Bensonwood matches pledge donations for employees who ride in the Prouty Century Bike Ride, which raises money for cancer research and patient services at Dartmouth's Norris Cotton Cancer Center.
Other Local Outreach
Other local organizations that we have given donations to in the past include Stonewall Farm, Jan's House of Hope, the Red Cross, Southern Vermonters for a Fair Economy and Environmental Protection, and Fall Mountain Regional High School Project Graduation.
Emergency Giving
When the people of Bensonwood donate funds for local or international relief, Bensonwood matches their contributions. Recent relief donations include:
- Alstead flood relief, for Alstead, New Hamspire, and surrounding towns after the October 2005 floods
- Hurricane Katrina relief for the Gulf Coast region
- Assistance for victims of the 2004 tsunami in Southeast and South Asia. In addition, two of our employees went to Sri Lanka to help with rebuilding.
