When John and Melanie Bronson Kollman returned to Bangor with their young son from the Portland area, Melanie Kollman discovered something was missing.

While living in southern Maine for six years, after the birth of their son she became involved with the La Leche League of Greater Portland.

But, upon returning home, Kollman learned “there has not been a La Leche League group in Bangor for 20 years or so,” she said.

Trained as a leader for the Portland group, Kollman is working to rectify that situation here.

Last August, Kollman started the process of getting a new group affiliated with the international organization.

According to information provided by Kollman, La Leche League was “founded for the purpose of giving support, information and encouragement to women who are interested in breastfeeding.”

Regular meetings are “informal discussions where mothers can meet and share their thoughts and concerns.”

Among those topics are preparing to breast-feed, sharing knowledge about those most important first few weeks of their babies’ lives, fussy babies, nighttime parenting and responding to criticism of breast-feeding which, we all know, does occur from time to time.

Kollman’s work to organize La Leche League of Greater Bangor has been enhanced by the support of Cindy Blease of Orono, a former leader with a group that was active in the Orono-Old Town area in the 1980s.

Blease is now affiliated with the Bangor group.

Meetings of La Leche League of Greater Bangor are 9:30-11 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Grace United Methodist Church, 193 Union St., Bangor.

That means the next meeting is tomorrow morning at the church, which is located on the corner of Union and Clinton streets in Bangor.

Babies and toddlers are welcome at the meeting, and La Leche League leaders are available for telephone support and information at any time.

If you are interested in this organization, or want help from one of its leaders, call Kollman at 745-1520 or Blease at 866-2177.

Congratulations are extended to the Maine Credit Union League and its 76 affiliated credit unions, which raised a record $170,000 to help end hunger in Maine through its 2001 Maine Credit Union Campaign for Ending Hunger.

The amount exceeded last year’s campaign by more than $40,000, which is an admirable feat considering Maine Credit Union League members and affiliates also raised more than $70,000 for relief efforts associated with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Of the $170,000 raised in the 2001 Campaign for Ending Hunger, more than $102,000 went to Partners in Ending Hunger, the nonprofit Camden-based organization that awards incentive grants to each organization in Maine that participates in its November “Ending Hunger Week” campaign.

The remaining funds will be distributed to the top 20 Credit Unions that raised the most money and had the highest donation per member, to be donated to hunger organizations in their own communities.

Which means people in the Dexter area will be receiving more help again this year since the folks at Dexter Regional Federal Credit Union continue their tradition of claiming top fund-raising honors with more than $8,400 collected in the 2001 campaign.

And another eastern Maine organization, St. Agatha Federal Credit Union, received top honors for raising the most money per member at $1.47 per member, so that area will receive additional funds from the program.

Nearly 90 percent of those affiliated with the Maine Credit Union League took part in the 2001 campaign which, since it was initiated in 1990, has raised more than $1.1 million to help end hunger in our state.

Catharine Lebowitz, president of the Bangor Historical Society, wrote the Bangor Daily News recently on behalf of the BHS to publicly express the organization’s heartfelt appreciation to the late G. Peirce Webber “for his generous bequest to the society. He has long been a generous friend and benefactor, not only with financial support, but sharing his wisdom. We shall miss his guidance.”

The BHS “will ever be mindful of his interest in keeping the history of the past ever-fresh for the enjoyment of the youngsters and the community at large, as well as visitors from out-of-state and overseas, who stop by to learn of the richness of Bangor’s days gone by.”

The Sisters of Charity Health System’s Renaissance and Genesis programs were the major beneficiaries in Central Maine Power Co.’s 2001 Holiday Lighting Contest.

CMP President Sara Burns presented Sisters of Charity a check for $2,184, which represented the proceeds raised through entries in the fourth annual contest.

Additionally, CMP gave more than $1,100 in direct donations that were collected from its customers during the contest period.

For each entry in the contest, CMP donated $1 to the programs, which provide services for children and adolescents who suffer behavioral or mental health difficulties due to abuse or neglect.

The Renaissance House and Genesis programs are affiliated with St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, and provide treatment to children from all backgrounds and all areas of Maine.

More information about these programs can be obtained at the Sisters of Charity Web site www.stmarysmaine.com.

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