February 22, 2016
AUGUSTA---In the Holy Year of Mercy, faculty and staff at St. Michael School in Augusta are providing opportunities for students and school families to become involved in activities aimed at cultivating a sense of giving and an understanding of the importance of offering mercy and healing to those in need.

In late January and early February, the school organized two collections to answer God’s call to serve by assisting the Ronald McDonald Houses in Maine and Catholic Charities Maine’s Threads of Hope thrift stores.

On February 11, the school welcomed representatives from both organizations for a schoolwide assembly (three pictures below) to present them with the items gathered.
Each grade at the school had been assigned a different clothing category to collect, including socks, pajamas, clothing for children and adults, footwear, and other items. By the end of the collection during Maine Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 31-Feb. 6), the total donations were estimated to be around one thousand pounds and were given to Bill Wood of Catholic Charities Maine at the assembly. Proceeds from the Threads of Hope thrift stores in Portland and Sanford go towards supporting more than 20 Catholic Charities' programs around the state. Sales from the Caribou, Presque Isle, and Monticello stores support the Catholic Charities Food Bank in Caribou.
In addition to the clothing drive, St. Michael students collected aluminum can tabs to assist the Ronald McDonald Houses in Maine, located in Bangor and Portland, which provide housing for families who have a child being treated at a local hospital. Maine Metal Recycling in Auburn will weigh the tabs, pay the current rate for aluminum, and send the money to the program. The students presented Ashley MacMillan of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine with approximately 15 gallons of can tabs.
To find ways to become involved in the Holy Year of Mercy, visit the special Holy Year of Mercy section on the diocesan website: www.portlanddiocese.org/holy-year-of-mercy. For more information, contact Dave Guthro, Communications Director for the Diocese of Portland, at (207) 321-7810 or at [email protected].