OLD TOWN — The Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord in Old Town will hold a Mother’s Day Personal Care Drive to collect items for Shepherd’s Godparent Home and McAuley Residence, two organizations that provide a safe environment for women and children in crisis and a helping hand to move towards a better life.
Items needed are sunscreen for adults and kids, bubbles for outdoor play, toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and conditioner, soap, body wash, bubble bath, deodorant, toothpaste, cleaning and laundry supplies, and baby items like diaper cream, baby lotion, and powder. The collection of items will take place before, during, and after Masses at parish churches on Saturday, May 8, and Sunday, May 9:
Holy Family Church
429 Main Street, Old Town
Saturday 4 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.
Our Lady of Wisdom Church
83 College Avenue, Orono
Sunday 11 a.m.
St. Ann Church
84 Main Street, Bradley
Sunday 9:30 a.m.
Large baskets will be present in which items can be placed. The collection is being run by the parish’s Worship and Spirituality Commission in recognition of the difficult year it has been for many women and children in need.
The Shepherd’s Godparent Home is a crisis center located in a quiet residential neighborhood in Bangor that houses young women in their teens to thirties who are pregnant and in crisis. The staff is committed to loving both mother and baby unconditionally and provides support as well as academic classes, life and job skills training, crafts, devotionals, parenting classes, counseling, and volunteer opportunities. All services and resources are offered for free thanks to the generosity of donors, churches, and other service organizations. For more information or to help the home and its mission, call 207-949-2273 or email shepherdsgodparenthome@gmail.com.
With locations in Bangor and Portland, Northern Light McAuley Residence provides a free comprehensive transitional housing program for women with and without children who are in recovery from substance use disorder. At the McAuley Residence, women commit to actively participate in their individualized program, which is designed to promote positive, lasting changes to break the cycle of unhealthy dependencies and encourage healthy independence. The residence has a holistic approach covering all aspects of recovery, including spirituality, parenting, physical and emotional wellness, career and education, financial responsibility, and recreation. The residence is guided by the Sisters of Mercy philosophy of compassionate care for all, with special concern for disadvantaged women and children. For more information or to help the residence in its mission, call 207-747-4121 (Portland location) or 207-659-7341 (Bangor location).
For more information about the Mother’s Day Personal Care Drive or the work of the Worship and Spirituality Commission at the Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord, call 207-827-4000 or email resurrectionparish@portlanddiocese.org.