Easterseals NH Breaks Ground on Phase II of Military & Veterans Campus in Franklin
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Easterseals New Hampshire (search) broke ground on Phase II of its Military & Veterans Campus in Franklin, expanding access to equine-assisted services, recreation, and wellness programming.
The expansion adds the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center and the Empowerment Center, supporting service dog training, art and music therapy, and care coordination.
Phase I opened in September 2025 with affordable housing and counseling, funded by a $22.9 million American Rescue Plan Act award.
Easterseals New Hampshire (search) recently broke ground on Phase II of its Military & Veterans Campus in Franklin, marking the next stage of a first-of-its-kind center in the state that brings housing, essential services, and recreation together in one place for military members, Veterans, first responders, and their families.
The Aug. 4 ceremony was joined by a miniature horse and service dogs, an apt reflection of the programming the expansion will deliver. Phase II includes the Empowerment Center and the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center, which expand access to equine-assisted services, recreation, challenge-based programming, service dog training, art and music therapy, care coordination, classrooms, and wellness initiatives.
A Campus Built on Healing and Connection
Ken and Grace Solinsky, co-founders of Insight Technology, Envision Technology, and Spot On GPS Fence, and principals in development of The Village On Technology Hill, are the namesakes of the equine and recreation center. Grace Solinsky described the facility as "much more than a barn and an indoor riding arena," noting that horses "help people rebuild confidence" and provide hope and healing, which sometimes comes "through a horse, sometimes through a dog" or the many other resources and providers at the Military & Veterans Campus.
Ana McKenna, chief military services officer for Easterseals NH and Vermont, said Phase I of the campus "gave us a wonderful foundation" upon which to build Phase II. "This is a campus where good happens," she said.
Supporting Veterans Through Service Dogs
Charlotte Troddyn, of Hollis-based Operation Delta Dog (search), presented three of the nonprofit's service dogs and their handlers during the ceremony. Operation Delta Dog was founded to reduce veteran suicide rates "by rescuing homeless dogs and training them to be psychiatric service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD (search), traumatic brain injury (search), and military sexual trauma."
"I am proud to represent the four-legged workforce," Troddyn said, adding that it was an honor for Operation Delta Dog (search) to work with Easterseals at the Franklin facility. "We rescue one (life) to save two," she summarized, noting that five Operation Delta Dog canines will call the Military & Veterans Campus home.
Phase I Foundation and Funding
Phase I of the Campus opened in September 2025 and includes affordable housing, counseling, care coordination, recreational opportunities, and the Bernadine Herron Center for events and retreats. It was funded through a $22.9 million award through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
In addition to the Solinsky Equine & Recreation Center and the Empowerment Center, Phase II includes The Werner Mazda Challenge Course and was to have included The Swim With A Mission Aquatics & Fitness Center. However, in an Aug. 11 email, Michele Talwani, Easterseals NH's chief communications and marketing officer, said the pool idea has been scuttled.
"We are collaborating with Swim With a Mission to raise funds for the SWAM Fitness Center. SWAM has been a steadfast supporter from the very start," Talwani wrote. "After more consideration, we've determined that a pool just isn't financially feasible. We are still working out the details but are thinking it will have a basketball court and fitness/workout center with equipment."
A Community Commitment
The Campus is set on 15 acres in west Franklin, next to a connector to the Northern Rail Trail and the Merrimack River. Maureen Beauregard, president and CEO of Easterseals NH and VT, said the Phase II groundbreaking was bittersweet because one of Easterseals' most ardent supporters, Hope Makris, had died before it. Makris, whose family founded the Naswa Resort on Paugus Bay in Laconia, died in May 2025 at the age of 100. Easterseals honored Makris with the naming of Hope's Way on the Campus.
Beauregard said a childcare facility was being created at the campus, noting that the overall project "exemplifies what Easterseals stands for." Congressman Chris Pappas said he was struck by how supportive the Franklin community was of the Campus, adding that the campus is part of the debt that society owes to veterans. District 1 Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, a veteran of the Marine Corps, said the campus will be a place for veterans who need help.
Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026 and be completed in summer 2027.