HOULTON, Maine — With temperatures dipping below the zero mark in recent days, a Linneus woman is doing her part to make sure that people stay warm this winter.
Cindy Grant placed a bag filled with hats and gloves at the Riverfront Park kiosk last week as a way to bring a small amount of comfort to people during the bitterly cold winter days.
“My heart has always wanted to do something to help people, but I wasn’t able to do much from home,” Grant said.
“I see people walking all the time and they look like they are freezing. I know you can’t give everybody a ride, so I decided to do hats and gloves for people walking.”
Grant said she came up with the idea of placing a bag full of goodies at the park one day while enjoying an afternoon in Riverfront Park.
“I was sitting down in the park one day, and I kept
seeing people walking by without hats or gloves in all sorts of weather, so I thought this might help a few people,” she said.
Grant said she contacted the Houlton Police Department to make sure placing the bag at the kiosk was not considered vandalism.
She checks the bag on a daily basis to see if it needs restocking. Grant said she started out with 50 items, and will replace items whenever she can.
Fourth-grade students at Houlton Southside School learned of the project and decided to help by donating $50 from the Student Council to purchase additional hats and mittens.
Grant added she hopes the idea will strike a chord with others in the hopes that many individuals would come forward and either restock the goodie bag, or place similar bags at different locations around the town.
Grant said she learned of a second bag being placed at the Houlton Amphitheatre in Monument Park and hopes others will follow suit. She hopes to make it an all-winter event and not just a “holiday” occurrence.
Those that wish to help out with the project can simply add items to the bags at either location, or start their own bag in a different spot, Grant said.
“I think you’ll find most people desire to help others, however they don’t always know where to begin,” Grant said. “If you create a foundation for people to get involved in something great, you will find people will start to come together and make a difference! It just takes one person to step up and encourage others to follow.”
