Group seeks support for chaplains overseas

A tiny church on Orr’s Island is the only one in Maine that is part of the Adopt-a-Chaplain program. The group’s founder would like there to be more.

The organization, based in San Jose, Calif., was started in 2005 by Daniel Hoebeke, who summers on the island south of Brunswick.

Adopt-a-Chaplain regularly supports more than half of the more than 200 chaplains deployed in the Middle East. The organization ships 75 boxes per week overseas. Another 300 are mailed weekly by churches and other groups located in 38 states.

Hoebeke started the group when he realized that although many organizations support the troops, no group existed to aid military chaplains.

“They’re the ones who are providing the care for everyone else, but who is providing the care for the chaplains?” he said in a recent interview with the Portland Press Herald. “We are the chaplain support organization.”

Many of the chaplains the group supports set up cabinets or storage areas stocked with toiletries, comfort food or other necessities that are hard to find in war zones, he said. Chaplains often use the opportunity of sharing the items to talk about spiritual matters with soldiers in a nonthreatening way.

Chaplains of all religious backgrounds may receive support simply by asking to be adopted.

For more information, visit the group’s Web site at www.adopt-a-chaplain.org.