Mackenzie Murphy on "Snacks for Those Who Have Our Backs"

I've always been someone who has been involved in the community. I have always had a passion for making a difference and giving back to those in need. Much of my involvement and love for serving others, stems from the way I was raised.

I am one of six kids, with the last three of us having been adopted. My mom is a retired nurse and worked for the State of NH, so I was raised with foster children and teenagers living with us for much of my childhood. Through the years, I have learned to never judge a book by its cover, to always help out those who may need a helping hand and make sure I give back to those who give so much, as my parents have been shining examples throughout my life.

Through my involvement, I have served on many different community boards and organizations and tried to lend a hand whenever I saw the opportunity. However, I always felt like I wasn't doing "enough" and wanted to make a bigger impact. The perfect moment came when I was on a Zoom call with the NCC Student Senate during this past week.

As the advisor for the NCC Rotaract Club, I was on the Zoom Call listening to NCC Students talk about their thoughts on the transition from face-to-face courses to online courses, the obstacles that they were facing during this time of transition, and different things on their mind throughout experiencing the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the Student Senate Call, there were two students who worked in a hospital. The students mentioned that the local hospitals could always use more masks, and some on-the-go snacks, as some of the hospital cafeterias were closed down during certain times of the day so they aren't able to have a meal. Oftentimes, the staff doesn't even have time to take a break while at work.

Knowing that our NH Healthcare workers are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic and are doing all they can to protect public health by putting their own lives at risk to protect ours, this inspired me to go home and talk with my Mom about what I could do to make a difference, as I knew my mom had some great connections due to her position as a New Hampshire State Representative.

After putting some thought into it and knowing there was already a community effort underway to make masks, we thought it would be a great idea to start "Community Snacks For Those Who Have Our Backs", which is a community endeavor meant to make the lives of our healthcare workers a little bit easier while they work so hard to save ours.

We began a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SnacksforourHeroes/ and we have already received two containers worth of snacks/drinks, with many who have told us that they have ordered packages of food/drinks and mailed them to us. This community endeavor is now in Merrimack and Nashua, and we are excited to expand further.

If NCC Students, Staff, and Faulty are looking to get more involved, we are looking for people willing to donate food/drink items. To donate, drop items off in the two containers placed on the front steps of NCC, located at 505 Amherst Street in Nashua.

Ideas for donations include:

Granola Bars/Fruit Bars/Grain Bars
Bagged Nuts
Bagged Chips/Pringles/ Pretzels
Bagged Popcorn
Chex Mix
Trail Mix
Fruit Snacks
Beef Jerky
Jello Pudding Snacks
Cookies
Peanut Butter Crackers
Candy Bars
Goldfish
Boxed Cereals
Individual Applesauce
Gatorade/Powerade
Non-refrigerated microwavable snack items: (Mac & Cheese To-Go) etc.

We are also looking for people who would be willing to host a location for people to drop off snack/drink items.

Donations will be going to local hospitals including Southern NH Medical Center, Elliot Hospital, St.Joseph’s Hospital, and Catholic Medical Center.

For more information, those interested in getting involved or for questions, you can call or text Mackenzie at (603) 493-1508 or email: MMurphy@ccsnh.edu