By Kelsie Espling
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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet National Honor Society members at Caribou High School are asking for community support in their clothing drive for Catholic Charities. Community members are asked to bring all donated clothing — new, used, old and rags — to the CHS gymnasium lobby on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., where the students will even unload the heavy bags for donors. NHS members tossing fabric items into a receptacle are, from left, Clothing Drive Co-Chairperson Emma Duplissie-Cyr, Corresponding Secretary Kelsie Espling, Chapter Executive Committee Member Meredith Sleeper, President Devin Ballard, Vice President Mackenzie Belyea and Recording Secretary Hannah Hebert. |
Chapter Corresponding Secretary
In September of this year, Mrs. Dixie Shaw of the Catholic Charities Organization met with the officers of the various chapters of the National Honor Society (NHS) to discuss a service project dealing with the collection of used clothing. Catholic Charities of Maine collects clothing that is then bound and sold by the pound to a buyer. The bound clothing provides much needed dollars, which are used for the purchase of food to be distributed to the 25 food pantries throughout Aroostook County. The local NHS region, as part of our statewide effort to assist those in need, has adopted this service project.
Catholic Charities will be providing large tote boxes to every participating chapter for the collection of clothing. Sixty-six full totes will fill the box of a semi tractor trailer. The value of a filled semi tractor trailer can range from $10,000 to $12,000 and that will help feed the needs of many individuals. Last year an elementary class in Mars Hill and Fort Fairfield alone filled an entire tractor trailer. We are determined to meet that goal. Several schools in Aroostook County are already organizing this as a major project. Caribou High School has collected one complete tote.
Caribou High School NHS will be holding a community collection drive on Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. We will also collect other materials for Catholic Charities of Maine to sell at their store. Items such as anything made of cloth can be recycled such as rags, shoes, t-shirts, jeans, towels and other pieces of material. This drive eliminates items from going into our landfills, provides jobs for citizens and much needed dollars to help many people here in Aroostook County.
Anyone who would like to donate used clothing is asked to bring it to the high school gym lobby and NHS members will gladly unload their vehicles.
Miss Emma Duplissie-Cyr and Miss Ginger Kieffer are the NHS chairs for the collection at Caribou High School. Hilltop Elementary School will be participating, and we are also hoping to expand this to the middle school and other elementary schools in Caribou, Connor, New Sweden and Woodland.
