Family fun party a huge success!

The Friends Program took over Keach Park in Concord to celebrate International Friendship Day on July 27! 37 Community organizations joined the fun this year including State of New Hampshire emergency services, Concord Fire and Library, Waypoint, Community Action, Concord Community Music School and the USA Ninja Challenge (see the complete list attached) just to name a few.

Friends-a-Palooza is designed to celebrate families and raise awareness of The Friends Program services for youth and families. The event is open to the entire community and includes special outreach to the at-risk youth in the local area. 75% of the children served by the Friends Program live below the federal poverty level and more than two thirds are from New American families.

The Friends Program is a nonprofit 501 (C) (3) agency located in Concord, NH. Founded in 1975 as a social service organization, the organization provides direct service and recruits, trains and manages volunteers to meet community needs. The agency strives to meet its mission through the implementation of mentoring programs for at-risk youth, emergency housing for homeless families with children, an intergenerational program that creates meaningful opportunities for seniors to work with children in classrooms, and an AmeriCorps Senior volunteer program that links a volunteer's skills to otherwise unmet needs within local communities.

The Friends-a-Palooza event is offered for free to everyone and will happen again next year on July 26, 2025. To learn more about the complete list of participating organizations and the Friends Program- please visit our website.