Our Board
Comments from a few of our local Board members
Scott Logan
Co-Chairperson
My wife Karen and I opened our restaurant in Portsmouth the same year that Michael Landgarten was planting the seed that became Share Our Strength Seacoast. We knew immediately that this was a perfect fit for us. What better way to help lift up children who are hungry than to tap into the resources and energy of those whose lives revolve around good, nutritious food? We made a commitment to Share Our Strength Seacoast back in 1994, and have never wavered in our belief that this community we live in cares enough to reach out to those in need, and our fellow Seacoast residents have never let us down.
Liz Levey-Pruyn
Co-Chairperson
I have a vivid memory of shortly after college, living in our first apartment on one very meager income and my husband splurged on an Italian Sub for lunch that the landlord’s dog stole off the table and ate. I was heartbroken for him but understood that even though he really wanted that sandwich, and was really hungry, and we had very little money….he was going to be able to eat something at least later that day. Fast forward 20 years and living a comfortable life, I wanted to give back to my community. After delivering Meals on Wheels for many years I started offering donations to the local food pantry for all business referrals. A dear friend introduced me to the Share Our Strength Seacoast family. The mission fits so well for me. As an organizer and volunteer for Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline Program I am a true believer in “give a man a fish and he eats for a day….teach him to fish and he can eat for a lifetime”. WE have the ability to make sure that NO Child goes hungry and I am honored to be a part of this movement!
Denise Wheeler
Board Member
In an imperfect world where people like myself can become so overwhelmed and alienated that we start to feel we can not make a difference, Share Our Strength shows us that we can. I am grateful to be among the privileged few on the planet in a position to give, not just receive. By creating the opportunity to share our time and talents, Share Our Strength has given us the tools to contribute to the needy in our community and throughout the world.
Jeanette Bonham
Board Member
I tell people that since I am Italian, it is about the food, and so I thought this organization would be a perfect fit for me. I have been working with Share Our Strength Seacoast from the second year of its inception in this area. In working directly with the food pantries over the years and hearing their stories, it allows me to see that Share Our Strength makes a big difference in the lives of those less fortunate. When you give, you get so much in return and I think that Share Our Strength proves this, year in and year out.
Megan Shapiro-Ross
Board Member
I found myself searching for an organization where my heart felt completely involved. Share Our Strength encompassed my heart and my desire to support the vast amount of need in our own community. As a former teacher in a lower income community in New Hampshire, I witnessed hunger in ways that I did not know existed. During my first week of teaching, I saw something that changed my mindset about our society. I vividly recall witnessing a hungry little six year old boy lick his fingers to pick up crumbs that remained on a table from a classmate’s snack… a hunger that I had never before had to confront personally. It is so easy not to be aware, but I no longer had that luxury. I now needed to know more and I needed to help. I have learned so much from my involvement in Share Our Strength Seacoast, and that has allowed me to share my strengths in working towards breaking the cycle of hunger.
Lori Decato-Metz
Board Member
In 1994 my friend Michael Landgarten approached me and asked if I would be willing to help out with a new anti-hunger group he was organizing called Share Our Strength Seacoast. In those early years, I found that working on this board presented an opportunity for me to use my skills and make a difference. As I learned more through the years, and have attended three National Share Our Strength Conferences of Leaders, and helped organize many events, I have confirmed that very reason. It is as simple as sharing your strength.
Scott McKee
Board Member
Although Share Our Strength Seacoast is best known for the gala Taste of the Nation Portsmouth fund-raiser and the Share Your Love gourmet sit down dinner that we host every year, our anti-hunger advocacy extends well beyond that, to programs like Operation Frontline— Share Our Strength’s nutrition education component. In addition, we partner with the New Hampshire Center for a Food Secure Future, a University of New Hampshire-based collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the food system. We are also committed to ensuring that all of our fund-raising events are green, sustainable, and support locally grown and raised foods. This broad based strategy combined with the funds we provide to the most effective anti-hunger organizations in the region, is making a positive impact on the lives of hungry children. Without the generous support of the residents in this area, none of it would be possible. We feel fortunate to live in such a community.
