Tamworth hears nonprofit funding requests: Bear Camp Center seeks $6,000 for meals, $8,000 for camp

Leanne Prentice, representing the Bear Camp Center, asked the Tamworth Select Board for $6,000 to support a takeout, donation-based meals program and $8,000 for summer-camp scholarships. "This year we're asking for $6,000 for the meals," Prentice said, adding the center now tracks town of origin on a voluntary signup clipboard and estimates that 68% of reported meals go to Tamworth residents.

Prentice described the meals as fully cooked, single-serve meals produced in a licensed kitchen and distributed on a pay-what-you-can model; she said donations covered roughly $9,800 last year while USDA reimbursement figures imply about $22,000 in meals went to Tamworth residents. "So we're not asking the town to subsidize that entire amount," she said, explaining the Bear Camp Center factors in federal and state reimbursements and other grants when calculating the request.

The board followed with questions about data collection and participation. A member suggested occasional staff-assisted counts to reduce underreporting; Prentice said roughly 60% of patrons sign the clipboard and quarterly spot-checks could improve estimates without stigmatizing users.

At the same meeting the board considered a request from the White Mountain Community Health Center. The presenter — identified on the record as the health center board president — said the center requests $5,800 from Tamworth based on town-user percentages. "In 2023 6% of our users were from the town of Tamworth — 145 people," the presenter said, describing a funding model that combines Medicaid reimbursements, state and federal grants and municipal appropriations. The presenter added the center operates at a per-visit deficit and that achieving a federal FQHC designation would change the approach to town appropriations.

The Ossipee-area Meals on Wheels representative described a program that served approximately 1,471 meals and noted town grants are treated as restricted grants; the organization said federal meal reimbursements and fundraising supplement town support. Board members questioned whether the per-plate suggested donation ($3) and tracked donations were consistent; the presenter said state rules limit knowing which towns donors come from, so grant requests factor in conservative estimates of donation coverage.

Board members thanked presenters and asked staff to circulate program budgets and additional documentation ahead of the official budget hearing.