1269 Café Helps People on the Edge

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Do you know what it’s like to be homeless during the winter in New Hampshire? Neither did Craig and Mary Chevalier, until they joined a brave man from Derry who had opted to live for a week as a homeless man, so that he could experience what it was like. “We spent one day with him, and we never left. We got connected with people,” said Craig Chevalier. The experience touched Craig and Mary Chevalier so deeply that they were inspired to found 1269 Café (Manchester, NH). The original location was at 1269 Elm Street—hence it’s namesake, which they’ve carried on to this day—and it began modestly.

“We started with a few electric griddles and some donations from [a local] Hannaford’s. We were making grilled cheese sandwiches and handing out bags of chips,” said Mary. “We fell into it,” agreed her husband, Craig. “We think it’s important to persevere and keep this thing going.” Over the last 8 years, they’ve had to move a few times “in order to grow from small, to medium, to large,” said Mary. 1269 Café now serves 100-150 of the needy, Monday-Friday, and will soon expand to six days. Craig and Mary know almost all of their patrons by name, and they greet each one with a smile.

Patrons having lunch.

The circumstances that have driven the people they help into the streets range from substance abuse and mental illness, to no or under employment. While some shelters have restrictions on who they can take, and in what circumstances, Mary said, “We take everybody. We give people a place to get a good meal, hang out to get away from the weather, and even make peoples’ resources last a little a bit longer. If someone is down on their luck and having trouble making ends meet, the lunches they get can help reduce the cost of living, even if it is just a lunch. We help people on the edge.” The Chevaliers say that Café 1269 feeds people physically and spiritually, and although ministering is part of what they do, they’re not preachy about it. “Religion can be a part of what they get at the café or not. It’s up to them,” said Mary.

Dale Sanford, Owner of Sanford Temperature Control, (center, holding check).

The café is more than a place for those in need to get a nutritious meal. 1269 Café has teamed up with the NH Food Bank Culinary Training Program so that those in need can learn skills that can get them placed in jobs, and ultimately off the streets. When the cold weather descends upon New England, 1269 Café transitions to a “warming station” as well. “We give people a safe place to stay warm. Sometimes we’ll show movies, let people play board games, or maybe have some live music,” said Mary. Their warming station is open from November to March/April. 1269 Café is located in the old Manchester Police Department at 351 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor, which gives them access to locker rooms with showers, as well as laundry facilities. The team behind 1269 Café is 100% volunteer-run, with about 100 volunteers that help out when they can.

Members of all-volunteer staff serving lunch.

All food, clothing, and monetary donations go directly to help people in need. For more information, or to donate to this wonderful charity, please visit: https://thetwelveonunion.org/.

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Pamela S.
Pamela S.
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I thought Derek was polite. Courteous knew what he was doing. Got my furnace fixed in one day. I was very appreciative and because of his service I will now only use you guys going forward. He’s a great technician.

Michael S.
Michael S.
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I'm always impressed when a service provider takes the time to educate me about the product I bought. Eddie explained the protocols for maintaining my mini-splits
, provided me with the knowledge that he brought to the inspection and showed me how to improve the longevity of the product. In the process he convinced me to extend my service.
Good job -

Joan C.
Joan C.
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Eric, our Sanford tech, did wonderful as always. maintaining our beast of a heating system takes skill. He is prompt and kind gets the maintenance taken care of quickly. He doesn’t mind the annoying dogs or the beam that you have to duck under going up and down stairs.

They check in the day before coming and Eric texts when on the way. He is always on time. We have been very happy with the work and the professionalism.

Joyce
Joyce
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This was my first time using Sanford. Derek was amazing. He diagnosed the problem quickly, showed me the problem, and then quoted me a price which was very reasonable. He had the part on the truck and had the problem fixed within a half hour. From the person I made the appointment with, Irish, to the dispatcher I spoke with for an estimated time of arrival, to Derek, my experience was nothing but positive. I had such a great experience that I will always use Sanford for my heating, cooling, and plumbing needs. Highly recommended!

John M.
John M.
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After Sanford did such an impressive job installing our new Bosch furnace last winter, it was a no brainer as to who we wanted to add a central air conditioner to our house.
They gave us two options and we chose to go with a heat pump. Jason and his team did an incredible job installing the system in just a single day. The quality of their workmanship is second to none and he couldn’t be a nicer person to work with.
Another great job by Sanford !

David B.
David B.
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We had Brian B come to our home to conduct a follow up visit to evaluate our Carrier AC that was installed in February. Just like the three-man crew who did the installation, Brian B did an outstanding job of making sure that everything was working just fine. He answered all our questions and made sure we were confident that our AC would be working fine this summer. Great job.

Cathleen P.
Cathleen P.
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Extremely happy with the service I received. Mike did an excellent job of servicing my HVAC system. He was very efficient, knowledgeable and took the time to answer all my questions. Also, the office personnel were very helpful and responsive to all my requests and questions regarding scheduling and pricing. I will be using them again and would highly recommend Mike.

Janet L.
Janet L.
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Excellent service. Arrived on time. Asked me questions to diagnose any possible issues. Explained several things I did not know about my system.

Eric was very pleasant & thoroughly cleaned & diagnosed my system. Every Sanford employee with whom I have had dealings has been pleasant, attentive, and professional. A friend recommended Sanford to me & I recommend them to you as well. I have been very happy with my equipment & service & know I can contact them anytime with questions & concerns & they will respond in a timely manner. Thank you Eric!

C P.
C P.
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Our tech was great! He was respectful of the space (and rolled with the chaos of small kiddos running around like goons), knowledgeable, and efficient. We’ve used Sanford for years and will continue to do so.

Kay H.
Kay H.
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Kyle G. from Sanford was awesome and super respectful. They installed furnace and AC system. He explained everything without being condescending, helped set up the wireless system, checked it and his team cleaned up everything after the job. My standards are pretty high and Kyle not only met them, he exceeded them. Thank you.

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