Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
NOMINEES —The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum and the Visiting Nurses of Aroostook were nominated for Community Matters More through Bangor Savings Bank. The nominees and bank personnel got together recently to go over information, from left, Ebony Milton, teller for Bangor Savings; Francis Fitzpatrick of the SAAM; Debbie Jacques, VNA community relations manager; Chris Nickerson, northern regional market manager and a vice president for Bangor Savings; Monique Campbell, VNA and Jody Harvey, customer service representative for Bangor Savings.
HOULTON — Two local charitable groups are among six non-profits hoping to receive funding through Bangor Savings Bank’s “Community Matters More” project.
Bangor Savings Bank Foundation began its annual grant-making initiative, Community Matters More, on Jan. 28. Through this charitable program, Maine’s largest independent bank asks residents to weigh in on how best to allocate $100,000 the bank has pledged to give to 68 Maine nonprofit organizations.
For the northern region, the nominees are: Golden Key Senior Center; Jeffrey S. Parola Foundation; Millinocket Regional Hospital Auxilliary; Shaw Public Library Association; Southern Aroostook Agricultural Musuem; and Visiting Nurses of Aroostook/Hospice of Aroostook.
To vote online, visit www.bangor.com/cmm. Paper ballots are also available at Bangor Savings Bank branches statewide, and at each of the participating nonprofits. Any Maine resident is eligible to vote for up to three nonprofits. The voting period ends March 11, with winners announced in early April.
Visiting Nurses of Aroostook (VNA) has been providing home health services to Aroostook County residents for nearly 45 years. VNA provides compassionate care to those who are healing from illness or injury.
VNA’s professional team includes nurses, therapists, home health aides and social workers. Their nurses provide compassionate care 24 hours a day/seven days a week. VNA offers a wide range of high-quality care for people of all ages with acute, short-term needs brought on by illness, injury, or surgery.
Through VNA’s hospice program, Hospice of Aroostook (HOA), each year staff has the privilege of sharing the end-of-life journey with nearly 200 patients and their families, according to Debra Jacques, community relations manager.
HOA is for people with a life-limiting illness who want comfort care rather than curative treatment. HOA specializes in pain and symptom management and physical, emotional and spiritual support of the patient. The hospice team also supports the family including comprehensive bereavement services. In addition to clinical services, hospice provides the compassionate care of trained volunteers who help the family with respite and other patient and family needs.
As a member of EMHS and Eastern Maine HomeCare, VNA/HOA works to ensure the highest quality home care and hospice is available to all who need it. As a non-profit organization, VNA/HOA is deeply grateful to the loyal donors and community members that provide financial contributions to help assist with care for the uninsured and underinsured. For more information, visit www.easternmainehomecare.org or call their patient referral line toll-free at 1-866-591-8843.
The Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum has been selected to receive grant money from the Bangor Savings Bank “Community Matters More” program. The organization will receive $1,000 with the possibility of $4,000 more if they receive enough votes from the community.
According to President Jay Clark, the money will be used to construct additional protective areas along the sides of the Carl and Helen Hagan barn that was built in 2006. Due to the expanding collection of farm machinery there is a need to have some areas that would have a roof, but be open on the sides for viewing of the individual pieces by visitors.
The museum was organized in 2001 by a group of individuals that wanted to preserve the equipment and furnishings of the farm families of Aroostook. The collection is housed in the former Littleton School which is now filled to capacity and the barn was added seven years ago and it too is full.
In the summer of 2012, the museum received a donation of several early pieces of equipment that have wooden parts that will slowly deteriorate if left out in the elements. By building a slanted roof area along each side of the barn, many pieces can be put under cover.
