PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — When Nola Farley of Mapleton was driving on the Houlton Road in Presque Isle one day in November, she saw an older woman walking on the side of the road, clutching a teddy bear and a rolled up blanket.
Farley later called the Presque Isle Police Department, who informed her that the woman is one of many people they know about who are homeless in the Presque Isle area. Like many folks in Aroostook County, Farley was aware of the homeless population in larger cities and towns, but she had not realized that the issue had reached the area.
Due to challenges with employment, affordable housing and transportation, numerous folks in northern Maine fall victim to homelessness, according to Stephen Eyler, director of the Sister Mary O’Donnell Emergency Shelter in Presque Isle. Eyler previously told the Star Herald that the shelter — the only homeless shelter serving the general public in Aroostook — helps more than 100 people each year.
For days, Farley could not stop thinking about the woman she had seen and realized she “had to do something” to provide winter clothing for people facing homelessness. On her Facebook page, she created an event called “Keeping the Community Warm” and urged people to donate. On Nov. 15, she and her friends Dani Cyr of Presque Isle, Edith Helstrom of Fort Fairfield and Lisa Simpson of Castle Hill set up a table at the Sargent Family Community Center in Presque Isle for anyone who wished to donate.
The amount of clothes they were able to collect exceeded Farley’s expectations.
“We ended up with at least a dozen boxes full of coats, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, boots, blankets, sweaters and shirts,” she said. “For me, it was simply about giving back. No one should have to be cold during the winter regardless of their circumstances.”
Farley and her daughter Sierra, 14, later delivered the clothes and blankets to local organizations the Hope and Justice Project and Martha and Mary’s Soup Kitchen, both located in Presque Isle, which plan to make the items available to individuals they serve on an as needed basis.
Though she currently does not have plans to hold future “Keeping the Community Warm” events, Farley said the experience of donating opened her eyes to how many people in Aroostook County are in need of support because of homelessness or the lack of financial means to purchase proper clothing during the winter months. She encourages community members to donate items, especially those who might have clothing that no longer fits them or other family members but that may be ideal for those in need.
“No matter how little you think you can do, there’s always something that you can do,” Farley said.
