Giving programs bring cheer

The holiday season and thoughts of the new year inspire full‑ and part‑time residents of Washington and Charlotte counties to help those who are in need, bringing joy to both the giver and recipient. Whether it's a set of clothing and winter boots for children or a basket of food, here's just a short list of the many different groups that work hard to ensure that no one will go without during the holidays.

Hampers filled with plenty
On Wednesday, December 18, about 11 food hampers will be assembled on Deer Island and picked up by families who need an extra boost of help. The Deer Island Safety Net food bank volunteers have been assembling Christmas dinner hampers for a number of years. Joyce Stuart says, "We make up a nice hamper, if I do say so myself." Packing the hampers gets her and the other eight volunteers in the Christmas spirit, she adds. Hampers include a turkey, potatoes, stuffing, winter squash, carrots, peas, gravy, candies that include chocolates, potato chips, soda pop and apple pie to top it all off.

Toys and hampers brighten lives
On Grand Manan Action Ministries organizes a toy and food hamper program every Christmas season. Home Hardware puts up the Christmas tree with tags of a child's wished-for toy. Volunteer Susan Lambert explains that community members will select a tag and purchase the toy, and the program volunteers take the toys to the families to give as their own. "We have 46 children this year," she says, adding, "Sometimes we get someone whispering in our ears" that a winter coat or a pair of boots is needed. It doesn't happen all that often, but they stand ready to help. "We don't want to see a child or a mum without."
The volunteers are getting ready to work on 68 Christmas food boxes for community members who need a little helping hand. "It's a big amazing thing. And it's fun to see faces light up" when they realize they'll have a lovely meal to put on the table. Food boxes include a turkey or ham, carrots, peas "to you name it," Lambert adds with a smile in her voice. Volunteers gather at the North Head Baptist Church. So many volunteers help that she says she couldn't even begin to know how many, but they come from all over the island when the call goes out. Boxes get packed with food, and volunteers are given a list of four families each for delivery. "It's a lot of work done by a lot of people. Our island really pitches in," Lambert says.

Merrier Christmas program ends run after 34 years
After 34 years and helping 13,000 children, the Let's All Have a Merrier Christmas program has ended, with organizer Rhonda French explaining that health issues, a declining volunteer base and a list of over 700 children stretching from Ellsworth to Topsham combined to become more than the group could handle. She put the word out on social media and website in September so that no one would be surprised and cites all the worthy programs that people can help or turn to for help that have sprung up since the founding of the merrier Christmas effort. They include: the Maine Seacoast Mission "free shopping" area in Cherryfield for parents to come in and pick out gifts; the Stuff the Bus program serving Calais, Woodland and Princeton; the Toys for Tots program Washington County branch through the Washington County Sheriff's Department; and the Wee Care Program in Machias. "As a family we're still helping and very involved," she notes and expresses her deep gratitude for all who made the program possible over the years.
Calais Lions Santa's Helper provides cheer
The Calais Lions Club has worked for over 40 years to bring holiday cheer to those who are in need in the Calais area with the Santa's Helper program. The club distributes coupons that can be used to purchase food baskets, clothing and toys. Organizer John Mitchell says that the club has "some great young Lions who are really gung‑ho" and are a great help with programs such as this one.
Families or elderly people can apply for the program, and those who meet eligibility requirements receive a $25 gift card that can be used at the IGA or the Tradewinds for dinner fixings. Mitchell says with a laugh that they used to do the boxed meals with turkey and are very glad not to have to lug all those heavy loads around for delivery. Those qualifying families with children receive a $50 coupon book for each child of up to four children in a household ages one through 14. The coupon booklet can be used in local participating businesses for toys and children's clothing. "We give coupons because we don't know what particular toy a child would like. We let parents make the decision." The club is helping about 100 families this year, he adds.

