HOULTON, Maine — Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook (AABA) has announced that it received a $6,000 Community Development Grant from Machias Savings Bank to help fund programs such as Choices After School and Just 4 Boys Summer Camp for 2016-17.
“We are deeply grateful for this gift,” said Tammy Goetsch, program director for AABA. “Funds from Machias Savings Bank will be leveraged with other sources of funding to continue to provide quality programs and special projects. For example, AABA received a donated playground that it will be installing in the spring. This playground will be open to the public and utilized for the programs AABA offers. These funds will help us to leverage additional funding for staffing and special projects. The additional funds make certain that special projects such as the Annual Back to School Block Party will supply families in Aroostook County with much needed back to school supplies and resources.”
AABA began in June of 2009 with one block and has grown to encompass multiple blocks. Over time as a result of visiting our neighbors we began providing services that extended into the entire community. These services are mainly food, clothing and furniture. However cooking, parenting and life skills classes have also been offered to the community. Our motto is to “Find a need and fill it….Find a hurt and heal it.” Just 4 Boys Summer Camp and Choices after school programs were born out of finding a need, and filling it. “We regularly receive donated clothing, furniture and household items”, states Goetsch, “and we in turn give it to those who have a need, free of charge.”
Machias Savings Bank has been creating lasting relationships throughout Maine since 1869 and is a community bank with a devoted staff of over 230 employees. They have a valued interest and sound commitment to the economic development of the areas they serve. As part of that commitment, they have been providing Community Development Grants for 11 years. Adopt-A-Block of Aroostook’s first grant in 2010 was from Machias Savings Bank. This seed money helped to leverage other funding to get us to where we are today.
Those who would like to volunteer for any of the AABA programs or to make a donation, can contact the office by email at aab@houltonmsbc.org or by calling 532-2783 x 102.
