From Phone Bank Volunteer to Grant Committee Chair: Cindy Hemeon-Plessner Sees Hope in the Children’s Fund

Whether serving as secretary of the Children’s Fund Board of Directors or as senior vice president and chief marketing and experience officer at Meredith Village Savings Bank, Cindy Hemeon-Plessner has spent much of the past two decades finding ways to support local children and families.

Her connection to the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund began more than 20 years ago, when she volunteered on the phone bank during the Children’s Auction with MVSB.

At the time, the Auction was still operated by the local radio station. That first experience gave Hemeon-Plessner a closer look at the community effort behind the event and left her wanting to become more involved.

When the Children’s Fund later became an independent nonprofit organization, she joined its Board of Directors. She went on to serve as board secretary and as a member of both the Grant Committee and Communications Committee.

Grantmaking quickly became one of the areas she valued most.

Hemeon-Plessner has served on five different grant committees across New Hampshire and said she enjoys the work because everyone involved is focused on making sure the community is served as effectively as possible.

“You make sure money goes to the right place,” Hemeon-Plessner said, “and learning about all the different organizations is amazing.”

Seeing the reach of the Fund

When Hemeon-Plessner first became involved, one of the things that surprised her most was the reach of the Children’s Fund.

She was impressed not only by the amount of money raised, but by how many people throughout the community were involved and how directly those dollars could support local organizations.

She also believes there are still people throughout the Lakes Region who do not fully understand what the Fund does. But once they learn more, she said, many begin finding their own way into the organization — whether by bidding at the Auction, donating, volunteering or becoming more involved over time.

She described that process as a kind of “slow burn” into involvement.

For Hemeon-Plessner, some of the clearest signs of the Fund’s impact come from the people she meets in the community.

She said people have approached her personally to thank her for what the Fund provides, often sharing stories about how they or someone they know benefited from programs supported by the organization.

The Children’s Auction itself also holds a special emotional importance for her.

The holiday season can be stressful for many families, but Hemeon-Plessner believes the Auction gives people an opportunity to recognize how fortunate they are while helping someone else.

“Nothing reminds you of how lucky you are like being able to help someone else,” she said.

Over the years, she has also watched the Fund’s ability to help evolve.

In earlier years, much of the support was focused on the most basic levels of need. Today, the Fund is able to support a broader range of services and programs that help strengthen children and families throughout the region.

Making grant distribution stronger

One accomplishment Hemeon-Plessner is particularly proud of is helping make the Fund’s grant review process more efficient.

Previously, the process relied heavily on printed documents and manual review. New software has since helped centralize the information and make the process more organized for everyone involved.

Today, grant information is digital, committee members are working from the same information, and the Fund is better able to evaluate where support is going and where needs exist throughout the region.

As chair of the Grant Distribution Committee, Hemeon-Plessner has also gained a close look at the nonprofit organizations serving New Hampshire.

She said she is continually impressed by the people behind those organizations and the work they do.

“The Children’s Fund gives me hope,” Hemeon-Plessner said.

To her, one of the most meaningful parts of the organization is watching people from different backgrounds and viewpoints come together around the same goal.

“Everyone from different views and walks of life comes together to do what is right for the kids,” she said. “That’s an act of beauty right there.”

A partnership that goes beyond sponsorship

Hemeon-Plessner’s connection to the Children’s Fund also reflects a longstanding relationship between the organization and MVSB.

Each year, she personally purchases and donates items to the Children’s Auction and said one of her favorite parts of Auction season is researching the “hottest” gifts for children that year.

MVSB’s support reaches much further.

The bank has assisted with deposits for the Children’s Fund and Pub Mania, served as an Auction item collection location and sponsored the Sweepstakes Social, among other forms of support.

For Hemeon-Plessner, that commitment is rooted in both community impact and employee involvement.

The bank’s relationship with the Auction began years before she joined MVSB, and today its continued support reflects how strongly employees connect with the mission of helping local children and families.

Following the money

For someone learning about the Children’s Fund for the first time, Hemeon-Plessner encourages them to visit the Fund’s website and follow what she calls the “money trail.”

She wants people to see where donations go, which organizations receive support and how those dollars create value throughout the community.

Needs can also change dramatically from year to year.

An organization that needs relatively little support one year may face much greater demand the next. By communicating with nonprofits and evaluating those needs annually, the Grant Committee is able to help direct funding where it can have the greatest impact.

“What’s beautiful about donating to the Children’s Fund is there is a group of people talking to every nonprofit,” Hemeon-Plessner said.

That process helps give donors confidence that their support is responding to the needs facing children and families at that moment.

Looking ahead

When Hemeon-Plessner thinks about where she would like to see the Children’s Fund and Children’s Auction 10 years from now, her ideal answer is simple: less need.

But she believes the reality is moving in the opposite direction.

As needs continue to rise, she hopes the Auction grows with them so the Fund can help local organizations provide as many services as possible.

She would also like to see more people become involved — more volunteers, donors and bidders, along with greater awareness of what the Children’s Fund does and why that work matters.

For Hemeon-Plessner, the strength of the organization has always come back to the people behind it.

After more than two decades of involvement, she has watched the Auction change, the grant process becomes more sophisticated and the Fund’s reach continue to grow.

But the reason she remains involved has stayed much the same.

People continue to show up for local children.

And for Hemeon-Plessner, that is exactly why the Children’s Fund continues to give her hope.

Help support the next chapter

As the Greater Lakes Region Children’s Fund celebrates 45 years, the $45K for 45 Years campaign is helping carry that community support into the future.

Donations help the Fund continue supporting nonprofit organizations serving children and families throughout the Lakes Region.

Learn more and donate at ChildrensFundNH.org.