Christmas Giving Tree shines
One summer resident knit 30 hats as part of the 10‑member knitting crew that provide hats, mittens and scarves for the Community Christmas Giving Tree program in Machias. "I love this program," says volunteer organizer Debra Eckart. "It's just wonderful and really needed." This year she anticipates that about 550 individuals will be helped from the Jonesport to Machias area, with about 380 children ages 0 to 18 and the rest adults with special needs.
"The primary emphasis for children is winter coats or boots," Eckart explains. She just spent $700 of a $1,500 donation provided by the Machias branch of the Machias Savings Bank on boots. She takes a list of sizes to make sure they'll fit the roundup of growing feet.
Everyone gets a scarf, hat, mittens and a book. Other needs run the gamut and can include toys like Lego sets to personal hygiene items. The program provides forms to area churches, schools and agencies to fill out with wish list items. Giving Trees are set up with tags that specify needs. "We have a number of people give $100. People are extremely generous. It's wonderful," Eckart adds.
At the Catholic church parish hall space -- loaned for use as the program's "warehouse" -- up to 55 volunteers will gather to fill orders. Often a community member will drop by to see if there's something they can pick up that hasn't been purchased or donated yet. Volunteers shop, do publicity and more. Jobs for Maine's Graduates students at Machias Memorial High School have helped for the last five years. "Sometimes a student will confide that they're happy to help because their family had been helped." It's rare, though, she notes, because the program beneficiaries are confidential, "as it should be." She adds with delight, "It's a real community effort."

Toys and Treasures helps Lubec area children
The Toys and Treasures program was started in 2010 by Sonja and Cassie Kinney to help families in Lubec, Campobello, Whiting and Trescott have a brighter Christmas. Toys and Treasures collects and purchases toys, gifts and sundries through donations and monies from five 50‑50 raffles held each year. "We don't solicit anybody," Sonja Kinney stresses, but many donate, including for 2019 the Lubec Woman's Club. She expects to help at least 100 children or adults this year.
About 75% of the items purchased are toys for children, but they also purchase items for older community members who might want to give a gift to someone who has helped them with pet care, mowing the lawn or getting their mail. Sometimes an older resident will give the program a donation and then come in to pick out a gift. "Nobody knows what someone's needs are. Not everyone has a car or can drive or use the Internet" to buy gifts, she explains. The Kinneys started the program after helping out one holiday at the homeless shelter in Ellsworth. "We had to do something," and so they did. However, "It's a community thing," Sonja Kinney says, and that's the way they want it.

Small grants, Silent Santa work behind the scenes
Each year, usually in December, Christ Episcopal Church of Eastport makes a number of grants, primarily to local organizations and generally for basic needs. These are voted by the vestry, and the funding comes from profits from sales at the New to You Thrift Shop, the church's major mission project. Among the many grants made, $500 was given to the Eastport Memorial Nursing Home activities program for residents; $2,000 was given to the Friends of Sunrise County Dialysis to provide protein bars and gas cards for patients at the Eastport facility; $5,000 to the Greater Eastport Ecumenical Churches Association for the Garrapy Food Pantry and emergency heating assistance fund; $1,000 to the Peavey Memorial Library for programming; $4,000 to the Rector's Discretionary Fund to provide small grants to people in need for utilities and other essentials; and $500 to the Silent Santa program in Eastport.
Speaking of the Silent Santa program, Santa's helpers are busy gathering donated clothing, toys and more from community members, who have picked up one or more tags with specified needs, and are also filling in the gaps with donated funds. Eastport area children will find tucked under the tree items such as new pants and shirts, sturdy winter boots and a toy or two to get their new year off to a good start.

Santa's secret elf delivers unexpected cheer
Adding an unexpected ring of cheer to area residents is a secret elf who partnered with an Eastport business to send out gift certificates to thank folks for their work over the years to better the island city community. Surprised recipients received the gift certificates in the mail and upon contacting the business were told that an anonymous well‑wisher was behind the gifts. Many of the recipients left notes of thanks at the business for the jolly elf to pick up and enjoy reading over a mug of cocoa when back at the North Pole.