PRESQUE ISLE — Employees at the Houlton branch of Bangor Savings Bank recently nominated Aroostook Aspirations Initiative (AAI) as one of the five non-profits in Aroostook County to compete for a chance to secure a $5,000 community grant.
The Community Matters More program, sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, selects five non-profits in every Maine county to compete for a grant. Bangor Savings will award a total of $100,000 with 68 grant checks throughout the state of Maine in March. The non-profits compete for the grant by garnering community support through online voting and/or by paper ballots.
Community is a large part of the work AAI does each day.
“By supporting the college dreams of County kids, AAI aims to decrease the outward migration by increasing the degree attainment levels in Aroostook,” said April Flagg, executive director of AAI. “Higher degree attainment means a higher median household income level, lower poverty rates and less unemployment.
“Stemming the outward migration of our youth, encouraging more Aroostook students to choose a County post-secondary institution, and increasing those degree attainment levels are the clear objectives for Aroostook Aspirations and important factors as we seek to revitalize Aroostook communities,” she said. “Now is the time to build our communities from the inside out. Working together we can make Aroostook strong.”
Sandy Gauvin, president and co-founder of AAI, has deep roots in Aroostook.
“Many thanks to Bangor Savings Bank for its commitment to helping non-profits address the needs of the state. As a lifelong resident of The County and a graduate of a county college, I appreciate the opportunity Bangor Savings has given us to compete for this grant and help stem the outmigration of our young people from Aroostook County,” she said. “This money will help increase the number of students we can serve, thus providing mentorship and support services to more Gauvin Scholars in the future. The end result is that our young people will be more likely to stay in Aroostook County because they have the skills they need to get good jobs up here and can raise their families right here in northern Maine.”
To vote for AAI, visit www.bangor.com/cmm. Community members can also vote by paper ballot available at any Bangor Savings branch or at AAI’s Presque Isle location: 754 Main St. Voting ends Saturday, Feb. 28. To help with the work of AAI, donations can be made online at www.gauvinfund.org, dropped off to the AAI Presque Isle location, or mailed to 26 North St., Box 138, Presque Isle, Maine 04769.
