From left, Lincoln Academy students Kevin Fitzpatrick, Theo Seidel, and Mark Damon help Deb Arter transfer photos from her phone to her computer in The Second Congregational Church in Newcastle on Monday, Jan. 18. The students, all members of Alpha Sigma Gamma, performed a variety of odd jobs in Bremen, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Waldoboro, and Walpole in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Maia Zewert photo)
Members of Alpha Sigma Gamma, Lincoln Academy’s service fraternity, scattered across the county to help residents out by doing a variety of jobs, chores, and tasks in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 20.
The fraternity, along with the Baha’is of Lincoln County, commemorates the holiday every year by providing community service to anyone who might need it, said Robert Breckenridge, a social studies teacher at Lincoln Academy and the fraternity’s faculty adviser.
After meeting at The Second Congregational Church in Newcastle, Brekenridge dispatched the students to Bremen, Damariscotta, Newcastle, Waldoboro, and Walpole. Breckenridge said there were more requests for assistance this year than in years previous, much to the delight of the volunteers.
“Last year we only had three or four jobs, and the students finished those up quickly and were a little disappointed,” Breckenridge said. “This year we have more to do, and it’s a little bit of everything. ”
Among the odd jobs were chopping a Christmas tree, moving firewood, and snow removal. Some of the students were dispatched to provide technology advice to a resident having problems with a tablet and phone.
Lincoln Academy students Liam Brinkler (left) and Abe Steinberger move a riser in the Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18. Brinkler and Steinberger are members of Sigma Alpha Gamma, Lincoln Academy’s service fraternity, which commemorates the holiday every year by doing community service around the county. (Maia Zewert photo)
A group of students reported to Hodgdon Green, an assisted-living home in Damariscotta, to clean items out of the basement, while others helped move risers and lighting equipment at the Lincoln Theater.
“I think it’s really effective,” said Liam Dworkin, a senior in Alpha Sigma Gamma. “We do stuff like this during the year, but sometimes it’s only one thing every few weeks. Today, we’re doing a lot and helping a lot of people.”
Rosalee Landry, a member of the Baha’is, expressed gratitude for the commitment of the volunteers.
“It’s wonderful to see them volunteering their time in honor of Dr. King,” Landry said. “This is a holiday for them. They could have been sleeping in, but they’re out in the community, helping others.”
The fraternity’s spirit of giving extends beyond Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“If anyone has anything they need help with, let us know,” Alpha Sigma Gamma senior Liam Brinkler said. “We want to give back to the community and help those who need it.”
