When Hands Get Busy, Hearts Heal: Makers Mill Calls for Support to Keep Creative Community Alive
Allison poses in her handmade outfit for the Makers Mill 2025 Upcycled Fashion Show
Makers Mill lobby is bustling with community members getting a tour of the facility at 23 Bay St. Wolfeboro, NH
Executive Director Josh Arnold addresses community members celebrating the completion of construction and garden space at Makers Mill, Wolfeboro NH's Community Makerspace + Vocation Hub
In rural New Hampshire, a nonprofit makerspace is helping people find belonging in an age of isolation — and inviting donors to help sustain it.
WOLFEBORO, NH, UNITED STATES, November 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a time when loneliness has been declared a national public health crisis, a small nonprofit in rural New Hampshire is quietly rewriting the story of what community can look like.
Inside Makers Mill, a community makerspace in Wolfeboro, people who once felt isolated are finding their way back to connection — not through lectures or screens, but through sawdust, stitching, and shared creativity.
One member, Allison, describes her first visit to the Mill as the moment something shifted:
She had been struggling with severe anxiety and isolation, unsure where she fit anymore. Then a friend brought her through the doors.
She learned to sew.
She volunteered in the tech circle.
She found people who welcomed her exactly as she was.
And somewhere between the fabric and the friendships, things began to change.
“Makers Mill was a huge part of improving my mental health,” Allison says. “It gave me a place to connect, to create, and to contribute.”
This story is not unique. Week after week, people arrive at Makers Mill for a class or a tour — and stay because they find something even more important: belonging.
Over the past year alone:
276 classes gave people new skills and confidence
4,700+ volunteer hours kept programs accessible and community-driven
Hundreds of makers, parents, teens, retirees, and newcomers found connection through making
But as state arts funding falls dramatically in 2026, the Mill faces a widening gap between the cost of running these programs and what it can ask community members to pay.
This is where donors can change everything.
A gift today helps keep Makers Mill open, affordable, and accessible — for the people who need it most.
For the Allisons of the world.
For anyone who needs to remember they aren’t alone.
A gift of $50 provides materials for a creative arts or wellness class.
A gift of $150 supports training for volunteer-led programs.
A gift of $500 or more helps keep classes accessible to those facing financial hardship.
Supporters can give securely at www.makersmill.org/donate
or explore tax-smart giving options — gifts of stock, IRA distributions, and donor-advised funds.
“Creativity heals, but community sustains,” says Executive Director Josh Arnold. “With donor support, we can continue being a place where people rediscover hope — and themselves.”
About Makers Mill:
Located at 23 Bay Street in Wolfeboro, NH, Makers Mill is a nonprofit makerspace offering shared tools, studios, and classes for hands-on learning in arts, trades, and technology. Its mission is to enrich lives and strengthen communities through creativity, collaboration, and skill-building. Learn more at www.makersmill.org.
Jessica Cole
Makers Mill
+1 603-569-1500
email us here
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