LEWISTON – Students and advisers from St. Dominic Regional High School Key Club filled 20 boxes with food and $10 gift certificates to Shaw’s on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

They loaded the boxes into vehicles and visited the homes of 20 Catholic Charities Maine SEARCH program clients who could not have had a Thanksgiving meal without the gifts.

Key Club President Charlie Poulin said, “The whole school was involved in this project. There were collection boxes in home rooms, teachers offered incentives for food donations, and money was raised by means of several fund-raising dances and sales.”

Larry Lachance, longtime chairman of the SEARCH Advisory Committee, praised the generous spirit of the high school youth who have been dependable givers for countless years.

“Many of our clients are living with multiple health problems and have difficulty leaving their homes. This basket of food and the opportunity for a friendly visit meant the world to them,” said Lachance. “The St. Dom’s Key Club certainly lives up to its motto of Caring – Our Way of Life’,” he said.

SEARCH stands for Seek Elderly Alone, Renew Courage and Hope. Its mission is to enable frail, vulnerable elderly and those with disabilities to remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.

For more information about becoming a short-term or longer-term SEARCH volunteer or to refer someone as a client, call the program office at 784-0157. Financial donations from individuals, businesses and civic groups are encouraged and may be sent to SEARCH, 15 Westminster St., Lewiston, ME 04240.