In the season of giving, we here at The Lincoln County News are thinking about ways residents of the area give to the community.
For some it’s the gift of time volunteering with local organizations and for others it’s manifested as a monetary gift.
This week’s Character of the County, Robert Clifford, the former president and owner of Colby and Gale Inc. in Damariscotta, has us thinking about the good some organizations in the area do with donations.
Along with Todd Maurer and Charlie Ault, Clifford started The Community Energy Fund in 2005 to aid those in need of fuel or heating assistance because they were concerned about the impact rising fuel costs would have on residents.
According to Clifford, over the last 19 years the organization has distributed $2.5 million in assistance to families around Lincoln County and the notion has us feeling warm, inside and out.
While it may be the season of giving, gratitude is an all-season, never-goes-out-of-style emotion, and there are organizations and people working year-round to help those who need it.
In Lincoln County, those organizations include Boothbay V.E.T.S., which is dedicated to serving homeless veterans; Healthy Kids, based in Bristol, who helps stock food pantries and sends lunches to school children in need; Stepping Stone Housing Inc. in Damariscotta, which provides affordable housing for individuals and families earning less than a living wage.
The Community Housing Improvement Project is dedicated to keeping neighbors warm, safe, and dry. Then there are the various food pantries, Wiscasset Feed Our Scholars, the Waldoboro Free Clothing Closet, Lincoln County Friends in Service Helping…
There are dozens of organizations dedicated to helping our community get through each day, but they can’t do it alone. They need our support as much as we need them.
Clifford may have said it best: “There are a lot of (organizations) that do good in the community.”
However you celebrate the holiday season in Lincoln County, we hope your festivities are warm.
