PETERBOROUGH – There’s a new bank in town, and no, it doesn’t accept deposits of wooden nickels.

But the wood bank does accept firewood, and lots of it to keep area residents warm this winter.

The wood bank is an idea that is being tried in several New Hampshire towns and has now made its way to Peterborough.

The local wood bank has been started by The River Center to supplement the wood-heating needs of the community, and the nonprofit agency is looking for volunteers: From the person handy with a chain saw who can cut and split wood, to those with pickup trucks or trailers who can deliver wood to The River Center on Concord Street, to the Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop that can stack delivered wood for an elderly recipient, said Margaret E. Nelson, executive director of The River Center.

A community wood bank has been talked about for years, Nelson said, and already exists at The Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center, an Antrim-based nonprofit that serves the towns of Hancock, Bennington, Antrim and Francestown. Neighboring Greenfield also has a wood bank that serves its residents.

The project got off the ground this spring, helmed by Peterborough volunteers Bill Duerig and Jim Orr.

So far, volunteers and donors heard about the wood bank through word of mouth and stepped forward to help or offer a donation.

“Sometimes the wood is cut, split and delivered,” Duerig said. “Othertimes a donor simply calls and says, ‘We have some trees you can take.’”

The outpouring from the community has been great, Nelson said.

“At this moment we have about 50 cords of wood that have been donated to The River Center,” she said.

However, only about 11 cords of wood have been delivered to the River Center, where is it being stored inside the town’s former ice shed.

Right now the biggest need for the project is “the people power to get it here,” Nelson said.

Then once the heating season starts, volunteers will be needed to deliver the wood to recipients.

“We heard through the grapevine sometimes people who burn wood sometimes need extra wood,” Duerig said.

The wood bank is meant to supplement state fuel assistance, Nelson said.

Recipients must first apply for fuel assistance either through Southern New Hampshire Services - if they live in western Hillsborough Country - or Southwestern New Hampshire Services - if they live in Cheshire County towns served by The River Center such as Rindge, Jaffrey and Dublin.

Residents of towns that already have wood banks will be referred to that town or community resource.

Southern New Hampshire Services has an office in The River Center building on Concord Street and can be reached at 924-2243.

To volunteer to cut, split, deliver or stack wood, call the River Center at 924-6800.

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Meghan Pierce may be reached at mpierce@newstote.com.