NESP Forum

Holiday Party memories here

Charity: Breakwater Teen Shelter 218 Main Street,Rockland,ME 04841 207-596-2920 Contacts Melissa Hart, Maureen ElHajj
melhajj7@hotmail.com
Ornament project and Silent Auction
Hotel: Trade Winds, Rockland ME

Holiday Party hosted by Tricia...DrSoul's video...LindaT & Karaoke...auction....

Amy, Linda, and I travelled to Rockland Maine to throw a holiday party for the Breakwater Teen Shelter, our main recipient for the ornament proceeds this season. The shelter is for homeless teens in the Rockland area and offers a variety of services for the teens that participate. NESP raised $150 on the auction items at our Holiday party to fund the party, and some members also generously donated to supplies,etc.

Originally, there were to have been around 15 teens and some small kids, but many did not show up due to other commitments, lack of transportation,etc. The teens that did show up (and the one baby) had a great time. Early on, the entire staff showed up and it turned into a staff appreciation party as well. This ended up being a bonus, as there is never money to appreciate the people who volunteer their services and work so hard for those in need. We also had a captive audience to promote Taylor   Some of the staff already were fans so it was easy to spread the good word

We brought lots of food, games, art supplies, craft activities, etc. so the kids should have festive food and enough to keep them busy for about a month   One of the staff told me they never have enough cash left over for craft supplies and the like so they were especially
appreciative of those donations. Linda donated a huge bag of puzzles
too We also donated a few CDs, including Taylor's

The trip to Rockland made us want to see Taylor at the Strand Theater even more!

Couldn't agree more on it being a great bonus that the staff was able to enjoy having some much deserved fun together.  It was also neat to meet some of the shelter's "success stories" as one staffer introduced them.  
It was a good night.

But with one sad postscript - we learned that the building they are housed in is being sold out from under them.  The circumstances make an old hippie remember what resonated with me back then and still does today - people should count more than $$,  Hopefully some in the community will step forward and find a way to ensure a permanent solution as happened where I live.

Liz, I have some things to send - like Taylor's book and audio book that I left sitting on my table Friday   
Please PM me the address.

They do have a library so if anyone wants to send something easy to mail like books [ for all ages]  - - or anything else for that matter - - just ask Liz for the address.