St. Ann’s hosts Community Day to welcome new and old friends to church by Michelle Libby

St. Ann’s Episcopal Church at the corner of River Road and Windham Center Road held its third annual Community Day last Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the community at large and the church community were invited to enjoy games, music, visits from firemen and Sparks Ark. 

Mason Marquis from Brunswick

“It’s a nice community church. We’ve been to activities here. We’re so impressed with the church participation,” said Jim Kelley, who lives in Windham, but attends another church. 

“It’s a combination of reaching out to the community and welcoming people back to the church community,” said Rector Fr. Tim Higgins. “We do this as a free offering of grace to the community.” 

Sunday was Welcome Back Sunday and registration for Sunday School. The church held a family breakfast and a barbeque for the congregation after the two services. 

“We’ve seen a lot of new folks from the community, today,” said faith formation director Kate Tompkins. Fr. Higgins called the number of participants “outstanding”. 

The event was planned by Michael Dionne and his committee. “My thought is go big or go home,” he said of the planning. “It’s important. It’s not just a church in the community, but a church for the community.” 

Rye Carpenter from Windham

St. Ann’s opened “Ladybug Playground” to the community once it was built, and it gets a fair amount of use, said Dionne. So many know where the church is. 

The event was not about religion, but about having fun, Dionne said. There was a performance by The Pond Lilies made up of Polly Lawson, Kristin Goodall, Leanne Cooper, Jodee Davidson and Jeanne DiSciullo-Carpenter; also a presentation by Josh Sparks, owner of Sparks Ark, a bounce house, cotton candy, plenty of games and a visit from the ice cream truck. 

Windham Fire and Rescue brought a fire truck and an ambulance for children to explore, as well.

 “It’s a great time to spend time with the St. Ann’s community and the community in general,” said Dionne.

American Legion Auxiliary hosts Naturalization Ceremony funded by grant in honor of National Day of Service and Remembrance by Lorraine Glowczak

*Due to technical layout difficulties, the print version was published in error. This is the correct version. We apologize for the error.

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148 in Windham, received a $1,000 grant through the American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters and funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service to establish a remembrance celebration to commemorate 9/11. 
 

In alignment with and observance of the National Day of Service and Remembrance (established in 2009), the Auxiliary hosted a Naturalization Ceremony on Monday, September 11 at 10 a.m. at Windham High School. The ceremony was attended by many members of the community and high school and middle school students, who witnessed 37 immigrants from 22 countries, become American citizens. 

Also in attendance were public figures that included but not limited to, Senator Bill Diamond, Town Manager, Tony Plante and the National Auxiliary President, Diane Duscheck from Wisconsin. 

The success of Monday’s ceremonial event was the result of innovative and creative thinking by members of the Auxiliary and the grant writing abilities of Windham Auxiliary President, Pam Whynot and Vice President, Michelle Libby. 

Anna McGuckin from Russia

The grant was recognized by the National Auxiliary as unique, due to the inclusion of many community members, to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The requirements were to remember 9/11 in a unique way, have a teaching component and have the event during the week of 9/11. 

“Our grant was very unique out of the other grants,” explained Whynot. “The Naturalization Ceremony was a unique idea from us [because] it involved many groups of the community and we had lots of people volunteering their time and service to us. We fit all their [the National Auxiliary’s] requirements into this idea.”

The Naturalization Ceremony not only included many volunteer members of the community but  special guests speakers were selected to share their memories and experiences of that fateful day 16 years ago. The speakers included Steve Hall, a Portland and Windham firefighter, as well as retired Lieutenant Colonel, Wally Clark originally from Calais, but now resides in Windham.

Hall, who lost many of his firefighting friends in the fallen World Trade Center, was called to New York a week after the tragedy. “I was asked to attend the funerals of my fellow firefighters,” Hall began, choking back tears. “I was asked to attend because the NYC firefighters who were still alive were working the pile. Sometimes I attended three or four funerals in a day. After a month, I lost count of how many funerals I attended.”

Clark was starting his second day working at the Pentagon away from his office near Arlington Cemetery, when he was notified of the attacks. “During the morning session, we were called out of a briefing and told that the pentagon had been hit and we were on lock down,” Clark said. “We were finally released to go home late in the afternoon. As I drove home, I could see smoking coming out of the Pentagon. It was a mess.”

There were 125 pentagon staff that died that day. 

