PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Aroostook Aspirations Initiative’s 2016 Gauvin Scholars are leading the 2017 County Service Challenge Wednesday, June 7. The County Service Challenge is a day in which Gauvin Scholars lead community service projects in Aroostook County, based on service platforms they selected last July.
The projects include:
Houlton Community Cleanup – 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Samantha Williams, along with community members in the Houlton area, have identified different areas in the town that could benefit from a cleanup. Volunteers will gather to clean the targeted areas.
The Kindness Plate Project – 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Emilia Churchill, and 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Brittany Corey, developed a giving project. They, along with volunteers, will put together plates of food for community members in need and distribute these plates to individuals with the hope that they will someday return the favor.
Fort Fairfield Historical Society – 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Kaitlyn Parady, is leading a group of volunteers to help the Fort Fairfield Historical Society with cleaning that needs to be completed before the Potato Blossom Festival. They will also scrape and paint the outside of Friends Church in Fort Fairfield.
Presque Isle Fire Hydrant Project – 2016 Gauvin Scholar adopted by Hampton Inn, Kyle Rider, and 2016 TAMC Gauvin Scholar, Jarrett Olson, will paint fire hydrants throughout Presque Isle. After coordinating with the Presque Isle Fire Department, they will work with volunteers to paint the fire hydrants to make them more visible and to improve the looks of downtown Presque Isle.
Houlton Humane Society – 2016 Bangor Daily News Gauvin Scholar, Sarah Watt, and 2016 Katahdin Trust Company Gauvin Scholar, Megan Cole, will spend time at the Houlton Humane Society to clean, walk and play with the animals throughout the day.
Bee Day – 2016 Gauvin Scholar adopted by Hampton Inn, Liam Daniels, will educate students on the importance of bees in the environment, how the bee population is rapidly declining, and plant flower seedlings. Children will be able to take home their new knowledge of bees, as well as their planted flowers to help the bees around their house.
Oakfield Railroad Museum – 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Mariah Lane, is creating an educational video of the Oakfield Railroad museum. Her goal is to educate elementary aged children about the importance of the railroad and also increase grant revenue to improve the museum and education program.
Mars Hill Community Cleanup – 2016 Health Services Foundation Gauvin Scholar, Kaitlyn Condon, and 2016 Pineland Farms Gauvin Scholar, Molly Anthony, are working with Central Aroostook High School students to clean around the high school. They will also collect bottles from residents of the community and donate the money to a local organization who will, in turn, put the money back into the community.
Central Aroostook Humane Society – 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Bailee Getchell, and 2016 Gauvin Scholar, Haley Perkins, will collect donations for the Central Aroostook Humane Society and the soup kitchen. They will work with the Boys and Girls Club of Presque Isle to set up donation boxes at the Presque Isle High School and the Micmac Boys and Girls Club. On June 7th, the members of the Boys and Girls Club will present the donations and volunteer at the humane society.
Aroostook Aspirations Initiative’s Executive Director, Kristen Wells, says it’s not only great to see a wide variety of projects, but also to have Scholars working together.
“What our Scholars care about in their community matters. We want them to be involved and help shape our future in Aroostook County,” said Wells. “It’s great to see them coming together to coordinate and work on service projects that strengthen our communities.”
For more information, visit gauvinfund.org/csc.
