Providing help and creating hope in Maine
Dixie Shaw, Director of Hunger & Relief Services at Catholic Charities Maine, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Presque Isle, ME – Catholic Charities Maine (CCM) is honored to congratulate Dixie Shaw as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award from the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, the Presque Isle Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. The award was presented at last night’s Chamber Annual Awards Dinner held at Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center.
Born and bred in the county, Shaw currently serves as Director of Hunger & Relief Services for Catholic Charities Maine. According to Chamber Executive Director Theresa Fowler, “Dixie embodies everything we look for in a candidate for this award – no one can deny the tremendous amount of work and energy she puts into improving the lives of people in Maine and particularly in Aroostook County.”
During her 28 year tenure at Catholic Charities Maine Shaw has grown a small home supplies depot and food pantry into a comprehensive model to sustain the needs of those who are hungry and vulnerable in the County. Her “can do” attitude has resulted in the robust Hunger & Relief Services program. Built from the ground up, it now provides food to more than 35% of the population (> 27,000 individuals) of Aroostook County. The clients have low to very low income levels, and include seniors, veterans, children and families.
Shaw also oversees the operations of three Threads of Hope Thrift Stores in the County whose revenue supports Food Bank operations. In 2013, she launched Farm for ME as a pilot project on three acres in Aroostook County in an effort to supply fresh vegetables through CCM’s Food Bank to the 24 pantries it serves in Aroostook County. In 2014, she added a “Glean Team” to collect crop overages from local farms. In 2015, the total harvest, including gleaned crops, was more than 100,000 lbs. of fresh, locally grown nutritious vegetables. Thanks to a partnership she forged with Northern Girl, LLC of Van Buren, many of the vegetables are flash-frozen to provide healthy options for pantry clients all year long.
“Having known Dixie since 1989 and recognizing that her passion for serving those in need and enthusiasm for solving any problem regardless of barriers are by far her greatest assets, I believe she is truly deserving of this Award,” notes Stephen Letourneau, CEO of Catholic Charities Maine. “She has dedicated her life to helping others through her work and leadership with Catholic Charities Maine and we couldn’t be more thankful for and proud of her accomplishments.”
About Catholic Charities Maine
Since 1946, Catholic Charities Maine has provided high-quality, community-based, social services to people of all faiths, beliefs, and economic backgrounds. As one of the largest human service agencies in the state, we are committed to helping children and adults overcome adversity and achieve self-sufficiency. More than .92 of every dollar we receive goes directly to serving our neighbors in need. To learn more, please visit www.ccmaine.org or call 1-800-781-8550.
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