Pastoral Counseling Services Honors Five Good Samaritans

Rev. Jed Rardin, UCC Pastor and Justice Advocate
Amy Chhom, an Affordable Housing & Community Advocate
Tom & Chrissy Harte, Ambassadors for Make-A -Wish New Hampshire
Lynn Stanley, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire and Vermont Chapters of the National Association of Social Workers

Pastoral Counseling Services (PCS) hosted its 27th Good Samaritan Awards Celebration on Sept. 14, 2023

Started in 1996, the Good Samaritan Awards Celebration recognizes compassionate, creative, passionate, and generous people who are making life-transforming contributions to the health and wellbeing of others in our local communities.  To date PCS has honored over 115 of these outstanding community leaders.

This year we honored five inspirational individuals:  Amy Chhom, an Affordable Housing & Community Advocate; Tom & Chrissy Harte, Ambassadors for Make-A -Wish New Hampshire; the Rev. Jed Rardin, UCC Pastor and Justice Advocate; and, Lynn Stanley, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire, and Vermont Chapters of the National Association of Social Workers.  

This event was held on the back lawn of the Manning House at Brookside Congregational Church at 2013 Elm Street in Manchester on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, from 5-7 PM. , 2023 from 5-7 PM. 

The money raised by this event will support the agency’s commitment to “promote healing and wholeness of mind, body, and spirit.” 

Many thanks to all our sponsors and individuals who joined together to make this special event a great success!

Please click on the link below to view photos of this event.

https://www.frameofmindphoto.com/pcs_goodsamaritanawards_2023

Annual Appeal 2023

Dear friends of PCS:

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. One thing of which we are aware at PCS is that several severe and chronic stressors are taking a toll on our mental health of people of all ages. Recent studies have revealed that contemporary stressors have increased the rates of anxiety, depression, substance misuse, suicide, loneliness and fear. The need for effective and responsive mental health treatment is enormous. It is for this reason that we are asking you to partner with us by making a financial donation that will support our provision of mental health services during this critical time.

Thanks in part to your support in the past we have been able to provide clinical services to children and adolescents that have reduced their depressed moods, angry outbursts, mood swings, and self-injurious behaviors. Using evidence-based, contemporary therapies, our clinicians have helped people process and heal from childhood traumas, such as sexual abuse, physical beatings, emotional disparagement, and the witnessing of violence. Our trained therapists have provided counseling that has helped people suffering from both a mental health condition and substance misuse achieve sobriety and engage in a process of recovery. We have provided psychotherapy groups that teach members practical tools for managing stress, anxiety, and depression.  

Your financial gift will help us continue to provide essential mental health counseling to people who would otherwise be unable to access these services. A gift of $75 will cover the cost of a single session of psychotherapy; a gift of $150 will pay for two sessions and a gift of $750 will provide ten psychotherapy sessions. A gift of $200 will pay for a group session that will benefit six to eight group members; a gift of $1,000 will underwrite the costs of five group sessions. These gifts can be split into convenient monthly payments.

At this time when these services are so important, please consider partnering with us.  If you would like to make an electronic donation, please go to the donor page on our website, pcs-nh.org. You may also send a check to us at the address above. Thank you for your continued support of the work we do. 

Sincerely,

Calvin Genzel, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Announcement – Marsha Baray Joins PCS

Dear friends of PCS:

I am pleased to announce that Marsha Baray has joined the PCS team as our Development Associate. Marsha has extensive experience in development from her roles as Director of Development at Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) and the Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest.  In her position with SOTX, she served as an ambassador of the organization with a diverse group of stakeholders with the sole purpose of advancing the mission and vision of SOTX.

Marsha is a native of Manchester, NH.  She has lived in California, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Science at the University of California-Irvine.  She later lived and worked in Texas and Maine before returning to her home in New Hampshire.

Marsha brings a broad knowledge of event planning, grant writing, fund-raising, and public and donor relations to PCS.  Her primary responsibilities as Development Associate will be to assist in the creation of a strategic long-range fundraising plan, develop corporate and individual donors and community partners, identify grant opportunities, handle donor correspondence, maintain the donor management database, support and plan fund-raising events, and participate in community relations activities.

Please join me in welcoming Marsha to the PCS team.

Sincerely,

Calvin Genzel, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Manchester Rotary Club Makes Donation to PCS

Manchester Rotary President George Jump and Rotary Member Mark Burns presenting a check for $5000 to PCS Executive Director Calvin Genzel.  PCS will use this generous donation to support and expand its clinical services to children, adolescents, and their families.