Special to the Pioneer Times
HOULTON – Salvation Army Minister Irma Pearl has her work cut out for her this year trying to keep local families warm and fed through the holidays and winter. One of the Houlton Salvation Army’s major programs in the county is fuel assistance.
Houlton Pioneer Times/Elizabeth Gartley
SERVING THE COMMUNITY – Salvation Army Minister Irma Pearl stands next to toys donated for children of families in need.
“Last year at this time I would say, for fuel assistance we did about 40 or 45 families,” Pearl said, “This year I’m already at 137, so the assistance has tripled due to the price of the fuel.”
Along with the rising price of fuel, the unseasonably cold weather this year has put additional strain on the fuel assistance program.
“The winter’s just beginning, and we’ve already been inundated with people calling for fuel assistance,” Pearl said, “The need is even greater, so we’re really trying to do what we can for people.”
Pearl says that the Houlton Salvation Army’s greatest source of funds, for all their community programs, comes from what their bell ringers are able to collect, but just finding people willing to stand in the cold to collect donations can be a challenge.
“We could use volunteers,” Pearl said, “We don’t have that many bell ringers, but that is our biggest source of revenue to help people in this community.”
The Coats for Kids program is another of the Salvation Army’s efforts to keep people in the community warm for the long Aroostook winter. Anyone with used coats in good condition can drop them off at the Shop ‘N Save on the Ludlow Road in Houlton.
For the holidays, the Salvation Army also has the Angel Tree program, which provides gifts for children throughout the region, along with food baskets for families in need. The Salvation Army currently has Angel Trees with requested gift items at the Wal-Mart in Houlton and the Marden’s and K-Mart in Presque Isle. The Angel Trees seem to be doing well this year, Pearl says.
“A lot of the angels are going,” Pearl explained, “it’s really great that the community’s buying them.”
Pearl says about 100 families throughout Aroostook County will be receiving food baskets this year, but that number may be greater by Christmas.
“I’m not sure yet,” Pearl explained, “Because of the need that’s been out there for fuel, people haven’t really had the resources to go out and buy stuff.”
A food drive bin is still set up at the Houlton Temple Theatre in Market Square for donations toward food baskets.
For more information on how to help, contact Irma Pearl at the Salvation Army at 532-2322.
