HOULTON, Maine — The Salvation Army in Houlton is back to full strength with the addition of Lieutenants Dominic and Elizabeth Nicoll.
The Nicolls spent the last two years at the Salvation Army College For Officer Training in Suffern, N.Y.
“We trained in how to be Corps officers,” said Dominic. “This is our first appointment. It is all new, but it is exciting.”
Dominic has a distinct British accent.
“My parents were Corps officers in England,” he said. “So, I have been raised in the Salvation Army.”
But, Dominic did not follow directly in his parents’ footsteps. He worked as a manager at Lowes, while Elizabeth held part-time jobs after the birth of their daughter, Gillian.
The couple were always active lay workers in the Corps until they were “just simply called by God” to step into a leadership position, said Elizabeth.
While at the Salvation Army School For Officer Training, the Nicolls were well prepared for their initial assignment.
“They gave us lots of experience, as well as classes,” said Dominic and “We had hands-on experience,” added Elizabeth. The couple were given assignments during the summer and at Christmas to go out to different Corps to see how operations run, while they were in training school.
Dominic said the Salvation Army School for Officer Training is accredited by the state of New York as a college. The couple each earned an associate’s degree.
The Nicolls first day on the job at the Houlton Salvation Army was July 1.
“We just want to find ways that people here need to be served,” said Elizabeth. “We are looking for a need that is not being met by other agencies and how we can meet that need.”
Cindi Hanning handles social service clients for the Houlton Salvation Army, while the Lieutenants will be overseeing the operations to make sure they run smoothly.
“We are doing the best that we can to make sure we are doing the best that we can for the team and making sure we are helping,” said Dominic.
The Nicolls want to make their help additional and not to duplicate efforts in the Shiretown.
“We do not want to do something that someone else is doing and doing it well,” Elizabeth explained. “There would be no reason for us to do that. We need to take time and meet with people and figure out what need in the community is not being met. We have a few ideas of what we would like to do.”
“Obviously, this [depends] on funding,” Dominic added. “We are in talks about what really needs to be done now and what can wait until later.
The Salvation Army receives a United Way grant for its rental and utilities fund every three months.
“After a month and a half, we are out of money,” said Elizabeth. “So, one of the things we are definitely trying to figure out in the next couple of months is where we can get more money to be able to meet needs continuously.”
“It is a lot of work at the minute,” Dominic said with a smile. “As Liz said, we don’t want to do anything that is being done a block away and being done well. If need be, maybe we can partner with another organization. Otherwise, we want to do what the community needs now and further it.”
The Nicolls will be leading church services each Sunday at 12 Court St. in Houlton. Sunday School is at 9:45 a.m., followed by the Holiness Meeting at 11 a.m. The Salvation Army can also be liked on Facebook.
Though the couple is starting to get more settled into Houlton, they already appreciate the tranquility.
“After being near New York City for two years, this is wonderful,” said Elizabeth. “We have been welcomed by everyone we have met. Everyone has been really nice. It is a quiet town and we love that.”
“It is very nice around here,” said Dominic. “This is where we are called to serve and this is where we want to be. We see things that need to be done, that is why we are here.”
