The president of the Crafty Critters 4-H club sprang into action, and with the help of friends and family, has spent the ensuing years feeding more than 200 people.
“It is something I am very proud of,” Newman said Friday of her Everyone Cares Dinner, a monthly meal that is offered for free at the Houlton Recreation Center on the third Sunday from October through April. The hour-long dinner, which begins at 3 p.m., is always a hot meal, consisting of turkey, ham, chop suey or another food that Newman said she works hard to get provided by a local retailer or to get purchased with donated funding.
Newman said she gets help with the dinner from other members of the 4-H club and from students with Houlton High School’s Breaking Ground Program and the National Honor Society.
The high school junior said she got the idea when she saw a similar dinner being planned in the community fall by the wayside.
“I knew there was a need for it, so I decided to pick it up on my own,” she explained. “I conducted it through the 4-H club because I needed the support of the club, and you also need insurance to put something like this on, and they offer it.”
She said about 20 people, most of whom are senior citizens, usually attend the dinner each month, but younger people show up as well.
“It is good for people, especially who are senior citizens, to come and have a warm place to socialize,” she said. “Especially when it is cold and not everyone can get out during the colder months.”
She said attendance started increasing once word of mouth about the dinners got out.
“Now we have regulars mixed with new faces each month and it feels good to know I am helping to make a difference in their lives,” she said.
According to Newman, the dinners have benefited more than 200 people, including several shut-ins whose meals are delivered. Even with all she has done, she is looking toward the future, including providing transportation and obtaining sponsors for grocery store gift cards for attendees.
