Dear Sun Spots: The Lewiston Auburn Rotary Club is working on a new literacy project in South East Asia and is looking for good new or used books of all kinds to help with this project. Magazine collections and journals are needed also. If you’re getting rid of your encyclopedias because you have them on your computer, why not put them in the hands of needy children and adults in Third World countries?

We could use books of all types including novels, text books, reference materials, trade school books, nursing or other medical field books or materials. Examples of magazines are Smithsonian, Audubon and National Geographic. These will all be used by schools, libraries, teachers and missionaries. This is one of the roads toward world peace. Please help! Thanks you.

Books may be delivered to Filebusters, Heather Rideout, 95 Lisbon Road, Lisbon, ME 04250, 514-0265 or you can contact Rideout via e-mail at heather@file-busters.com. Or, you can also please call Gary Kennedy at 582-3339 or write to him via e-mail at garyek55@hotmail.com. Thank you all for all of your help. – Gary Kennedy, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: I have two very fortunate children, ages 8½ and almost 7. Could you please help us find locations where we could volunteer? We are up for any challenges and I, of course, would accompany them. I would like them to realize how very fortunate they really are, especially before the holidays. Thanks. – R. Bates, Auburn.

Answer: Consider contacting the following who often seek volunteer help to see if you and your children can assist them. In the meantime, you might also note that there are some agencies that seek assistance with serving up holiday meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. You might contact your local church to see if you can be of assistance. Until then, you might consider starting with the following:

• The BookReach program of the Auburn and Lewiston Public libraries. They need committed, reliable volunteers to share about one morning per week, reading aloud to young children in Lewiston or Auburn. After attending a brief orientation, each volunteer reader is matched with a licensed family child care facility where he or she reads from a different bag of books every one to two weeks. Call Kathleen Demers at 784-0135, ext: 213 to learn more.

• SeniorsPlus, typically needs volunteers for their Meals on Wheels program, kitchen assistants, dining room assistants, grocery shoppers, volunteer drivers, first call, telephone hot line requests and more. Call Connie at 795-4010 or 800-427-1241, ext: 145.

• Literacy Volunteers of Androscoggin County. Contact executive director Tahlia Hope at 140 High St., Great Falls School, Auburn, ME 04210, 753-1772.

• Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, 795-9581, or 800-482-7412.

• The Program for Grieving Children and Teens, phone Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice at 777-7740, ext: 1302.

• The Maine Rural Workers Coalition, contact Dena at 783-4208.

• The Iris Network, 189 Park Ave., Portland, ME 04102, or by phone, voice or TTY at 774-6273 or via their toll free number at 800-715-0097.

• St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Campus Ave., P.O. Box 291, Lewiston, ME 04243, 777-8100.

• Central Maine Medical Center, 300 Maine St., Lewiston, ME 04243

• Abused Women’s Advocacy Project 35 Canal St., Lewiston, ME 04240, 795-4690.

Dear Sun Spots: I am writing in response to the lady in Lisbon Falls who needs a hand mixer. She could call us at any time. We would gladly buy her a new mixer. Thank you for your column. It is very beneficial to all. I can be reached at 783-3786. – Nancy, Lewiston.

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