National Honor Society adviser says incoming pledges could lift group effort over goal
CARIBOU, Maine — When National Honor Society President Maddie Doucette and Corresponding Secretary Rachel Soucy attended the NHS convention in Orono and witnessed a food fundraiser that fed 40,000 hungry mainer, the effort inspired them to undertake a similar project in Caribou.
While the Caribou NHS has only sought donations for a few months, they are close to hitting their $5,000 goal, which will allow them to pack 26,000 meals.
“We have pledges that will put us over the top,” said NHS Adviser Ken Atcheson, “but we are waiting for the Caribou Rotary Club to make a final decision and that will come on January 3, 2017.”
With help from the Caribou community, Society members will spend Jan. 19 of next year packing meals in the Caribou Ski Building.
Atcheson says all the meals will stay in Aroostook County, and Catholic Charities of Aroostook will distribute the meals to local food pantries.
Since announcing their efforts to combat hunger in The County, a myriad of local groups have pitched in to help the cause. In addition to NHS members’ personal contacts and CHS students, local groups such as the United Way, Cary Medical Center, Pines Health Services, Maine Mutual Group, S.W. Collins Co., Sleeper’s Market, Associated Grocers of New England, Thompson/Hamel Associates, and Machias Savings Bank have stepped up to the plate as well.
The NHS Adviser says if they raise more than $5,000, the additional money will go toward packing more meals or he group will set the funds aside to help with next year’s effort.
