February 19, 2025
Archive

Rotarians give $19,000 to nonprofits

BANGOR – Four local nonprofit organizations that serve youth received sizable grants Tuesday from the Rotary Club of Bangor.

In all, the club handed out checks totaling nearly $19,000 during a noon meeting Tuesday at Wellman Commons on the former campus of the Bangor Theological Seminary.

Recipients were:

. The University of Maine System’s 4-H Community Action Group, which helps Greater Bangor youngsters, including teens who reside in public housing projects, American Indian youth and the children of deployed troops, develop decision-making skills they can use to make a difference in their communities and in the broader world.

Barbara Baker, an associate professor with the system’s Cooperative Extension Program, accepted a $2,000 grant to fund minigrants for participating clubs, partner organizations and individual members.

. Thomas Bickford, president of Maine Robotics, accepted $4,010 to promote interest in engineering and computer science, more specifically to buy equipment for the group’s summer camp programs in Orono and Bangor for students ages 9 to 15.

. Best known for its work with victims of domestic abuse, Spruce Run received $6,280 for its Kool Kids program open to children staying at the organization’s shelter or living in transitional housing. Kool Kids began last year with children age 9 and up. It aims to foster connections through activities and share experiences, including making Valentine’s Day cards for residents of area veterans and nursing homes, making bookmarks for literacy volunteers at Bangor Public Library and walking dogs at the Bangor Humane Society’s shelter. Shelly McGuire accepted the gift on behalf of Spruce Run.

. The Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross was given $6,620 to provide 150 Bangor and Brewer middle school students an after-school baby-sitter training program this fall and next spring.

Besides the grants distributed Tuesday, the Rotary Club awarded smaller amounts earlier to:

. Bangor High School, $500, for Mosaic, the school’s literary and arts magazine. The money will be used for equipment needed to bind the publication, which has grown to more than 90 pages.

. Bangor Land Trust, $1,000, for purchase of equipment and field guides to support the trust’s environmental education program. The material is used in instruction for school groups, Scout troops, Cub Scout packs and other youth groups.

. Bangor Public Library, $1,500, for its Lonely Books Club, which aims to generate interest in books that haven’t been checked out in two or more years, despite being good to read. The club will feature monthly meetings among adults who will reminisce about the books they read when they were 10 to 14 years old and a discussion of books student members have read. Students will receive incentives, including T-shirts and gift certificates for every three books they read and review.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

You may also like