Public talk channels click off into silence. Easing into the storm, I settle down and feel this renewing calm well up inside me. I utter humble greetings to all who may read these words.
The forest out my back window stands still and quiet, wafted by a slight breeze. A needled pine branch waves its slow hello, like some sign of human recognition and gentle acknowledgment. I can nearly feel the wind sighing for all of us in these pines.
“How dare you speak of trees humanly,” the anthropomorphic critic in my head speaks as I step aside, letting that old crackler go. Beyond a thousand years and a lifetime of hold-it-in-fearfulness, I too let the fear go and begin to reconnect with the clam winds and warming wet sky, here in the eye of the hurricane.
Around me, my wife, our families and communities, locally and globally, the C19 storm swirls through all people in the atmosphere with no regard for country, race, social class, wealth or poverty, age, political or religious affiliation, gender and sexuality, etc., etc., etc. We stand together in a time and place where all these distinct certainties are being shredded day-by-day, and are receding if not already gone.
Welcome to the new world, where there is no going back to the whims and blind norms and life sucking greed that delivered all of us to the end of 2019, the end of that long era of status quo, privilege and power. The invisible hand of novel change launched at the cusp of 2019-2020, is now upon us across our global commons, Hurricane C19.
Beyond all denials, indeed we must find this terrifying on one hand, yet absolutely liberating on the other, especially when you look deeper and consider that none of us are immune, that all of us are at risk, and indeed, all of us are bound together in facing and accepting this hurricane with our utmost best in mind, with hands held high together while staying at least six feet apart.
Fly’s are being cast, flicking all waters of the globe, looking to hook a cure that remains unclear, uncertain at this time. In the face of such absolute uncertainty, unhinged from safety, what can one do for hope among endless voices that simply talk about it?
At a loss for words I don’t know. I pause... I remain respectful of hope by keeping my distance and patiently following a few new rules, a new stand for me. I don’t know why, but I remain strangely unafraid, like some elder warrior standing his mountain ground, with you, and you, and with you, all in the calm eye of this hurricane.
That I know I am loved and that I too love, is no longer up for question. I take heart in this fact of my human existence, from this moment on and outwards in all directions. The fir boughs wave their gentle thanks towards me, and indeed I feel much gratitude for being with you and a part of the natural and human threads that weave the fabric of our lives together here at home on Earth... From the eye of the hurricane.
DEXTER – Being a senior in high school, a grocery store employee or a firefighter is a tough job anytime, to say nothing of during the time of COVID-19. Eric Bennett, 18, of Dexter is all three.
Responses to the pandemic escalated quickly at Dexter Regional High School, Bennett said, with reminders about hand washing and cough etiquette and encouragement to track symptoms in the early days, followed closely with complete school closure.
“They were sending us all home with packets of stuff to do,” he said on April 14. “The hardest part is the culture shock of going from a classroom setting to studying at home. The work they gave us is not necessarily hard, but I found it more difficult to stay focused, compared to in the classroom with a teacher you can ask. I used to go to Mr. Murray’s room after lunch to ask about English. Now I write emails. I got my report card the other day and I am passing all my classes.”
Things have changed at Hannaford Supermarket, as well. “I noticed the parking lot was absolutely packed one day, and it was pretty much a mad house in there,” Bennett recalled. “I asked one of my coworkers if they had also noticed things picking up around March 11. That’s when I heard about the first case in Maine. About a week and a half after that, they were putting Plexiglas at the registers. We also have six feet markers for the checkout line. Today we are putting in signs on some of the aisles for one-way.
“The six-foot policy has been interesting to follow,” he continued. “It kind of affects everybody’s performance a little bit because you can’t just sneak by a person. You have to wait for the aisle to clear before you can start stocking. Out front, they are cleaning the carts after every use, and you can’t have more than 45 people in the store at one time. We have two employees out front: one who counts, and one who cleans carts.” Employees were being offered the option to wear masks, as well.
