from National Director William Sullivan …

Rev, William J. Shanahan Division 1, Manchester NH

Officers and Members of the Rev. William. J. Shanahan Division 1 of Manchester, N.H. for over twenty years have volunteered at the Families in Transition – New Horizons Soup Kitchen as part of the Division’s ongoing community service efforts. Families in Transition – New Horizons Soup Kitchen is the primary soup kitchen in Manchester NH, the largest city in the Granite State.

Recently on Leap Day, Saturday, February 29th, a number of brother members of Division 1 met as they do every month, to perform a variety of tasks to help serve hot healthy meals to scores of hungry individuals and families at this soup kitchen. Members check in meal participants, prepare, cook, serve the hot meals and clean up after the meal at the Families in Transition – New Horizons Soup Kitchen. 

The Soup Kitchen volunteer program is traditionally administered by the Division’s Recording Secretary and has been ably overseen by the Division’s present Recording Secretary, Brother Michael Dolphin, for the past four years.  Brothers are encouraged to sign up to volunteer at all regular meetings of the Division, and Mike makes sure all necessary positions are filled through direct communication when necessary.

In addition to providing volunteers, Division 1 also supports Families in Transition – New Horizons Soup Kitchen through regular financial donations and attendance at their fundraising functions.  The Division works with Families in Transitions -New Horizons in December to identify needy families for Division 1’s Adopt-A-Family gift giving program. Division 1 also secures Christmas dinners for needy individuals, and families and delivers them to those families at Christmas so that they are able to enjoy a holiday meal.

Congratulations to the officers and members of Division 1 AOH in Manchester NH for putting the motto of our order: Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity into practice and serving their community and fellow mankind with dignity, care, their presence and finances. It is acts such as this, of fully living and putting the motto of our order into practice, that make us all proud to be members of the oldest, largest and greatest Irish Catholic organization in the United States, the AOH!