FARMINGTON – The basement of the Community Center was a bustle of activity Thursday.

Teenagers and adults carried in boxes and bags filled with nonperishable food items to be sorted and sent to the Care and Share Food Cupboard at the Fairbanks community building.

Baking products. Baked beans. Beans and peas packaged. Soups. Macaroni and cheese boxed. Beverages. The tacked-up labels went on and on. So did the boxes.

The 3,500 pounds of food were collected by students and staff at Mallett and Cascade Brook schools in Farmington.

The noise of cans thudding on the tables mixed with the rustling of paper and plastic bags, the chatter of voices and, occasionally, the rolling of runaway cans on the floor.

This year, the annual Helping Hands Project “human chain” was canceled due to Wednesday’s storm. Usually, students and staff at Mallett School form a chain to pass food items from the school through a parking lot and across Middle Street to the center

So things had to be done a little differently.

Volunteer help

The new SAD 9 volunteer coordinator, Pauline Rodrigue, was overseeing this year’s project, one of her first major efforts this year. The Wilton woman had served as former coordinator Betsy O’Donal’s part-time secretary for 15 years.

“This is just fun,” Rodrigue said, as she watched the volunteers. “I’m amazed. Look at these people giving their time. We’re just so lucky to be part of this community.”

A well-placed phone call set the volunteers in action. So many people here have done this before, she said, and know what they’re doing.

“They’re teaching me,” Rodrigue said.

Amanda Laviolette of Wilton and a sophomore in the diversified occupation class at Foster Regional Applied Technology Center in Farmington was volunteering for the first time as part of the Helping Hands Project.

She was unloading bags and sorting the goods. “I think it’s going good,” Laviolette said.

Retired teachers and volunteers from the food cupboard worked alongside SAD 9 staff and students.

“I’m very pleased where this food is going to go because people out there need it because they don’t have food,” said Leo Bissonnette, 17, of New Sharon. “I like to help others. I think it’s nice that people can work together.”

Serving nine towns

Anita Holmes, a retired first-grade teacher, a liaison from school staff to the food closet, coordinated the volunteers as she’s been doing for 11 years.

The cupboard is a resource that can help people through as much as a three-day crisis. It’s run by volunteers, Holmes said. The hours are noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. The cupboard coordinator is Rachel Hay.

The cupboard is sponsored by the Farmington Area Ecumenical Ministry of Churches and serves people in Chesterville, Farmington, Farmington Falls, New Portland, New Vineyard, New Sharon, North New Portland, Temple and West Farmington.

Carole Godomsky of Farmington helped with the project last year. She’s a volunteer at the Care and Share Food Cupboard.

“It gives me a sense of satisfaction,” Godomsky said as she unpacked food. “It’s nice to see all this food come in. They only have a limited amount of money and they depend on people in the community to get the food they need.”

Ryan Nuzzo, 17, of Wilton was also working his second year at the project.

He said he likes to help people sometimes – when he’s in a good mood.

Thursday, he was in a good mood.

Not only was he helping others, he said, he was working his muscles.

By the time SAD 9’s truck left the center to go to the food cupboard in the early afternoon, it was packed full of food, Rodrigue said.