Bennett said he picked up extra hours at the grocery store because he wanted to earn money while not in school, but that “it always felt like kind of a moral obligation, if you will, to work now because of how many people need groceries. It’s nice to have extra money in my pocket, and I might as well work and try to get that extra experience, but I am also a lot younger than a lot of the workers down there. I’d rather me catch it than somebody who might not be able to bounce back.”
Bennett was a junior firefighter for a couple of years before turning 18, and has been a full-fledged firefighter with the Dexter Fire Department since last August. In addition to putting out fires, firefighters answer calls that may put them in contact with COVID patients.
“We do get paged out for lift assists and car accidents and some other medical calls,” he said. “We’re all more mindful of [COVID], and social distancing. And it’s always an option whether or not to go to a call anyways. I found a couple of calls that I opted not to go on because of certain characteristics of that call.”
Bennett has reason to be cautious. His family has already had its first brush with COVID-19. His sister, 16, who has preexisting health concerns, had been babysitting down in the Portland area. Her employer developed symptoms associated with COVID and was advised to treat it as such, but could not get tested.
“So I get a call from my mother that my sister has been exposed,” said Bennett. Since he had not been near his sister, Bennett went to stay with his grandparents in Guilford for two weeks rather than be quarantined at home with her. “I was stuck between a rock and a hard place,” he said. “If I had stayed home, I could not have worked. And it turned out to just be pneumonia.”
On the day we spoke, Bennett said graduation was the only thing that had not yet been officially cancelled, “but the writing is on the wall for it. In the fall, I thought, ‘I don’t care if I march’ but now that it’s actually out of the question, that kind of hurts a little bit. But, it’s one of those things where we have to roll with the punches, I guess.”
He was also disappointed that prom was cancelled because she “never really had a very good prom and I told her she would this year, but that’s kind of the way the cards fall,” he said. She occasionally visits him at lunch at an outdoor picnic table. “I’m hoping this will be over by summer, at least. It’s bad in this regard, because we are both going to colleges and are going to be halfway across the country from each other.”
To destress, Bennett buys project materials online, plays a lot more video games than in the past, and, “I’ve also found myself taking a lot more walks and runs, now that I think about it, which is very relaxing. And if my beeper [for fire calls] goes off, I am out the door! I go stir crazy pretty easy,” he said, laughing.
This year’s high school seniors missed out on their last spring sports season, their prom, precious time with friends, and much more. Educators and loved ones everywhere are stepping up to make sure that these young people, who finished their high school studies under extraordinary circumstances, don’t miss out on graduation celebrations – even if those celebrations look different than in years past.
Central High School, in Corinth, is holding a drive-through graduation at 2 p.m. on June 13.
“We’ve put a lot of thought into this and tried to develop a plan that would, one, try to restore as much of the tradition of graduation as we could, and two, provide a memorable experience for the kids,” said Principal Brett Hoogterp. “We have 50 graduates. Each is allotted two cars to go through. When they come to the school we will place them in alphabetical order.”
The parking lot will be chalked off for social distancing. Cars will approach the stage in twos. The graduate will leave the vehicle, and Hoogterp will read out scholarships and accolades. Then the graduate will cross the stage, pick up their diploma and pause for livestreaming and a professional photograph before getting back into their vehicle and heading to the back of the line. That will be followed by a procession from the high school down to the elementary school. Those unable to attend graduation should check https://rsu64schools.org/ for details about the livestream.
“We’re very proud of our seniors,” Hoogterp said. “It’s unfortunate they had to go through this particular scenario, but they now have a story that they can tell for the rest of their lives!”
Dexter Regional High School Principal Stephen Bell told parents in a letter on May 18 that, “A school shutdown and transition to online/remote learning is an unprecedented event. While some decisions have come easily, one of the most challenging things we are facing is the planning of a graduation event for the Class of 2020 that is within all the current guidelines and restrictions. We have two goals in mind. The first is to provide a meaningful and memorable graduation ceremony, while the second goal is to keep everyone safe.”
