PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – On Feb. 10, 24 members of the Presque Isle High School KEY (Kiwanis Educating Youth) Club spent the night at the Nordic Heritage Center for their annual stay-awake-a-thon.
Each student is required to raise at least $75 through pledges from friends, family and the community. Typically, the funds raised are donated to Kiwanis charities at the New England District Convention in Springfield, Mass. in early April.
However, in light of the need that has been publicized, KEY Club president Lindsey Rockwell suggested to the club officers that the money be designated for the local homeless shelter.
The officers immediately agreed and the motion was brought to the club who all voted to give the money to the Homeless Services of Aroostook. They made it a personal quest to help people in the area.
Many of the kids raised more than the required $75. Bethany Lord, incoming club secretary, raised over $200.
The students will be highlighting the event at convention this year during the event’s service fair.
“The KEY Club would like to thank the Nordic Heritage Center for allowing us to use the facility, and Max, MWS resident, for staying awake all night with us,” said KEY Club Vice President Meghann Varnum, who organized the stay-awake-a-thon.
When the KEY Club presented the $2,000 check to Sue Mitchell, director of Homeless Services of Aroostook, she was overwhelmed.
“That’s a lot of money, especially from a group of kids,” she said.
In the past several months, the shelter has had guests from all over Aroostook. Many people have the incorrect belief that the shelter mainly houses women and children, which has been the norm in the past. However, during the past few years, the shelter has provided services for small families, which never expected to be homeless.
Mitchell said in light of the fuel crisis and the extremely cold weather, the shelter has allowed some families to remain under the same roof in times of hardship.
“Nobody wants to be homeless,” she said, “but if a family is also split up, it compounds the crisis.”
Officials say while $60,000 for operating costs is needed for 2007, the shelter stands to lose approximately $22,000 of state aid under the new funding formula. To help raise additional money, there will be an auction March 27 during Community Day, a booth is being donated for the Kiwanis Home and Garden Show to help raise public awareness, and students from the University of Maine at Presque Isle are writing grants.
For more information on how your club or organization could help, please call Susan Mitchell at Homeless Services of Aroostook at 764-5144.
