CARIBOU, Maine — County Commissioners held a public hearing on June 19 to discuss a $50,000 public service grant for Catholic Charities of Maine. If awarded, Catholic Charities would use the funding, made available through the Community Development Block Grant program, to buy a second-hand van and pay for a part-time position to transport volunteer inmates who help the non-profit.
County Administrator Ryan Pelletier said the grant application needed to be submitted by a government organization on behalf of Catholic Charities, whose work benefits all of Aroostook County.
Dixie Shaw, director of Catholic Charities Hunger and Relief Services, told commissioners she hoped they would see the grant as an opportunity to not only feed the people of Aroostook County, but also to help the inmates at the Aroostook County Jail.
“We’ve been working with inmates for the past couple of years,” Shaw said, adding that they’ve assisted in the “physical, muscle power work” necessary at their farm, food banks, and thrift stores throughout The County.
During a meeting with County commissioners on June 19, Dixie Shaw, director of Hunger and Relief Services at Catholic Charities, explains the purpose of a CDBG application for $50,000 to help with a volunteer inmate program. (Christopher Bouchard)
She said that many of the non-inmate volunteers who have time to help are often retired, and sometimes have physical limitations when it comes to hard labor. As a result, the decision to use inmates has helped immensely, especially considering the organization’s “tight budget.”
Unfortunately, Shaw has spent the past couple years personally transporting the inmates in a pickup truck, which can only hold three at a time, while juggling responsibilities at the farm, thrift stores, and food banks located throughout the County.
“I’m spending 12 hours a week, minimum, transporting inmates,” she said. “It also ties up the pickup. Sometimes I have a class of kids help us at the farm [in Caribou] and I need to be there at 7:30, but I also need to be [in Houlton] to pick [the inmates] up.”
She said that, in addition to the secondary vehicle, the grant will help fund a part-time person to help with transportation.
Shaw then emphasized the success of the inmate program, adding that since it began Catholic Charities’ food output has seen tremendous increases.
“Last year we put out 1.2 million pounds of food in Aroostook County,” she said. “We did that with inmate help, a lot of inmate help.”
She said the work not only helps her organization and the hungry residents of Aroostook, but it also provides inmates with a chance to give something back to their community.
“They have a chance to give back to a community that they may have taken from,” she said.
Commissioner Norman Fournier asked when the funding would be received if the grant is approved.
Pelletier said that the CDBG program typically receives funding from the federal government after July 1 and that it may come in by August or September.
Commissioner Paul Underwood joked that Shaw was “more in need of a clone,” and she responded, “God didn’t give me a sister because He knew my mother would like her better.”
She said if the organization receives the grant this year, half of the funding will go toward the used van and half toward the part-time help.
Fournier asked Shaw why she didn’t request a brand new vehicle.
“We couldn’t afford it,” Shaw said, referring to the $50,000 limit on the grant. “We don’t need a brand new anything. Have y’all seen the truck I drive around? It’s working just fine.”
Pelletier clarified that commissioners did not need to vote on the grant, as the public hearing was only being held for the purpose of taking comments.
Shaw thanked the commissioners for applying on behalf of Catholic Charities, and said that she’s seen improvements in many inmates over the past two years.
“We’ve worked with approximately 50 inmates and I see many of them here and there and think they’re doing fairly well now,” she said. “The ones who aren’t are able to recognize that they aren’t, so I think there are some real benefits.”
Commissioner Paul Adams thanked Shaw for her time before they moved onto the next agenda item.
“Good luck,” he said. “I hope you get it.”