Graduation will be a drive-in event held on the DRHS football field at 1 p.m. on June 7 (rain dates are June 13 or 14). The stage will be set up in the end zone by the scoreboard, Bell said.
Students will gather in two socially distanced meetings in the school gymnasium on June 4 to receive Grad Bags including their cap and gown, medical records, Senior Assembly awards, a face mask in school colors to wear to graduation, ceremony programs and other event details. Students receive two car passes. The field pass is for the car containing the graduate – families are encouraged to decorate this vehicle. A second pass allows additional guests to park on the track around the football snack shack. Seniors are also getting graduate lawn signs that will be used during the ceremony and can then be displayed at home.
Graduation will include the traditional speaking parts, as well as a trip to the stage for each graduate to receive their diploma and other awards, including scholarships and items normally handed out during senior assembly. There will be a senior slide show on two large screens at either side of the stage. Following graduation, there will be a Class of 2020 Graduation Parade through town led by local fire and law enforcement vehicles. And the Class of 2020 is invited to attend the 2021 Prom next spring, since their own had to be cancelled.
“Someone once said ‘Plan for tomorrow, but enjoy today, the here and now.’The class of 2020 is living that reality,” Bell said. “Their senior year was cruising along at a normal pace when out of nowhere a pandemic hits and leads to a complete shutdown of normal schooling. No prom, no spring sports, no spring concerts, no musical, etcetera. Teaching and learning has continued, but only in a remote or online experience. There is a historical significance to what is taking place and the Class of 2020 is part of that story.
“The good news is that this shutdown has not stopped the planning for tomorrow,” he continued. “All of the graduates in the Class of 2020 have a post-secondary plan and have a future beyond the hallways of Dexter Regional High School (college, military or work). As for the here and now, on June 7th at 1 p.m. on the DRHS football field, we will collectively stop and celebrate with friends and family as the Class of 2020 graduates in a first-ever Drive In Graduation Event, followed by a Graduate Parade.
“Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2020,” Bell concluded. “Look for the positives that have taken place over the last few months. History always judges favorably on generations that persevere. Something tells me that we will be talking about the year and the Class of 2020 for a long time.”
Foxcroft Academy, in Dover-Foxcroft, “is trying to have a regular graduation, and I think in these current times, that’s special,” said Head of School, Arnold Shorey. The date has been pushed back to June 27. “We hope the rules will allow an outdoor graduation. If not, we will have a drive-up graduation in the Piscataquis County Ice Arena parking lot.”
Either way, graduation will feature all the usual speakers and graduates will pick up diplomas from a table on the stage. Graduates get a gift each year – this year seniors will receive masks with the FA Pony mascot on them.
“We will have protocols that will be in place,” said Shorey. These include graduates and family members remaining in vehicles for much of the time (if a drive-thru graduation is required), masks worn any time someone is outside, and maintaining six feet of physical distance.
“If we do a drive-up graduation, there will be a parade through town with graduates and their families lined up in alphabetical order. I know a lot of people are empathetic with what the seniors have gone through and would love to show their appreciation and support.”
FA will coordinate with local law enforcement as to how the parade can be safely conducted, he said.
The Class of 2020 has “shown amazing resiliency through this and all of the life changes,” said Shorey. “They have adapted quite well to the remote learning and I haven’t heard complaints. I’ve just observed them to quickly adapt and still being very productive. It makes me have hope for the future, that we have future leaders who are able to do this.”
Greenville High School traditionally has some of the smallest graduating classes in the region, and thus some of the most personalized graduation ceremonies.
