U.S. Sen. Susan Collins met recently with one of Maine's two 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community honorees, Theodore Blaisdell of Lewiston, to congratulate him and discuss his volunteer work in Maine.

Blaisdell, 18, a junior at Lewiston High School, designed and created an Appreciation Garden for the Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn. The garden was created with new trees, picnic tables, benches and inspirational plaques.

Blaisdell designed the project after he visited the food bank, where his mother was a volunteer, and noticed that the facility's grounds were in need of improvement. He discovered that the food bank had no money for landscaping, so he met with officials there to propose a garden that would welcome and inspire visitors and provide a place for volunteer workers to relax during breaks.

When he was ready to begin, more than 40 volunteers helped him weed and mulch the garden site, plant eight trees, assemble three benches, build two picnic tables and install inspirational plaques. Blaisdell also secured new roadside signs to make it easier for drivers to find the food bank.

"Not only is there a visible physical difference in the appearance of the Good Shepherd Food-Bank," said Blaisdell, "but it is my hope that my project freed up other resources that can benefit families in need."

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based on volunteer community service. The awards were created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to honor middle school and high school students at the local, state and national level for outstanding service to others.