Volunteers Needed to Work With Youth in County Serve-a-Thon

Students  at eight Aroostook County schools will be participating in the inaugural Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon, scheduled for October 18.

The Serve-a-Thon provides students the opportunity to come together in community service to raise funds for scholarships for County kids.  But they can’t do it alone, and adult volunteers are needed to help these kids turn their labor into dollars. Participating schools include Easton, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Houlton, Mars Hill, Washburn, Wisdom (St. Agatha/Frenchville) and Hodgdon.

Students will collect pledges for monetary contributions backed by community projects that include cemetery and park maintenance, painting and cleanup of historic sites, and other activities that help link students to their local communities.

Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon, developed by the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, supports County students in a variety of community service projects to raise money for college scholarships.

“When we surveyed Aroostook students about community service, 80% wanted to be involved in some sort of service to their community, said the program's Executive Director April Flagg. "When we asked why, they responded that helping people makes them happy, Aroostook Aspirations is a great cause, and perhaps the most powerful, they wanted to show their communities what their generation is capable of doing.  They see the need for change, and they truly want to be a part of it.  Heidi’s Hope is innovative, different, and most importantly it engages students in a project connecting to their communities.”

Volunteers who believe in the County and its young people can sign up to participate in the mid-October event by going to the Gauvin Fund web page and clicking on the green volunteer tab or by contacting Aroostook Aspirations directly.