“The Greenville High School Class of 2020 has 24 seniors scheduled to graduate on the campus grounds on the original date, Sunday, June 7, at 1 p.m.,” said 2020 Class Advisor, Melanie Breton. “This will be the first ceremony of its kind at GHS! Baccalaureate services will be held the Sunday prior, May 31, in the Holy Family Catholic Church parking lot. Due to the regulations concerning group events, both ceremonies are by invitation only, and using modified drive-up models.” Graduation will be broadcast on WZLO 103.1 for those unable to attend in person.
Additionally, every day since May 1, the Greenville Sports Boosters and Greenville Consolidated School have been honoring one senior per day on their Facebook pages. “The spotlight includes photos and acknowledges academic, athletic and community achievements, as well as future endeavors,” said Breton. “Administration, staff, parents and school groups have other surprises planned through graduation and into the summer when the students can get together as a class at least one more time.” A summer prom/dance and barbeque are being discussed, she said.
“The Class of 2020 is truly a special class - full of high achievers, leaders, and community minded individuals,” said Lee Pearsall, principal of Greenville Consolidated School. “There is a positive synergy within this class - they seem to bring out the best in each other - in the classroom, on athletic fields and courts, and in the hallways and lunchroom. In addition to academics and athletics, this class is highly involved in volunteer efforts that have impacted our local community, as well as the world. Through Key Club, they have helped to provide holiday meals and gifts for our locals and fully funded two wells for Eswatini, formerly Swaziland. Compared to other schools, the Class of 2020 may be small in number; however, they have made a huge impact on our school, local community, and the world. We wish them all the best as they navigate their way through life.”
Nokomis Regional High, in Newport, plans to hold both Class Night and graduation on their original dates, June 11 and 12. “Yes, this year’s ceremonies will look a bit different but it will still be as special as ever and certainly one of a kind,” Principal Mary Nadeau told graduates and their families in a letter issued on May 13. The principal said she had spent recent weeks conferring with other school’s administrators, as well as Nokomis class advisers, class officers and the superintendent, to gather ideas.
“While a drive-in type ceremony would allow for a larger group in cars, it would mean people sitting in their cars for several hours with a limited view,” Nadeau wrote. Instead, Nokomis will use a walkthrough format with students being allowed four family members to accompany them into the school to receive their diploma and to pose for a professional photograph. Nokomis Broadcasting will livestream the event for others to watch at home, or a later recorded version.
“In addition to this diploma presentation ceremony, Class Night will be replicated virtually with all of the typical awards and scholarships announced,” wrote Nadeau. “The other normal components of our graduation ceremony will be pre-recorded and aired immediately after the presentation of diplomas. The entire package of ceremonies for graduation week will be edited and shared online for any and all to view.”
Nadeau said that graduation is her favorite day of the year, even this year.
“What I would say about this group of seniors is that they’ve been amazing and have down great leadership. We needed them to step up when we made our move into the new building and they did! Since we’ve moved to remote learning, they have continued to show their perseverance and resilience by engaging with their teachers and completing their graduation requirements. The past few months have been challenging but you couldn’t ask for a better group of students to battle through this time with…true Warriors!”
Penquis Valley High School, in Milo, plans a “two-phase” graduation this year. Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 (rain date June 14). One week prior to that, phase one rolls out with Graduation in a Box. PVHS Principal Mike Rollins plans to deliver festively giftwrapped boxes containing “all things graduation” to each senior. Boxes will contain things such as caps and gowns, honor cards, NHS sashes that students may keep, yearbooks, senior “to-do” activities, ceremony instructions, a diploma prop, commencement programs, social distancing reminder, copies of commencement speeches, “fake” boutonnieres, a graduation vehicle admission ticket, and more. Seniors will also find letters from staff, college swag, a list of scholarship recipients, any awards earned, and gift items in boxes.
Phase two will be a Graduation Drive-Thru. Each senior and family members will have a “ticket” for one car to be entered into the ceremony. Seniors will drive through “Senior Lane,” stopping at various stations along the way, including a Selfie Station, Grab Bag Station, Sidewalk Signing Station, Diploma Presentation Station, Family Picture Station, Green Screen Photo Station and a Food Station.
