To the editor:
ELM (Empowering Life Ministries) is not a church, but a nondenominational faith-based, non-profit located in Houlton, Maine, with a 501c-3 designation. Our services include, but are not limited to, clinical and faith based counseling, group and individual therapy, conferences, and volunteers who provide supportive services. We are currently implementing a Friends of Aroostook outreach program. This program consists of three complementary components: OWH (Operation Wood Heat), SFPP (Summer Fresh Produce Program), and HSC (Helping Senior Citizens). These programs were created to assist Aroostook residents who are in need. Although assistance programs are available in northern Maine, many people still have unfulfilled needs. Our programs bridge many of these gaps with no fees charged to the consumer.
OWH: Area wood contractors, municipalities and individuals donated 16 cords of tree length wood to ELM in 2008. Volunteers cut, split and piled the wood during the summer months. This winter we have served people in Houlton, Littleton, Oakfield, Island Falls and Washburn with pick-up loads of firewood. The Salvation Army, municipalities and concerned neighbors help us locate needy families.
SFPP: This outreach gives ELM the ability to connect locally grown produce with area people in need of nutritional fruits and vegetables. Growers in Southern Aroostook plant various types of fruits and vegetables for this project. High school youth and other volunteers do the harvesting. Catholic Charities in Caribou distribute the fresh produce to 25 food pantries in Aroostook.
HSC: Helping Senior Citizens outreach connects fresh produce, donated by area gardeners to 12 senior citizens complexes. Gardeners, voluntary youth and others will harvest the produce and ELM will place it in the complexes. Produce programs begin in June and end in October. During Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Easter Seasons, local farmers donate potatoes and ELM delivers them to the senior homes.
Northern Maine continues to experience shortfalls when providing for those less fortunate. Our programs address these needs. RAC (Rural Assistance Center) has classified Aroostook County as an undeserved region in all the areas of Health and Human Services. Often state programs are under funded or delayed. In December we gave firewood to families who applied for assistance in October and still had not received their fuel allotment.
The Friends of Aroostook program continues throughout the entire year. Our programs change, as alternate resources become available. We continue to look for new ways to connect local resources with local needs. Please call us for more information at 532-9906.
Houlton
