Jack Green waits for the call that will break his heart, or maybe even make him angry.

There are immeasurable blessings involved in being the Salvation Army representative for Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland. But there are tales of woe too, and they multiply in the week or two before Christmas.

“I see it all. We had a guy one year who was scheduled for a serious cancer operation. He was heating his house with an electric stove and oven,” Green said. “He wouldn’t ask for anything. When that call comes in, I want to be able to go buy that guy a kerosene heater, buy him some kerosene and get him warm.”

Green is deluged with requests at a time when charitable donations have reduced to a trickle. Typically by Dec. 1, he begins formulating a list of needy, local families and individuals who will receive Christmas food baskets.

This year?

“People were calling before Thanksgiving about Christmas,” he said. “That means people are scared they’re not going to be having Christmas.”

Not to worry. Green said that no area resident will be turned away this month.

Typically, 100 turkeys are enough for both Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets, but this year they were all distributed in November. Cyndi Robbins, co-owner of Poland Spring Inn, provided those birds.
Fuel needed, too
Now, to prepare for the Christmas baskets, Robbins has again come to the army’s rescue and has written a check. Future Foods of Mechanic Falls agreed to supply Christmas turkeys, charging the charity only enough to recoup the store’s cost.

If food-basket requests remain at their current rate, Green said he would have to spend only $250 of his organization’s money. But he’s hoping to whittle down that number to zero and stay ahead of the game so he can answer other requests this winter.

That’s where our donations, large or small, come in.

“I’m trying to subtract turkeys from the budget so I can fulfill other needs that I know are going to come up this winter,” Green said. “That way when a person calls and says I’ve got two kids, I’m disabled and I ran out of oil this morning,’ I can help them. I’m trying to save turkey money so I can buy oil.”

Fuel, of course, is burning a hole in everyone’s pocket.

Green describes the trend in language befitting a political candidate in an election year, only he gives the impression that he’s more in touch with its victims.

“It’s a shifting of the middle class is what it is. I can write someone a $50 voucher for oil, but who’s going to deliver $50 of oil? That’s only about 22 gallons,” Green said. “If I give them a voucher, they’re going to have to go get it in five-gallon cans. And they’ll burn $10 of gas in their car running back and forth to get it. So it’s a wash. You can’t help ’em.”
The temp’
Recruited by a woman at his house of worship, Poland Community Church, Green thought he was a temporary replacement when he volunteered to step in as the Salvation Army’s regional coordinator 10 years ago.

Those frantic winter phone calls, however horrifying, are what keep him soliciting donors and writing checks. Seeing the ever-increasing need makes Green more serious about eliminating it.

Feel free to call him at 998-4243 if you’re interested in helping him buy a turkey or two and stay ahead of the January cold snap. Green promises any donations for the Christmas food baskets that he doesn’t use will go to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank.

“I’m just trying to stay ahead of everything and stay within the budget,” he said. “I know if I see a need, whether there’s money in the budget or not, I’ll write the check. I’ll deal with the powers that be in Portland after.”

Green knows someone else might not have that luxury. And he knows they’re one phone call away.
Kalle Oakes is the Sun Journal’s columnist. His e-mail is [email protected].