“During this time, we are working on potentially having an FM transmitter playing pre-recorded speeches, music, etcetera,” said Rollins.
While all the cars are lined up, the class president will get out of the car and direct all seniors to do the same (at a safe distance), and then direct them in turning of their tassels. The ceremony will conclude with a parade, complete with police and fire department vehicles, through town to JSI, then turning around and making one “final loop” around the PVHS driveway.
“Our Class of 2020 may be small in number, but large in character,” Rollins said. “I, and Penquis Valley, are so proud of all the accomplishments earned and diligence by these seniors throughout their school careers. These students deserve the very best and we are going to work hard to give them just that in these difficult times. Congratulations, Class of 2020! Penquis loves you!”
Piscataquis Community High School, in Guilford, will be hosting a two-night graduation program on June 4 and 5 from 7 to 9 p.m., a plan formulated with student input, according to PCHS Principal John Keane. “What they wanted most of all was to be together,” he said. “They wanted one night to be celebration and one to be more formal, and third, they wanted it some place in this district. With all that in mind, we designed a drive-in experience for both nights.”
The first night will feature a Pirate Flotilla and other celebratory components. The Flotilla envisions students’ cars as pirate ships, with each family safely aboard their own vessel. Students and immediate family will park at PCHS to view a show projected onto an outdoor screen that will include best wishes from the president of the junior class, a series of teacher tributes, a showing of the senior class gifts, reading of the class will, a senior slide show and “a couple more things,” Keane said. “We know that half their senior year was robbed away from them. We are trying to find other ways to make that Flotilla night special for the kids. We are trying to do the best we can to make it memorable.”
On Friday night, student vehicles will again park at the school. A flatbed stage will be the site of commencement presentations by the class valedictorian, salutatorian and one student-at-large guest speaker, as well as presentation of diplomas and scholarships. Students also got to vote for one adult who had made a difference in their lives to be honored, “and they unanimously chose Mrs. Wilson,” Keane said.
Graduation will be projected onto a screen to ensure that everyone in the parked cars can see, and it will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. To view, visit https://www.facebook.com/MSAD4/.
“Our senior class has shown amazing resiliency throughout their time at PCHS,” Keane said. “It does not surprise me that they have met this pandemic head on and made the best of it. While I am sad that the end of their senior year was much less than what they hoped for, they all worked hard with remote learning and many of them found full-time jobs during the school closure. I have no doubt that the PCHS Class of 2020 will always find the silver linings.”DEXTER/DOVER-FOXCROFT – As much as COVID-19 has complicated everyone’s lives, it has boosted business for certain niche industries, including local farmers markets.
“Sales have been up from last year and we’ve seen a bunch of new customers,” said Mary Hoskins, owner of Cedar Hill Farm, about the Dexter Farmers Market. “I’m pretty sure some of it is pandemic related because we have had comments from customers about enjoying shopping outside and helping local farmers. We moved to a more visible location this year so that has had an effect, also.”
Gretchen Huettner, owner of Farm in the Woods, said that the Dover Cove Farmers Market is also doing well this spring. “We have been extremely surprised at the outpouring of support from our customers, and the number of new customers we have been seeing,” she said.
The number of people coming through the market has increased significantly, and for many vendors, sales figures are also up this season. “We had one vendor who said their opening day sales were more than double a typical Memorial Day weekend, and many of our vendors don’t have much remaining product at the end of the day,” Huettner said. “We are optimistic that this will bode for a wonderful summer for customers and vendors alike. Many of our vendors are making plans to increase their production and product offerings, as well. For those that grow produce, the season is off to a complicated start, but we are optimistic that by early July things will be looking really good.”
