The family tradition of eating dinner together is on the decline. According to one survey, only one out of three families says that everyone in their household usually eats together. That's a significant drop since the question was first asked in the early 1970's.
While it may be a challenge for most of us to find time to break bread with family - it is even harder for the state?s 6,500 or so who live in shelters or other temporary housing. But on the outskirts of Portsmouth, one non-profit organization, Families First Health and Support Center, is attempting to bring homeless families a little closer by providing a bit of tradition and fun on Monday nights.
Dianne Finch has this report.
AMB-1 - DINNER SOUNDS (KEEP UNDER NARRATIONS)
N1-- Dinner begins promptly at 5:30 at Families First. Most people arive by bus from nearby shelters. Others find their way from campgrounds or relatives? homes. The main mission of Families First is healthcare, but that includes Fun Night - a weekly dose of dinner with the family.
ACT1: JAKE SARGEANT: ?It?s awesome - it rules you get to eat then go and play -- like catch the flag, kickball.
N2--That was 13-year-old Jake Sargent - who has been attending the dinners for over a year with his mom and brother.
N3 ---Tonight?s dinner menu includes apricot chicken, pizza, green salad and wild rice with mushrooms. For dessert - home-made cookies and cake. Food is served in a spacious, bright room where each family has its own table - and dinner chat is lively.
N4--Fun Night, says Joanna Wicklein, Parent Program Coordinator, offers more than food and fun.
ACT2: JOANNA WICKLEIN: One of the goals of the program is to help families learn how to enjoy each other - to communicate. One of the great things we can do is somthing as simple as learning how to do a dinner routine - how to sit, how to eat together - how to stay sitting together? And for a lot of families that is not necessarily common information.?
N5---Chris and Shannon Sekulic have been coming to Fun Night with their children for over a year. They live at Crossroads, the largest shelter in Portsmouth, with their 4 children. Chris works for Wendy?s, and says that his salary simply isn't enough to cover an apartment in the Portsmouth area.
ACT3: CHRIS SEKULIC: ?A lot of people cannot afford it, regardless. Mostly, even a one bedroom apartment can go up to 800 or 1000 dollars..?.
N6-- Shannon Sekulic says she worked before and will go back to work after her infant, Joseph, is old enough for daycare. They hope to get a Section 8 housing subsidy by end of summer.
The shelter they use doubled its capacity in 2000 to 108 beds to meet demand, and staff there say they are seeing more 2-income families than ever before.
Many of those families come here on Mondays. After dinner, they head for the sitting room to ?chill out.? Couches face large picture windows overlooking trees. While they relax, staff and volunteers organize children into 3 groups by age.
AMBI2: SOUND OF KIDS LINING UP
N7 -- The toddlers retreat to a two-room daycare center complete with dolls, trucks, crayons, trains, puzzles and play dough - not to mention their own outdoor playground.
Kids a little bit older take on the largest playground to climb, swing and seesaw. The oldest group heads outside for running games like "Catch the Flag."
AMBI3: SOUND OF GAME ?READY GO?running?screaming ?fade out??
N8 ---Over at the sandbox, volunteer Chris Dufort plays with some of the youngest children - right now helping kids plant a pretend garden.
ACT6: CHRIS DUFORT: ?I usually get the 6-8 year olds, about a half dozen or so. They are a lot of fun, lots of energy. It is really easy to help Crossroads and this place - anybody can get out and do it, it only takes a few hours.?
N9--Some volunteers come from local high schools and colleges - while others donate time after work.
AMBI5: SOUND OF DISHES..
ACT7: SHIR HABERMAN: I?m the cleanup person after Monday night dinners.. Every week, signed up for that task.
N10- That?s Shir Haberman, managing editor of the Portsmouth Herald. He says he saw a need, and decided to fill it.
ACT8: SHIR HABERMAN: ?There are families in transition all over the country, not just here on the New Hampshire Seacoast?.and they need as much help as they can get.. This is one of those organizations that fill a void that sadly the Government has left behind..
N11-- Families First Health and Support Center is primarily a health clinic. They have doctors, nurses, dentists and mental health counselors. But 3 years ago, when staff sat down with clientele, people told them that one thing they need as much as anything else is some peace of mind. On Monday nights - they have a chance to find it here.
Nend -- For NHPR, this is Dianne Finch
