HOULTON, Maine — The Houlton Rotary Club met on Sept. 26, for its luncheon meeting. President Matthew Nightingale reminded everyone about the upcoming Rotary Auction. All cards for donated items that are not yet turned in should go to Nancy Ketch and auction items can be delivered to TD Bank.
One guest, Dawn Degenhardt was present. Also, Nightingale thanked Rotarian Ryan Bushey for the tour of Louisiana Pacific on Sept. 10. Nightingale announced the next Rotary Board of Directors meeting which will be on Oct. 5.
James Mattila introduced his guest speaker Sherri Locke, executive director of United Way of Aroostook County where Mattila is a board member. Locke replaces Claudia Stevens who retired just over a year ago. She was born in Masardis and graduated from Ashland High School. Locke worked for MMG Insurance preceding her directorship for United Way.
Locke presented an update to the club about what has happened in the past year. Her philosophy is that United Way belongs to the people of Aroostook County and that United Way is here to help the residents use the resources available to them. United Way depends on funding from the area, such as from hospitals, grant writing, local clubs such as Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and corporate giving, such as from MMG Insurance.
Other funding comes from workplace donations to the amount of 65 percent of their funding. Employees can give a percentage of their wages. Also, fund-raising events occur each year such as a 5K run for reading called “Book it for Reading” and an auto rally. A campaign titled “Give Where You Live” also raises funds. This year’s goal is $550,000.
The work that United Way does helps to strengthen the lives of children and their families, supports senior citizens and promotes self sufficiency and meeting basic needs for many citizens in Aroostook County, for example, in providing food or fuel. United Way helps to fund agencies that do such work in the County. They also provide mini grants to organizations such as Aid For Kids, or for a playground in Fort Kent, or providing assistance to dialysis agencies. United Way also collaborates with other partners. Programs that exist under the United Way specifically are “Stuff the Bus”, “Dress a Child”, “Santa’s Sleigh” Project, “Summer Slide”, “Energy, Food and Shelter” and 2-1-1 Assistance.
In 2012 United Way adopted Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library that is now available to any child under the age of five in Aroostook County. Educators are seeing a difference in reading skills as children begin school more Rotary meeting Sept. 26 prepared.
In Southern Aroostook, 387 books are sent to children every month at a cost of $2.12 per book or $827 per month or $9,845 per year. A recent survey showed children as being more prepared for school, more quality family reading time is being spent reading as a priority and the children look forward to receiving their books each month. In all of Aroostook County, $50,641 are spent each year on this program.
