I put a box of empty canning jars in my car when I attended the spring tea of the Aroostook County Homemakers Extension in New Sweden on April 26. I thought I might recycle them into the hands of women more skilled in their use than I. But I was soon to realize that my gesture represented an outdated stereotype of Extension homemakers.
“It’s not just handcraft and canning anymore; it’s broad,” said Bonnie Weatherhead who, with Arlene Plourde, leads both the New Sweden group and the Aroostook County Homemakers Extension. The County’s 106 Extension members still study traditional skills of home and kitchen, but their activities and volunteerism extend far beyond their homes.
Extension groups in some small towns have dissolved, but six groups remain active in Aroostook County — three in Caribou and groups in New Sweden, Spragueville and Caswell. Each group ranges from nine to 34 members, with participants drawn from neighboring towns as well as their own.
“Though our group is called the New Sweden group, we are open to anyone from any area,” the co-presidents said in a written description of their chapter. “Children, men, guests are welcome at any/all of our meetings.”
Meetings include field trips to places of interest throughout The County, and each year, the state organization designates a geographic area for groups to study. This year it is Italy.
But the centerpiece of Extension activity is service to the community. Weatherhead reported at the April 26 gathering of all six groups that Aroostook County homemakers donated more than $51,800 in hours, materials and money in the past year. Service hours are calculated at $14/hour, and many volunteer hours go unrecorded.
“Coins for Caring” are collected at each meeting for charitable donations, and members earn more than $1,000 by working at the Northern Maine Fair. “We donate to every place we visit,” Weatherhead said. “There are not too many places in Aroostook County we have not donated to.”
Beneficiaries of Extension outreach include the House of Comfort, the Hope and Justice Center, New Sweden and Woodland schools, the Aroostook County Animal Shelter, County food pantries, local libraries and the Aroostook State Park Winter Carnival where Spragueville Extension served soup and chili to 1,000 people last year.
Projects include members making hats and mittens for school children, crocheting baby blankets for Cary Medical Center, making May baskets for senior citizens and helping with the Bread of Life Program, the Senior Companion program and the Caribou Soup Kitchen.
Tours last year included visits to the Loring Heritage Center and bunkers at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, the Red River Camps in Deboullie Township, the St. Francis Historical Museum, Down to Earth Gardens in Woodland, Aroostook Amish communities, maple sugar camps and the SAD 1 school farm in Presque Isle.
“The goals of our meetings are to teach, give, socialize and remain active and interested in our area, county, state and country,” the New Sweden presidents said. “Personally, Extension aids in keeping my mind awake, alive, thinking and working,” said Weatherhead. “Interaction, new information, new ideas … this is Extension and mind expansion.”
In Caribou, the three groups reflect the times and days members are available to meet. Though subject to change, the day group typically meets at 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month, a small night group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month, and the larger Caribou Homemakers meet at 6:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month. In addition to monthly meetings, members in the last year snowshoed at the National Wildlife Refuge in Limestone and took a dinner cruise on the St. John River.
“Getting together is the important part, especially in the winter,” said Kate Coulters, president of the Caribou Homemakers. “The friendships are the best.”
Margaret Johnson of Westmanland became a new member of Extension this year, after 18 years of leadership in the American Legion Auxiliary.
“I like the idea of giving,” she said of her decision to join Extension. “The volunteer program is a great thing. They help in the community and the schools and they don’t keep any money — it all goes to charities.”
The County organization also donates to charities designated by the state level Maine Extension Homemakers. This year’s donation will go to the Good Shepherd Food Bank and to Jackie Conant Scholarships for 4-H campers.
Most of that donation will come from money earned at the Northern Maine Fair, where members organize and supervise the displays that fill the Exhibition Hall. The 2014 theme is “The Bounty of The County,” and displays will be judged on originality of theme, educational component and general appearance.
A faithful visitor to past Extension Homemakers’ displays at the fair, I will view them this year with a deeper understanding of the work they represent. In the meantime, I continue to seek a home for my canning jars.
For more information, call Bonnie Weatherhead at 896-5811, Arlene Plourde at 896-5756 or the UMaine Cooperative Extension at 800-287-1421.