Farmers markets were deemed essential able to open as seemed prudent throughout the pandemic. The Dexter Farmers Market runs summers only and has seen no changes to its schedule. This year, the market moved to 445 Corinna Road, just past Brooks Tire. There are two regular vendors, “but several others attend as guests and we are always looking for more farmers to join us,” Hoskins said. The market runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays through mid-October.
The Dover Cove Farmers Market runs from Memorial Day weekend through the last Saturday in October on South Street near the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The weekend before Thanksgiving, the market reopens in the basement of the Thompson Free Library every other Saturday through the end of April – usually.
“We decided in March to close the winter market six weeks early,” Huettner said. “When we were faced with the unknown, it just seemed to make sense. Our market for March 14 was poorly attended, and we had four vendors for the winter, and every household had at-risk members.”
Both markets are taking steps to keep vendors and customers safe. “Vendors wear masks and we provide plenty of hand sanitizer and alcohol sprays for wiping surfaces,” said Hoskins. “We want our customers to feel comfortable and welcome.”
At Dover Cove, efforts to create more spacing were implemented. “Having traffic cones has helped us with distancing, and I feel like the parking lot is safer as a result, because cars seem to be slower pulling in and parking, so that is an added bonus,” said Huettner. Dover Cove customers may also preorder through individual vendors or the market’s Facebook page for minimal-contact shopping.
“We discussed many different things, but decided that supplying hand sanitizer and ample spacing for everyone would be some of the wisest precautions we could take,” she said. “Many of the vendors wear masks when they deem it necessary when dealing with customers, but we have respected everyone’s personal situations. We heavily discussed many of the other suggested precautions and decided that we really needed to leave it up to vendors on how they wanted to deal with their product and money.”
Their position, Huettner said, is that, “we are outside and most of us have tables in our booths that help us maintain distance between customers. According to the University of Maine and other sources COVID-19 has no links to or evidence of being spread through food so we felt comfortable with our choices for the market.”
On June 13, Dover Cove offered free masks to customers, courtesy of a “friend of the market” who sewed and donated an entire box of face coverings. “We were so thankful and happy to see people utilizing the resource if they needed them,” Huettner said. “This is a community effort and we are thankful for all of the support we have seen this season. We all love the market and in deciding what to do this summer, we didn’t want to lose that precious sense of community.”
Both the Dexter and Dover markets participate in the Maine Harvest Bucks program, which allows customers paying with EBT to collect matching “bucks” to spend on fruits and vegetables. Dover Cove has a few Frequent Buyer Cards left, which award shoppers $10 in Harvest Bucks after shopping at the market four times. Huettner said several vendors also accept WIC vouchers.
There are five regular vendors at Dover Cove. “Our vendor numbers for the summer are actually up,” said Huettner. “We have several guest vendors that have participated because their normal marketing options are closed. We had My Three Leaves join us late last year, and Maison de Chevre is new this season. We are trying to figure out how we can safely accommodate more vendors if they would like to participate, which is a wonderful problem to have!”
Dover Cove was given a break on fees this year due to the pandemic. “We have talked about moving because the $350 vendor’s fee from the town has been difficult to cover most years due to the fluctuations in vendor numbers and our other expenses,” said Huettner. “Our budget is pretty bare bones and many times vendors cover additional things because of that. This year we have been so grateful to the town for only charging us half of the normal fee, and we are hoping that if things can continue on the current trajectory it will mean that we are much more financially stable going into the future. It was a simple act of kindness on the town’s behalf, when we faced the unknown, that is making a huge difference for us this year.”
