Holiday lighting project seeks volunteers

PowerServe is seeking up to 60 volunteers for a project in
partnership with the Town of Windham next month to do prep 
work for lighting the trees in the 202/302 rotary in Windham
this Christmas. FILE PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

The calendar says September, but a local volunteer group is already making plans to lay the groundwork for lighting up the 202/302 rotary in Windham this Christmas.

In previous years, PowerServe, a youth volunteer event program, has partnered with businesses like Gorham Savings, Windham Rental, and many more, to help others in the town of Windham with outside projects and to be a light in the community.

“This year we have decided to focus on one project, the rotary on 202/302, and to partner with the town to help to bring more light to the trees there this Christmas and beyond,” said Samantha Patton of PowerServe.

Patton said that PowerServe is a YoungLife Sebago organized one-day event where volunteers serve Windham area organizations and individuals who need assistance with various tasks from painting, yard work, repairs, and much more.

“The first PowerServe event in 2016, originally began as a one-time occurrence in the spring of 2016 to honor a Windham High School student, Shane Donnelly, who had passed away suddenly,” she said. “After the initial volunteer effort, there were many requests for the event to happen on an ongoing basis. Through hundreds of volunteers and the sponsorship of local businesses such as Gorham Savings Bank, Windham Rental, Shaw EarthWorks, Home Depot, Sherwin Williams, and many more, it has now become an annual event.”

In 2019, PowerServe had about 230 volunteers working on 30 projects. 

According to Patton, about 60 teen and adult volunteers are needed for this year’s project which is set for Sunday, Oct. 3 at the 202/302 rotary.
“We need your help. We will be doing the prep work to be able to light up the trees in the 202/302 Rotary in Windham,” she said. “We need 60 people to help dig, rake, glue, and assemble. If you are willing to help, we can find a job for you. Our goal is to lay the groundwork for licensed electricians to provide outlets for lighting up the trees. This project is a partnership with the Town of Windham.”

She said that two three-hour volunteer shifts are available between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Oct. 3.

The goal of the project is to have an outlet at each outer ring tree of 10 and three outlets in the center of the trees in the center of the rotary which can also possibly provide a beautiful site to view during other seasons of the year, Patton said.

“PowerServe volunteers will do the ground prep work then the town’s specialists will take over from there at a later time. With the health concerns in 2020, we were not able to meet so we wanted to make sure this year we stayed mindful of everyone's health; physical and mental, and decided to choose one project that will do just that,” she said. “With everything going on, we need light and hope surrounding our community. What better way to do that than partner with the Town of Windham to upgrade the long-term electricity to the rotary off 302 and light up the trees for all to see. This project includes digging the trenches, gluing, and laying conduit, and backfilling.” 

Young Life Sebago is a Christian-based outreach to teenagers that provides four basic things to kids.

First, they provide positive adult role models to go through life with young people. Second, they provide fun and positive ways to spend time through weekly programs and a summer camp, Patton said.

“Thirdly, they guide them through finding practical everyday tools and resources that they can use as they grow and become stronger in the community and in life,” she said. “Finally, YoungLife provides the basis of the Christian faith in a way that allows students of any background to hear about faith and then make their own decisions about what to do with that information.”

For more details about this year’s PowerServe project or to sign up to volunteer or become a sponsor, visit www.powerserve.me. <

PowerServe will provide community services once again in memory of those who have passed by Elizabeth Richards

Students from last year's event

PowerServe Saturday - a morning of community service organized by Young Life Sebago, will be held on Saturday, May 13^th.  This is the second year for the community-wide event.

Genevieve Delano, director of PowerServe and a junior at Windham High School, said that the event was initially planned as a one-time thing, but there were many requests that it happen again after last year’s event. “One hundred percent of the people we got survey results from, wanted to do it again,” she said.

That was exciting for the committee of organizers, who started planning for this year’s event at the beginning of the school year. PowerServe has a main sponsor, Gorham Savings Bank, and the committee is currently reaching out to other potential sponsors. “We’re really excited to do it again,” Delano said.

Last year, PowerServe was dedicated to Shane Donnelly, a classmate who passed away. This year, Delano said, the event is dedicated to the overall community and making that community better - but also acknowledge both Shane and another classmate, Kelly, who passed away when she was in fifth grade and would have been graduating with the senior class this year. “The senior class is doing a lot, with graduation especially, as a tribute to Shane and Kelly,” Delano said. The PowerServe committee wanted to do something similar in support of their families, moving negative energy and sadness into positive energy that can be used towards making the community better, she said. 

Participation last year was over and above what the committee expected, with close to 300 participants and 18 different projects completed.  “We had a great turnout and everybody loved it,” Delano said.  

Last year, most projects took place on the school campus and included: Planting, gardening, building bridges on the cross country trail, and painting dugouts.  This year, similar projects are planned, but the group also hopes to expand projects, to have a wider impact in the communities of Windham, Raymond and Gorham, Delano said.  One new project for this year is to partner with the police department in Windham to fix up the outside of the station, and do some planting in the K9 memorial garden, Delano said. 

Anyone with a project idea can contact the committee at: powerserve@yahoo.com. Projects might include yardwork for veterans or people who may need assistance, park clean up, and “Anything that people can tap into that we might have missed,” Delano said. 

The committee encourages people to register in advance if they plan to attend, so that teams can be organized, and people can be placed on a project that coincides with their skills and interests.

Registration is free, and can be done online at: www.sebago.younglife.org. The first 250 registrants will receive a free t-shirt. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and a complimentary lunch will be served at noon.

Delano emphasized that PowerServe is a community service event, not a fundraiser. Sponsors support the event, but there is not an effort to raise funds, beyond what is needed to successfully complete the planned projects, provide t-shirts, and provide lunch. The flyer promoting the event succinctly described the overall goal with this statement: “Serving our community and each other is a powerful way to connect with others and find significance and joy in our own lives. By coming together as a community from all walks of life with many different skills and voices, we can make a difference.

This May, we invite you to PowerServe as we remember those no longer with us.”