End 68 Hours of Hunger
End 68 Hours of Hunger is a public not-for-profit effort to confront the approximately 68 hours of hunger that some school children experience between the free lunch they receive at school on Friday afternoon and the free breakfast they receive at school on Monday morning.
This weekend program, established in New Hampshire in 2011, puts nourishing food in the hands of school children to carry them through the weekend.
Our local programs are entirely volunteer-based. 100% of donations go to support ending food insecurity in your community. 95% goes directly to purchasing food and 5% goes to administrative costs such as insurance and state & federally-mandated requirements.
Childhood hunger – or food insecurity – is a national problem. It occurs when children receive insufficient food on a regular basis and in many cases, missing meals entirely. After a while, these children also experience ‘fear of hunger’ that affects their behavior as much as physical hunger affects their bodies.
– CLAIRE BLOOM, Our Founder
Board of Directors
Keith Launchbury
President
Keithlaunchbury@gmail.com
Keith is a widely recognized international speaker and authority in Business Management,
Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chain Management. He is a qualified Industrial
Engineer and has worked for Pirelli, General Electric, Northern Telecom, and AES Data,
before starting his own company in 1983. Together with his wife Claire, they have authored
ten books on subjects such as business, travel, and feeding hungry children. Keith and
Claire live in New Hampshire and enjoy the mutual challenge of traveling and meeting new
friends while staying in touch with their old ones.
Doris Demers
Vice President
d5dems@gmail.com
Doris grew up in Rollinsford, NH, and lived in Berwick, Maine, for 32 years with her
husband, Gary, where they raised three children. Doris earned her degree at UNH while she
worked as a school nutrition director in Maine and New Hampshire school districts before
retiring in 2023. She has volunteered for End 68 Hours of Hunger in Oyster River for over
11 years with a team of amazing volunteers.
Claire Bloom
Founder and Treasurer
clairevbloom@gmail.com
Claire is the Founder of End 68 Hours of Hunger. She took her vision and created this remarkable organization. Claire retired from the Navy in 1998 as a lieutenant commander, from the USS Constitution as the first female executive officer. Claire started End 68 in 2011 with her husband Keith Launchbury’s support. They spent their own money to start packing bags for children in Dover, NH. Claire grew the organization into 46 programs in 8 states over the next 12 years before truly retiring. She was recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Year in 2022. “If people want their communities to thrive, they have to ensure that their children thrive. It’s as simple as that.”
Erika Alison Cohen
Secretary
erika@eacohen.com
Erika is a ghostwriter and book editor living in Southern NH who works with Granite State
business executives on a range of writing and editing projects. After serving seven years on
her local school board, she joined End 68 Hours of Hunger to continue supporting children
in her community and throughout NH. Erika is an avid runner, cyclist and hiker. She lives
with her husband, two children, and their Russian tortoise, Langston.
John Metherell
metherell@msn.com
John retired from a career in broadcasting — initially in the UK — and more recently in his
adopted country of America. He brings a wide-ranging worldview from his most recent
experience in international journalism. He has a keen interest in food insecurity and has
supported food pantries near his home in Maryland for many years. His interests include
electoral politics and education.
Mark Kelly
mkx.kelly@gmail.com
Cassie Viau Li
cassieviauli@gmail.com
Cassie is the director of marketing for CoreMedical Group, a staffing company based in
Manchester, NH. She has over 15 years of marketing experience, with a focus on social
media and digital marketing. She lives in NH with her husband, twin daughters, and
stepson.
Bridgette Santos
bridgesantos@gmail.com
Bridgette is the marketing director at C & J Bus Lines. She lives in the Seacoast area with her
husband, their two wonderful daughters, and a chocolate lab, Remmy. They love spending
time outdoors—hiking, skiing, and exploring nature. Bridgette joined the board of End 68
Hours of Hunger because she believes no child should go hungry and is committed to
supporting our mission.
Administration
Kate Román, Executive Director
executivedirector@end68hoursofhunger.org
Kate grew up in northern NH and will always call it her home. She received her master’s
degree in human services in NH. Kate is a Coast Guard spouse living in Maryland with her
husband and two young children. She has a strong background in behavioral health and
program management. She is building upon the organization’s strong foundation and plans
to expand it to support more communities and reduce the number of food-insecure
children.
Heather Launchbury, Administrative Manager
info@end68hoursofhunger.org
Heather grew up in the Dover, NH, area and has been volunteering for End 68 Hours of
Hunger since we were established in 2011! In 2018, Heather officially became the
administrative assistant and has been doing the behind-the-scenes work for our program
since then. She lives 30 minutes north of Dover and is a busy work-from-home mom of
three young children.