Dover Cove is missing the 4H Passport Program, which has been put on hold this summer. “We are hopeful that families will still come,” Huettner said. The program offered Veggie Vouchers to kids, sponsored by the Piscataquis Regional Food Center, the Piscataquis County Cooperative Extension Executive Committee, and Farm in the Woods. Organizers are trying to figure out how to offer Veggie Vouchers as a Dover Cove program this year, “in hopes that it will help us maintain the participation of local families at market. We all love to see the kids and the thought that goes into their shopping,” she said.Whether it is desperation to play or a contrary commitment to “keep the music playing,” the Harold J Crosby band in Dexter, Maine made it happen during the summer with social distancing, separated audiences, special traffic patterns, and a pop up portable facility. Helping to have everyone hear the conductor at 30 feet away, environmental noise like fire trucks and ambulances and motor cycles, were the Retekess transmitter and receiver sets. Each player had a wireless ear piece tuned to the conductors transmitter allowing soft voice directions even during playing. A success for this unusual summer of limited performances in very rural Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties in Maine.
Preparing for the indoor season was a challenge achieved inspired by our 2019 Band Camp conductor Dr. Sam Woodard of the US Army ceremonial band and their method of rehearsal by Plexiglas. While we weren't as endowed as they are, our solution is simple and affordable.
Three panels of 4 mil crystal clear vinyl sheathing hinged together to make a 3 sided aerosol protection barrier around each player at least 6 feet apart seems to be the answer. The exclusive restricted use of a town hall building in Dexter on the 1900 basketball sized court makes it possible to set up once and leave it. Cross ventilation large window fans provides continuous circulation as recommended by the Maine CDC keeps the air clean along with bell covers on each wind instrument. Face coverings in the form of shields or masks are used by all when not playing.
We keep the music playing, prepare repertoire for the next season's events and keep well protected until other medical solutions are available.
More photos, our Band Camp, Covid Cove--plans, costs, and supply sources are provided upon request from https://www.cuthbert-foundation.org/, crosbycommunityband@gmail.com"360 boxes were moved before 12 noon" Erin tells me, as she compiles the multiple sheets and clipboards notating which towns folks arrived from. The official start time for this No-Cost Special Food Distribution was actually 12. She reads some of the towns listed outloud.
"Hartland, Bowerbank, Barnard, Jackman, Newport, Corinna, Exeter, Kingsbury, Wellington, Pittsfield, Williamsburg, Corinth, Milo, Brownville, Dexter, Ebeemee Township, Dover-Foxcroft, Ripley, Garland, LaGrange, Charleston, Cambridge, Parkman. And, we had multiple cars today picking up for multiple households."
"And the volunteers! They kicked butt." We had volunteers coming from Greenville to Bangor. Volunteers representing Northern Lights Mayo, United Way, and EMDC came to lend a hand. Foxcroft Academy students, Center Theatre's three Summer Americorops VISTA's also pitched in and were a lot of fun to have around.
"We probably did an average of two cars a minute", Steve says.
That's a lot of cars, a lot of households, and quite a distance to travel.
And if the amount of cars in such a short time isn't telling enough about our current social landscape, the gratitude and visible tears shed about receiving this kind of help might be.
Some folks who were receiving food boxes for the first time, stated they felt ashamed or embarrassed, and others expressed deep gratitude and appreciation.
PR Food Center's response? This is a human experience. Everyone needs help. Everyone has a right to food. Period.
Steve, in the midst of parking the large van says, "Volunteers kept telling me about all the people who were just amazed that they didn't have to prove their need. That no questions were asked. The disbelief was startling. It bothers me that people have to feel that way to get food. That it can't just be a normal thing."
Erin nods. "There's no shame in needing help."
We'd like to thank all of the volunteers who helped move food today, the Piscataquis County Ice Arena for sharing their parking lot, the USDA and Pineland Farms for the contents of the food box. And big, genuine, real, gratitude for folks coming through the line. Though the circumstances that brought folks in today are in fact a combination of elements, much of it systemic and absolutely unfortunate, the connection and genuine exchange of human-to-human today did feel like fortune. The more we offer mutual support systems in our communities, the more it becomes normal, the more it becomes habit and the less times you, a friend, or a stranger have to reflexively prove themselves or fight shame and stigma to get food.