HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton branch of the Salvation Army brought smiles to the faces of 149 children on Christmas Day this year.
The local branch collected $43,118 from “Red Kettle” drives in Houlton, Presque Isle and Caribou. Of that amount, 90 percent will remain in the local area, said Lt. Elizabeth Nicoll of the Houlton Salvation Army.
“We were able to give Christmas gifts to 149 children, Christmas dinner baskets to 76 families and with all the donations we received we won’t have to pay a cent for the food we had to order,” Nicoll said. “Representatives from the Houlton Masons, Caribou Masons, First Baptist Church, Houlton Rotary, Katahdin Trust in Presque Isle and Houlton stood for us and raised over $5,000 altogether.”
Katahdin Trust in Houlton raised the most for the Salvation Army, collecting $1,842. TD Bank of Houlton also did a gift wrapping fundraiser and Bangor Savings, Katahdin Trust, Border Patrol, North Country Cruisers and many others purchased toys and clothes for Christmas gifts. Community Living Association and the Courtyard Cafe provided food for the food boxes and businesses and families sent money this season, Nicoll said.
