Salvation Army seeks aid for fuel assistance plan

The Wednesday morning mail contained a letter from Harold Conners, director of social services for The Salvation Army in Bangor.

Conners wrote on behalf of The Salvation Army and those it serves to thank all who have contributed to its Oil Fund for the Needy. Conners added, however, that additional help is needed.

He explained that The Salvation Army continues to receive calls for emergency assistance, many from people already out of fuel or who may be without fuel within a few hours of the call.

“This is not about people making choices of what to buy with their money,” Conners wrote. “It is about those without money” who need to purchase fuel.

You can help The Salvation Army fulfill these emergency requests in three ways.

First, you can offer to purchase 100 gallons of fuel for a needy family or elderly person living in your area. Secondly, you can send a cash donation to the Oil Fund for the Needy, to be administered by Conners’ office. And, third, you can accept referrals from The Salvation Army from people living in our area who are in need of emergency assistance with fuel.

“The effects of cold can be devastating,” Conners wrote. “Not only is there the expense of oil and special delivery charges but, many times, there are charges for repairs to pipes and/or heating units. We continue to receive calls, each day, and we have little resources left.”

If you would like to help keep others warm during this cold winter weather, call Conners at 941-2990, or write him at The Salvation Army, 65 South Park St., Bangor 04401.

Brenda Macakhuz of Glenburn called the other day to tell us that Glenburn Elementary School computer teacher Andrew Maxsimic, “who has very long hair,” is going to get a haircut during an “Acts of Kindness” assembly beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 11, at the school.

Maxsimic decided to sell raffle tickets, which he did at basketball games and activities, Macakhuz said, which will result in two acts of kindness.

He is going to donate his long hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair while undergoing treatment for cancer.

Additionally, Macakhuz said, Maxsimic will donate proceeds from the raffle to the Andy Butler Memorial Skate Park Committee, to help fund that project.

Besides the acts of kindness that will result from this special haircutting assembly is the good time everyone will have, especially the lucky raffle ticket holder whose name is drawn and will have the opportunity to cut Maxsimic’s hair.

We were also told that sixth-grade teacher Angela Landry will donate 10 inches of her hair and that student Emily Ladd will have her hair cut, as well.

So, after Friday’s “Acts of Kindness” assembly, the Locks of Love organization will receive three contributions from Glenburn, and the youths of Glenburn will have more money for their skate-park fund.

Here is a notice of interest to all, but especially teachers and school administrators in Hancock County.

The Maine Community Foundation has grants of $500 to $1,000 to support special projects, field trips, teacher workshops and other creative programs to enhance the education of elementary and high school students. Through the Bary Lyon Small Fund of the MCF, two to three grants will be awarded to provide financial help for such innovative programs, especially in Hancock County.

For more information about this program, call 877-700-6800, or visit the MCF Web site at www.mainecf.org.

Speaking of Hancock County, one of its favorite residents will be the center of attention at a special event in her honor this weekend.

Members of the public are invited to join the family, friends and fellow church members of Viola Sargent of Ellsworth in celebration of her 90th birthday during an open house at 11 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at the First Congregational Church of Ellsworth, located on the corner of Church and State streets.

According to Emma Remick of Trenton, friends have been planning the open house for this very special lady for quite some time. “I suspect she knows it by now,” Remick said, “since we got the word that 52 Sargent relatives, including her children and grandchildren, plan to be in worship service that morning.”

Sargent, at 90, continues to be an active member of the greater Hancock community and, we learned earlier from Remick, Sargent is also an avid hunter.

Remick informed us that “in addition to her other interests,” this ageless individual “has felled moose in each of the years she has drawn a number in the lottery.”

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.