Nidhal Alshammaa from Iraq

Keynote speaker, the Honorable Charles Cragin, who served as under-secretary of the Department of Defense during the time of the attack, spoke to the celebration of citizenship, noting that when tragedy occurs the best of American social responsibility takes place; also noting the community efforts of service in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, as a result of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 

The stories shared by these men honored firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, military members and veterans of the armed forces; while sharing ideals of good citizenship, peace and security to all, especially to the high school students and new citizens alike.

Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, that ended with the presentation of certificates to the new Americans, the song “God Bless the USA” sung by the Windham Chamber Singers and the closing remarks by Kurt Pelletier, Immigration Services Officer, happiness, joy and celebration filled the auditorium as the new Americans embraced their citizenship.

“I am so moved by how the new citizens want to be a citizen of America and how hard they work to make this happen,” stated Whynot. “When their families and friends come to cheer them on, you know that this is the most important day of their lives. It makes me very happy to be a part of this day for them.” 

This special and unique Naturalization Ceremony presented the bravery involved in being an American, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice 16 years ago. And as Christopher Howell, Windham High School Principal added in his welcoming remarks to the new Americans, “Everyone has a story. One day, you will share your story of bravery that it took to become an American. You too, will leave a legacy with the generations that come after you.”

Military and donors gather to open the new dining facility at Camp William Hinds in Raymond By Michelle Libby

Using the scissors from a special Pine Tree Council camp’s pocket knife, invited guests, donors and members of the military cut a red, white and blue ribbon to officially open the new Camp William Hinds dining facility. 
 

“We have the most beautiful outdoor learning center in the country,” said Scout Executive Eric Tarbox. 

Four years into the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) project, developments at all four of the Pine Tree Council Boy Scout camps (Raymond, Belgrade, Sabattus and Acton) have been completed or are almost complete. There are still projects on the schedule however the dining facility in Raymond is by far the largest. The over 21,000 square foot building provides room for 500 people at a time, and the walk out basement has classrooms used by the RSU14 Katahdin School during the school year and houses the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) program during the summer. 

“We look forward to staying here until it no longer makes sense,” said Katahdin School principal Rich Meserve. 

IRT started back during the Clinton “Rebuild America” days. The military was tasked with “finding innovative ways to help the US by giving them real world opportunities servicing the communities we serve,” said Chief Master Sergeant Todd Jones. Having the IRT program in communities gives people, who don’t have exposure to the military or the IRT, a chance to experience military life, he said. 

Mid-April the military began the buildup in Raymond, putting up a tent city to be ready when the troops were deployed on April 22. This year over 250 military members from the Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and United States Marine Corps have worked on projects at the camps. This year alone the military is completing work on the dining facility, made road improvements, did ditch grading, upgraded a staff cabin with plumbing and electrical, did camp maintenance and will complete a fire pond that will benefit Camp Hinds, Kingsley Pines and all homes on Plains Road. 

“We’ll be hitting it hard moving some dirt,” said Jones, discussing the fire pond work. The pond, which was breached in 2005 during the Patriot’s Day Storm, will be six to eight feet deep when completed and will have a fire hydrant on Plains Road. 

“This is a win/win for the community and the military members,” said Jones. 

On the camp property, the Scout Community has stepped in to help fill in any gaps not provided by the military. 

“This is truly a civilian/military experience,” said Tarbox. The work has all been done by service members who serve on a “brand new crew every two weeks. The crew has never met or worked together and all of this happened over a period of years,” he added. The troops have come from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Royal Marines from England and Maine for their two weeks a year training in their field of service. 

“Over $5 million of construction value was added to our camps,” said Tarbox.

The new dining hall has a new kitchen thanks to the “scrappiness and pluck of the Messers”, who saved ovens, serving lines and refrigerators from UNUM, when that company remodeled years ago.

President of Pine Tree Council, Jeff Messer, stored the items in trailers until they were needed, on the thought that someday there would be a new dining hall, Tarbox told the group. 

“I’m very impressed with what they’ve done here with the resources they’ve been given,” said Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, Cathy Dugas, the highest ranking Air Force member in attendance. It was her first time at Camp Hinds. 

The driving force behind the IRT project has been past Pine Tree Council President and Eagle Scout, Horace Horton. 

“When we started the IRT there was nothing on this site. We’re just so proud,” Horton told the guests. “What a transformation this has made.” 

Each family and business that was a major contributor to the project was recognized during the ceremony; from the design work and construction material donations, to the old dining hall and the naming of the health lodge, to the Ellen K. Stinston Health Lodge. 

