SPOTLIGHT RACE: Hope Damon for NH-HD-Sullivan 8
Hope was a leader of Stand Up for Croydon Students, a nonpartisan initiative that reversed a 53% cut to the budget for the Croydon public schools. She spent the spring of 2022 connecting with neighbors and friends throughout Croydon, leading to a 377-2 vote in favor of restoring funding for Croydon’s school and students. Hope believes that democracy works when we talk to each other and find common ground.
Hope was a successful small business owner of The Nutrition Counseling Center for 36 years where she used her skills as a dietitian and diabetes educator to help people take good care of themselves. She started her career running the food service at New London Hospital. Hope has seen firsthand how our current healthcare system leaves many people behind. Hope is also a breast cancer survivor who is active in advocacy for cancer care and research, cycling in The Prouty annually to raise funds for cancer research at Dartmouth Cancer Center. This year, The Prouty raised $8.2 million.
Hope lives in Croydon with her husband, retired building contractor George Chait. Hope & George raised their daughters, Sasha and Nadia, in Croydon and they attended public schools in Sunapee. Hope and George experienced childcare challenges that are so common and challenging for parents. When the child care center her children attended was closing, Hope organized with other parents to turn the childcare into a cooperative, and served as the Founding Board President when the childcare reopened. Cinnamon Street Child Care served families from 1994 - 2023. It closed due to inability to staff adequately. Hope strongly supports efforts to make childcare more affordable and available.
Hope serves on the board and as co-chair of the NH Women’s Foundation Grantmaking Committee for the past decade. This statewide non-profit organization invests in opportunity and equality for women and girls in the Granite State through research advocacy, education, grantmaking and philanthropy. For more information, please visit the NH Women’s Foundation.
https://www.hopefornh.com/