Providing help and creating hope in Maine
Caribou, Maine - Freda Watkins of Caribou received a Governor’s Roll of Honor award for time dedicated to Catholic Charities Maine’s (CCM) Threads of Hope store in Caribou. She recorded more than 815 hours volunteering last year and loved every minute of it.
“The people I work with are an awesome crew,” she explained. “Everyone just works hard but enjoys it. They’re like family.” The store, which is less than a mile from Freda’s home, includes food, clothing, and furniture that Mainers donate to “turns bargains into better lives,” with all proceeds supporting CCM’s Food Banks in Northern Maine. Frieda is known to cook for the who crew and likes to keep the store tidy, which is quite the challenge with so many goods moving in and out.
Freda was originally from Presque Isle. She and her late husband, who was in the U.S. Air Force, lived in New York and Michigan before she returned home. Frieda worked as a welder in Michigan and a server in a restaurant in Caribou. She has five children, five grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
“The thing about volunteering in the Threads of Hope store is that we are accepting donations and putting them to good use,” she explained. “We don’t refuse anything and are happy to be able to help people who come to the store. Everyone is greeted with a smile and a hello.”
She works from early morning to late afternoon two days per week in the winter and three days a week in the summer.
“It is really very rewarding to be working with such a group, but of course, we could always use more volunteers,” she concluded. “Come in and visit us in the Caribou store or one of our other locations, and maybe you would like to volunteer a few of your hours.”
CCM’s Threads of Hope thrift stores are located in Caribou, Presque Isle, Monticello and Sanford, Maine. For store locations and hours, visit www.ThreadsofHopeCCM.org.
About Catholic Charities Maine
For more than 50 years, 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. To learn more, please visit www.ccmaine.org or call 1-800-781-8550.
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