“I was a little taken a back,” said former school nurse Ellen Stinston, who the health lodge was named for. “It was totally unexpected. I suggested helping the health lodge. It didn’t know it would be named after me. I probably would never have done it if I’d known.” 

The ceremonies renaming other properties at Camp Hinds will take place on June 24 starting at noon. Pine Tree Council Vice President of Properties, Walt Stinson has his signature on many projects in the council. Bill and Jackie Thornton gave money for the STEAM center and so many more contributed to the projects. From Internet hardware to electrical design and window donations, to monetary donations, the project will serve a large number of scouts for many, many years. 

The one person holding everything together for the council is camp ranger Scott Martin, who has worked with the IRT, collaborated with other property owners and has done much of the finish work on the various projects at camp. 

With a strategic vision the key players in the projects, especially the dining facility have upgraded Camp Hinds to a destination summer camp, where scouts from all over the region and even the world come to experience Maine. This year 40 scouts from Egypt will attend Camp Hinds, adding to the 10.6 percent increase in Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts attending camp this summer. 

“It’s amazing all of the contributions and coordination,” said former scout and retired Navy man Tim Gallant, Maine Staff Assistant to Rep. Bruce Poliquin. “This shows that Scouting is alive and well. All these Scoutmasters are unbelievably amazing,” he added. 

For more information about Pine Tree Council, visit www.PineTree BSA.org or to find out more about the IRT, visit IRT.Defense.Gov.

Becoming United States citizens - with help from the American Legion Auxiliary by Michelle Libby

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic;”

Twenty-eight people gave the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America on Friday morning at the Windham Veterans Center. The ceremony hosted by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 148 (ALA) was the second the unit had planned. 

“It’s an awesome, life changing event for these people and I’m happy to witness it,” said ALA member Pat Learned. 

From over 20 countries like Cambodia, Canada, Columbia, Ghana, Guatemala, Italy, Russia, Malta and the People’s Republic of China, the new citizens personally demonstrated, under oath, their desires to become citizens. 

“It’s about time. I’ve been here for 20 plus years,” said Sarom Grover, 37, originally from Cambodia and a Windham resident. “I always put it off. My priorities were going to school and starting a family.” Now she sees the differences in the country since the 1980s and she wants to be more involved in the changes. “I feel so loved. I seriously didn’t picture this being so big and important to others as it is to me,” she said. 

The children in attendance and the families of the honored were able to see how the military and citizenship are intertwined. “Our purpose is to promote patriotism and Americanism,” said ALA president Pam Whynot. “Freedom is not free. The military works hard for our citizens, for all of us.”

The master of ceremony was Kim Colson-Hoffman, Immigration Services Officer. She welcomed everyone and introduced the third grade chorus from Windham Primary School who sang the National Anthem and other patriotic selections. Being Memorial Day weekend, the event was even more poignant for the attendees. 

“Bringing in the local people from the area make this more special. The keynote speaker is a Windham resident and the Legion Auxiliary brings pride to the community,” said Immigration Services Officer Kurt Pelletier, who lives in Raymond. “With it being Memorial Day weekend, what could be more American than that?”

Nkrumah Kingsley is an Army National Guard member from Westbrook who became a citizen on Friday. “I look at America setting other countries free. I want to be part of the US citizens helping people in bondage, sacrificing my life for people,” he said. 

Twenty year Army veteran Sgt. First Class Keri Karsten gave welcoming remarks. “I learned and loved to selflessly serve,” she told the audience. She described traveling to other countries and learning about the customs, languages and food, and how that changed her. 

For Windham resident Cindy O’Brien, it was time to become a citizen. “My alien card was getting tattered and I started getting detained. I decided to take the plunge,” she said. O’Brien moved from Canada to the United States when she was 4 years old.  

At this ceremony, four of the new citizens were from Windham: Grover, O’Brien, Michael Popov and Viktor Yurkevich. Two of the new citizens had military ties: Kingsley the National Guard member, and Selina Ripley, who is the spouse of a retired Air Force member. 

Maine Senator Bill Diamond was the keynote speaker. He has a long history of service to the community and state, Pelletier said. 

“It is very, very special. In all of Windham, we are very proud to have your ceremony here,” Diamond said. “You can tell a lot about a country by the numbers of people who want to get in.” He spoke about his son-in-law, who will become an American citizen in June. “That makes my family even more connected to you. We were here on day number one of your citizenship.”

