NORWAY – Residents of Norway and Paris have planned a send-off Sunday for the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the National Guard.

“One of the points to the Sunday send off is to let the guardsmen and women know that we support them and we’re cheering them on,” said Lesley Dean, who is the unofficial coordinator for the party. “We want to let them and their families know that the community will be here for the families while they are gone.”

The 133rd is comprised of soldiers from Lewiston and Norway. They are scheduled to leave for Fort Drum, N.Y., sometime between Jan. 5 and Jan. 10. From Fort Drum they are scheduled to go to the Middle East.

Dean said a lot of community members have been pitching in to pull off the party, which is scheduled for the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School at 3 p.m.

She said musical entertainment has been set up so far and she has asked two people to speak. She said she expected the program to last about 30 minutes and then time can be spent socializing and “sharing good thoughts” with those leaving.

Dean said the community is also working on a database of goods and services that people are willing to donate or provide at a reduced cost for the National Guard families left at home.

Two state programs, the Family Assistance Program and the Family Readiness Program, were created from federal funds to provide a variety of services to families of military personnel.

Kerry H. Birmingham, the state project manager for Family Assistance Program, said in an earlier meeting that there are offices in Caribou, Bangor, Augusta and Portland.

Birmingham said staff are covering phones 24 hours per day, everyday, to handle requests.

“We are referral and resource centers,” Birmingham said. “We are set to help with concerns of families in areas of health issues, legal and pay questions. Or maybe, we find someone to come to their house to shovel a driveway, fix a screen door or fix a wire for a family.

“We also make courtesy calls to families to see how it is going,” he said.

They also have a computerized database of people statewide willing to help families.

The Paris group will become part of the statewide database.

Norway Selectman William Damon, a former member of the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the National Guard, is the the contact person for Oxford Hills.

Families needing help may phone 1-888-365-9287 to reach the state-level assistance agencies.

Area volunteers may phone Damon at 743-6764 or any of the post commanders.

Damon said anyone is welcome to volunteer.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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