Houlton Lodge #835 has a long history of community support and involvement. Last year, the Lodge began a new project, modeled after the Augusta Lodge #964 backpack program, designed specifically to help young school children. For this project Houlton Lodge was awarded first place in Division V of the Community Project Contest conducted by the Grand Lodge Activities Committee. Houlton Lodge was able to donate supplies to our closest and largest local school district (RSU29 – Houlton).
Wishing to continue the worthwhile project, Houlton Lodge this year used member donated supplies and an ENF grant to provide two other local school district students with their basic classroom supplies. These districts, while outside our town proper, are close enough to the Lodge that some of our members have students in them. Just prior to the beginning of the school year over 400 back packs were filled with items such as pencils, rulers, pencil cases, ear buds etc. These packs and other classroom supplies were then given to the Hodgdon and Southern Aroostook school districts. This project involved numerous members of the Lodge who donated supplies, collected them from shipping sites, sorted and packaged them as well as distribute them.
