Churches and volunteer groups from Jefferson and Whitefield are raising funds for the Damariscotta-based Community Energy Fund by hosting a spaghetti dinner on Sat., Oct 18. The dinner, which is being held to raise funds to assist residents of Jefferson and Whitefield, will be held at the Jefferson Village School at 5 p.m.
Groups and churches involved in this effort so far include St. Giles Episcopal, First Baptist and Trask Memorial Baptist churches of Jefferson, St. Denis Catholic church of Whitefield, Bunker Hill Ladies Aid of Jefferson and the Whitefield Lions Club.
“Our organizational meetings for this effort have been uplifting and a lot of fun,” said Rev. Catherine Anderson of St. Giles, who is heading up the group. “It’s a real joy to see so many different parts of our local faith and benevolent community come together for this type of effort. What began with a couple of churches has turned into a community-wide effort to help our neighbors stay warm.”
The supper will consist of spaghetti, salad, bread, brownies and beverages. The suggested donation for the supper is $7 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Additional donation envelopes will be available at the supper, as well.
CEF co-founder Robert Clifford will attend the supper to answer questions and speak about his organization’s efforts. According to a recent press release, Clifford welcomes the Whitefield/Jefferson collaborative effort.
“A goal of CEF this season is to get towns to develop referral lists of those who might need help,” he said. “We want to find those who need assistance but are too proud to ask for it, whether or not they meet strict public assistance criteria.”
The high cost of fuel and economic hardship translates to higher needs for this non-profit group. Clifford said that CEF will need $100,000 to $200,000 this winter to help those in need, which is a jump from last year’s $75,000 in assistance given to 228 homes last year.
Other individual efforts are under way to raise support for those in need. The Whitefield Lion’s Club is accepting donated eyeglasses for their eyeglass recycling program. Jefferson resident Lu Archer is in the process of creating a quilt to be raffled off on a future date. The money from this quilt raffle will go toward fuel assistance, according to the release.
To participate in the efforts initiated by these groups or learn more about the fund-raising events, contact Catherine Anderson at 549-5148.
