FNHDC Issues Grant to Hillsborough South Adult Recovery Court in Wake of Fire

The Friends of New Hampshire Drug Courts awarded an emergency $5,000 grant to Hillsborough South Adult Recovery Court so it can replace bus passes, pharmacy gifts cards and other items destroyed in the Feb. 2, 2026, gas explosion and fire at its Nashua site.

The Friends, a statewide non-profit organization that serves drug courts throughout New Hampshire, voted unanimously Feb. 26, 2026, to approve funds needed to replenish the items that are essential to participants’ success and recovery.

“This means a lot…Clients will continue to receive those critical services without interruption as they move forward into recovery and self-sufficiency,” program manager Tim McNamara said.

“I want to express gratitude to the Friends for stepping up in the wake of this devastating explosion. They have always been there for the treatment courts of this state. They set the marker and it is much appreciated,” added McNamara, coordinator for Hillsborough South Adult Recovery Court.

The recovery court operated on the second floor of the 440 Amherst St., Nashua, building owned by Greater Nashua Mental Health, which was destroyed in the devastating fire that also injured three firefighters. The drug court – which currently has about 34 participants – resumed operations about two days later at other locations.

But the program would be hampered without the restoration of the lost items, McNamara said. They included bus passes and ride-share cards, pharmacy gift cards for Medication-Assisted Treatment and to help cover co-pays for clients who have gaps in insurance coverage, and affirmation coins used to recognize participants’ progress and promote self-esteem, he said.

“The bus passes were really important,” said Randall “Buzzy” Francis, a graduate of Hillsborough South Adult Recovery Court who now sits on the Friends board of directors. Francis said he virtually had nothing when he entered the drug court and wouldn’t have been able to make his appointments at 440 Amherst St. without the bus passes.

“I had no clothes and was living on the floor of the mission. What the Friends is really great about…is they pick us up before we can pick ourselves up,” Francis said.

Drug court participants also receive pharmacy gift cards to get medication assistance to maintain program compliance, he said. The Friends also help many participants get dental work, access sober housing and with car repairs to get to work, Francis said.

“The most beautiful aspect of the Friends is that they believe in you before people believe in themselves,” Francis said.

The Friends is dedicated to supporting the life-changing work of drug courts across the state. Its mission is simple but powerful: To provide targeted financial support to assist drug court participants in their recovery, saving lives and making communities safer.

The Friends serves 10 drug courts in nine counties, the Sullivan County Family Treatment Court, the Young Adult Court in Manchester, and the LASER (Law Abiding, Sober, Employed, Responsible) Docket at U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire.