HOULTON, Maine — In each of the 61 McDonald’s located in Maine and the four located in northern New Hampshire, McDonald’s customers routinely toss their change into the donation boxes.
Proceeds from these change collectors directly benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities’ Grants Program to support other nonprofits that share the organization’s mission of healthy children and healthy families.
On Thursday, a portion of that money came back to the greater Houlton community as the Aid for Kids program was presented with a check for $17,000 by RMHC Maine to give a lift to the children and families not only in Maine, but across the globe.
“By partnering with these selected organizations, we have a far broader outreach and a greater positive impact in the lives of children in Maine and northern New Hampshire,” said Robin Chibroski, director of RMHC Maine. “Last year, 6,821 children were impacted through the Grants Program, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our partners at McDonald’s and the donations from their patrons.”
Aid for Kids has worked to improve the lives of children and families worldwide. Currently, the focus is on the “Other Maine” Project and sponsoring programs in Vietnam, Haiti, and Lesotho, Africa. Aid for Kids is a 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax deductible. Its overhead is less than 1 percent, according to the group’s website.