Luis Juarez said that becoming a citizen means “everything” to him. “It changed my life being here. I grow my kids here, safe. There are lots of opportunities here. Everything is changing. I’ve got to do it right now,” he said. Juarez and his 16-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter are from Portland. His daughter just graduated from Smith College with plans to become a doctor. 

Grade schooler Alexander Momot from Windham read an essay he wrote. “Veterans are true heroes and will always be in my heart. Their patriotism shows us that this country is worth fighting for,” he read.

At the end of the ceremony, the new citizens were given the opportunity to register to vote by the League of Women Voters. 

“There’s so much here. It’s so rich,” said Representative Mark Bryant. “It’s a civic blessing all by itself. It takes a village and we have a good village.”  

“These guys have worked so hard to be citizens. We are so blessed to be natural born citizens,” said ALA member Nancylou Stiles.

Community Day embraces new learning style by Michelle Libby

Every year Manchester School in Windham hosts a Community Day, a celebration of projects the students do to support the community and non-profits that they want to support. This year’s theme was, “Hands and Hearts Caring for our Community.” 
 

“This is the most special day we have during the school year,” said Principal Danielle Donnini. Fifth graders learn about culture and civilizations, she said. That means common values, ideas and goals. Common celebrations and traditions are a part of culture. “This is the one day we take a break to celebrate them.”

Donnini thanked the volunteers, parents, AmeriCorps volunteers, PTA and school board who had helped with the projects. 

“It’s pretty awesome, the projects and the celebration,” said Superintendent Sandy Prince. “The work is really important. Every year it gets better and better. The projects are relevant, meaningful and make a difference. It raises their awareness of the community.” 

Special guest speakers, on Wednesday morning, were Windham High School Principal Chris Howell and Windham Middle School Principal Drew Patin. “I was absolutely impressed with the work you’ve done this year,” said Howell. “You have the opportunity to grow up in a very special place. When you help another person you get more enjoyment, more excitement than the person receiving the help,” he said.  

The projects the students worked on this year mirror what will happen when they are in the high school with a Capstone Project, which is an individual project in an area of interest. Students will explore with a mentor from the community and help make career decisions, said Howell. These projects were a taste of what’s to come for the students. 

Last Wednesday began with breakfast for 400 people. Guests were invited to visit each display and table set up in the gym at the school. During the presentation, students and teachers presented checks and gifts to recipients.

“Last year there were 20 projects. This year we can’t capture all the projects,” said Donnini. “As teachers, we learned how to make learning more real, more engaging.” 

Teacher Carol Otley has spent 15 years helping her students build bird houses to share with people all over the State of Maine; with over 200 bird houses created by the students over the years. The bird houses have been placed from New York City to Katahdin, Aroostook County and all over New England. Many birds have been sheltered. This year bird houses were given to: Game wardens, Windham Police Officers Gene Gallant and Steve Stubbs and K9 Vader, a VFW veteran and Survivor winner Bob Crowley to name a few. 

“All of you are from Maine. Be proud to be from Maine,” said Crowley, who owns Maine Forest Yurts. “I’m almost 70 and I’m still giving back to the community.” 

Other teachers and their classes were recognized. Otley was recognized as VFW Teacher of the Year at the local and district levels. Sabrina Nickerson and Stacey Sanborn were honored with the Garden of the Month Award from Maine School Garden Network. Environmental educator Katrina Venhuizen from EcoMaine recognized Jen Ocean’s class with an Eco-Excellence Award 2017 for recycling. The class applied for and received a grant from EcoMaine to work on food waste and recycling at Manchester School. The school went from making nine bags of trash per day to one.

“The class saw a problem, which led to some research, but it takes all of you to make it work,” said Donnini. 

The experiential learning that happens with the projects is hands-on. “The projects give the students choice and voice. It’s not the teacher saying I want to do this,” said Donnini. “Students have their own voice and passion, which leads their learning.”

Judy Taudvin’s class each chose individual projects to work on, allowing the students to develop their own interests. 

Adam Beal’s class raised $400 to donate to Chelsea’s MS Walk. Another class made 21 pet beds out of old sweaters to donate to Harvest Hills. One held an Iditarod Read-a-Thon and another will hold a Color Run on May 20, at 9 a.m. One class sold Pokémon cards and has raised over $400 for the Preble Street Resource Center. 

Paton closed the assembly. “I haven’t always been a Windham Eagle. I have pride to be a Windham Eagle.” He is excited to have the students in his school next year. He said he was proud of their, “willingness to be creative, to be problem solvers.” Patton stated that he liked their creativity, perseverance and grit; and their willingness to make a difference in somebody else’s life.

