Adopt-A-Block plans Saturday showcase

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of effort to make a difference.
    Such is the case with the Adopt-A-Block program, an inter-denominational organization, whose purpose is to identify needs in the community and work to meet those needs.
    The group’s third annual Adopt-A-Block party takes place Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. at Monument Park, featuring back-to-school backpack giveaways to children in need, face painting, clothing and food giveaways, free Houlton Farms Dairy ice cream, free haircuts for children, a bounce house, kids games, vehicles from the Houlton Fire and Police departments that children can check out and a free hot dog lunch.
    In June 2008, nearly 100 backpacks were filled with school supplies for children in need. That number has steadily increased over the past three years to almost 200 backpacks this year.
    “One kid wrote to thank us because he had never had a new backpack to start school,” Goetsch said. “These are things that some of us just take for granted.”
    The concept of the Adopt-A-Block program began in 2008 when members of the Military Street Baptist Church took a youth group to the “Dream Center” in Los Angeles. The Dream Center is a volunteer driving organization that finds and fills needs of individuals and families that began in 1994.
    “We really wanted to bring something back to Houlton,” said Tammy Goetsch, community relations coordinator and executive administrative assistant for Military Street Baptist Church. “A lot of times, groups go on these outreaches, and you do things there. We wanted it to matter where we lived.”
    The group adopted the square block of Kelleran, Military, Park and School streets, but the efforts to help are not merely contained to this geographical area.
    “At first, we made a commitment to one block, once a month for one year,” Goetsch explained. “It just kind of blossomed from there. We started out with 42 families and there are now about 122.”
    The block has since expanded to Mechanic Street and other areas around the town as well as other churches coming on board to assist. The Houlton Wesleyan and United Methodist churches now play a large role alongside Military Street Baptist Church.
    “A hallmark of healthy and vibrant communities is the ability of community members to reach out to those in need and deliver meaningful and necessary assistance,” Houlton Town Manager Doug Hazlett said. “The Adopt-A-Block program fills this need and exemplifies all that is good about community outreach.”
    “It’s not just about needy people,” Goetsch said. “It’s also about helping the elderly. For some, it’s the only time someone knocks on their doors.”
    Assistance comes in a variety of forms. It might mean bringing food or household items to those who cannot afford them. It might also involve taking an elderly person to get their prescriptions filled or making gift baskets to drop off. Shoveling snow and mowing lawns are other activities that members take part in.
    “We started out with just a small group of people and it’s really blossomed,” Goetsch said. “Those that do this, know they are in it for the long haul. It’s not just a once a month thing.”
    The group meets on the third Saturday of every month for door-to-door outreaches. A community breakfast is a seasonal event held September to May on the third Saturday from 8-9 a.m. for everyone.
    “From my perspective, people who volunteer and participate in the program serve as positive role models for our youth,” Houlton Chief of Police Butch Asselin said. “It is my hope that you will generously support this program.”
    “A lot of times we don’t even know the person who lives next to us,” Goetsch said. “We had one family who had a hole in their roof and no running water for seven years. Nobody would have known if we had not reached out to the family. The concept is really quite simple. It’s not rocket science. It’s all about helping people however we can.”
    The group recently hired its first employee, thanks to a grant from the United Way and is now looking for a new warehouse/storage area. For more information, contact the Military Street Baptist Church at 532-2738 ext. 102 or email: aab@houltonmsbc.org.