Sabre Yachts marks a substantial milestone: Delivers its 100th Sabre 48-foot hull by Michelle Libby

Randy and Kim Jeffery (middle) with the Sabre Yacht crew

“There are few companies that can say they’ve done what we do,” said Aaron Crawford, president and COO of Sabre Yachts last Thursday, as they rolled out the 100^th Sabre Yacht with a 48-foot hull from the facility on the Raymond/Casco line.  

In a company-wide celebration, with all employees decked out in forest green T-shirts, the owners Randy and Kim Jeffery from Daniel Island, S.C. watched as the newest Sabre Yacht maneuvered out of the driveway and down Route 302, on its way to its new home. 

“This boat for us is a dream. Every one of you made this boat a reality,” said Randy Jeffery. To commemorate the milestone for the company, Randy and Kim had every employee in the company -150 of them, write their name on a board that was varnished and mounted behind the electrical panel in the boat. So the craftsman would always be with the boat.

“You are exactly what Sabre says you are, crafted in the Maine tradition. That’s you,” Randy told the employees gathered for the roll out. The boat will be docked in downtown Charleston. 

“It’s the Jeffery’s who made this boat possible,” Crawford said. The Jeffery’s upgraded from a 42-foot Sabre boat to the new 48-foot Sabre. Crawford described the owners as very educated and the type of clients Sabre enjoys working with. 

“It’s our floating condo,” said Kim. 

“It’s the culmination of all of our boating experiences, and here she is,” said Randy. The Jeffery’s are Mainers in the summer and live in South Carolina in the winter. “The foot yard and the backyard changes,” he added, but everything else stays the same. They travel all over Maine in the summer and take trips to Florida and the Bahamas in the winter. During their 37 years together, this is their fifth boat. 

This boat is the 148^th boat that Sabre has shipped from the facility in Raymond. “Boat building is a team sport,” said Crawford. From the high quality building and craftsmanship to sales and marketing as well as customer service and support, it takes the whole team to make the business run smoothly and successfully. Sabre calls itself a semi-custom boat builder and in this economy the purchase of luxury power yachts has remained strong at Sabre.

Glowczak takes the helm by Michelle Libby

Glowczak takes the helm at The Windham Eagle

By Michelle Libby

On January first, Lorraine Glowczak became the managing editor of The Windham Eagle, replacing editor-in-chief Michelle Libby, who left to pursue other opportunities. Glowczak who is originally from Kansas has lived in Maine for 19 years and in Windham for two years. She became a staff writer for The Windham Eagle last year. 

“Lorraine is very thoughtful and energetic,” said publisher Kelly Mank. “She is a great addition to our team.” 

“The more I’m exposed to the Windham and Raymond community, the more I see the people here are really amazing. I really enjoy the people I’ve met,” Glowczak said. Her goal in taking on this new role was the opportunity to become a part of the community and to expand her writing opportunities. 

Glowczak prepares for her first Windham Eagle publication.

She has no immediate plans to make big changes to the newspaper. “As I become more acclimated to the paper, I might see things that need a small change or tweaking,” she said. She is willing to listen to the community and what they, and The Windham Eagle team, agree is a positive direction for the paper. 

Glowczak has a degree in leadership and organizational studies, but has wanted to publish her stories for a while. Last year she wrote a beekeeping series for The Windham Eagle depicting the challenges she faced as a beekeeper. “I liked going to Italy, but I did not like being an Italian beekeeper,” she said with a laugh. 

When asked what she’d bring to the position, she answered, “My enthusiasm about getting to know the community as well as my love of the written word and keeping it positive.”

The Windham Eagle is looking for columnists and writers who have a passion to report on what is happening in the community. To be a staff writer, send a resume and clips to Glowczak.

“As a managing editor, my approach is supporting, motivating and encouraging reporters to write what they are passionate about."

When Glowczak is not at The Windham Eagle, she enjoys reading, walking and anything in nature. She loves to explore not only Maine, but all of New England.

“I enjoy being with friends and family and spending quality time with the people I love.” Glowczak has been married for 15 years and just adopted a beagle mix from Maine Lab Rescue.

“The small cottage on the lake where we live feels like home. I feel like I’m finally home in Windham.”

To send a letter to the editor, offer story suggestions or any other business, email Glowczak at Editor@TheWindhamEagle.com.

When disaster strikes, AmeriCorps will be there to help - By Michelle Libby

Last Friday, AmeriCorps volunteers gathered at Camp William Hinds in Raymond to train for one of their ancillary responsibilities, running a volunteer reception center to manage the volunteers who step up when a disaster strikes. September was National Preparedness month.

The AmeriCorps volunteers were from two of Maine’s largest programs, the SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps Program and the Goodwill Multilingual Leadership Corps. 

The SySTEM REAL AmeriCorps program places teams of AmeriCorps volunteers in schools throughout the Windham/Raymond school district. Volunteers work to increase student academic achievement, as well as social and emotional learning, by implementing STEM-based and service-learning programming that allows students develop new skills and use them to create a positive impact in their communities.

Goodwill's Multilingual Leadership Corps places AmeriCorps volunteers in Maine schools, housing communities, and nonprofits to engage K-12 English Language Learners through mentoring, goal-setting, school skills support, and community engagement activities.

There are AmeriCorps volunteers in 14 of the 16 counties in Maine. 

“This event will train our community's AmeriCorps volunteers in organizing and facilitating an emergency-response volunteer reception center, through which a community manages its volunteers and coordinates their efforts in times of disaster,” said Fernando Hinojosa, outreach and development director for RSU 14 Katahdin Program. 

“AmeriCorps volunteers are trained to respond to a variety of emergencies within the communities they serve. Should an emergency (such as a natural disaster) arise in Windham, or elsewhere in the Greater Portland area, our AmeriCorps volunteers will be participating in the relief effort,” he added.

When a disaster strikes be it a flood, earthquake, or tornado, volunteers come out of the woodwork to help with clean up and other needs the victims might have. AmeriCorps volunteers spring into action to screen the influx of volunteers and match them up with a need in the area through the reception centers. This screening process allows the people in charge to know what skills the volunteers have and can also discourage those who wouldn’t be helpful. 

“I had no idea what spontaneous volunteering was. It is the overwhelming number of people who want to help,” said Haley McCracken. “Everyone is so flooded with volunteers.”

The trainings help to deal with “unaffiliated volunteers and unsolicited donations,” which sometimes are helpful and other times make the job more difficult, for example if they’re not insured or working through the Red Cross. 

AmeriCorp volunteers sign up to help with a variety of projects all over the country. Jessica Swartz was a stay-at-home mom who had a degree in marketing and advertising and did some substitute teaching at Windham Primary School before she signed up. Now she is the first AmeriCorps volunteer at WPS, coordinating projects like a garden club, STEM learning and animal care and compassion lessons. 

“I developed a love for children. AmeriCorps was a way to leave the world a better place by leaving better children,” she said. AmeriCorps provides a living stipend for some of the volunteers and after a term, they receive a Segal Education Award to be used to pay off student debt or to pay for any higher education that accepts financial aid, according to Michael Ashmore, program development and training officer from the Maine Commission for Community Service, the organization that funds the AmeriCorps grants in the state. 

 

Terms can be a full year or part time. Full time is 450 hours. The amount of the award is dependent on the term. A 1,700 hour member receives approximately $6,000. Parents or grandparents can give their award to their children or grandchildren, who then will have seven years to use it. 

The living stipend is just below the poverty level, according to Ashmore. “Part of the experience is to experience what people are living like while you’re serving,” he said. There are currently 400 volunteers serving in the state full and part time. Volunteers can be from 17 to 107. 

“I’ve been put through courses I never would have had the opportunity to take,” Swartz said. “This rounds out your full education.” From trauma training to triggers training, Swartz is proud of the broad scope of programs they participate in.  

Will Smith from Michigan has been with AmeriCorps for two years. Last year he worked with the FEMA Corps, where he did disaster training and worked a disaster in South Carolina. He served 10 to 12 hour days for two weeks, then 10 hour days for a month after the initial disaster. “When I was first deployed there, I had to learn the ropes. Serving with an organization, we had to do on the spot learning,” Smith said. “I felt like there was a lot of dependence on us.”

September 30 was AmeriCorps Stand Down Day, where programs all over the country look at their emergency plans, personal and professional,” said Ashmore. 

“They are on call for responding for natural disasters. They are able and prepared to do it,” Ashmore said. “Count on us. We’re there when you need us to be.” 

For more information on the program or to find out about having AmeriCorps volunteers at your not-for-profit, faith based or government agency, visit www.maineservicecommission.gov or www. NationalService.gov.