Dear Sun Spots: I am writing to ask if you could please provide any contact names and numbers where I might contact Habitat for Humanity. I am a professional residential/commercial painter employed with a company in Lewiston. I would like to inquire whether they could use some of my time on a volunteer basis. Thank you. I can be reached via phone at 576-3227, or via e-mail at skilledwork4you@yahoo.com. Thank you. – No Name, Lewiston.

Answer: According to its Web site, www.androhforh.org, it is always seeking volunteers. In fact, with only one part-time employee (an administrative assistant) the organization is run solely by volunteers!

Here are the three current needs. The first of which you might want to contact Dan Lagrange about:

• Androscoggin Habitat is building a house in Lewiston, and volunteers are needed to help with the construction. Experience is not required. The work is done under supervision of professionals, who can teach needed skills. However, if you do have specific construction skills, your expertise will be more than welcome. Volunteers of all ages are welcome (the minimum age is 16). Both men and women are invited to help. Call Dan Lagrange at 212-6820 to arrange a schedule.

• Help is needed at the ReStore, which opened recently at 44 Strawberry Ave. in Lewiston (located behind Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street). The ReStore sells donated construction materials that cannot be used in building Habitat houses. People are needed to assist with clerking in the store, sorting and pricing the stock, keeping records, volunteering with a truck to pick up donations, advertising and publicity. Most of these jobs would be done at the store. ReStore is open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The ReStore also needs a donated van-type truck to do pickups. For more information or to volunteer, phone 576-5286 or 212-6820.

• There always is a need for people to serve on the board of directors, which administers Habitat activities, or on various committees. Serving on the board requires attending a meeting on the third Monday of each month and possibly serving on a subcommittee.

Other serving events include, an ongoing need for people to work at fundraisers such as a food booth at the Great Falls Balloon Festival and the annual golf tournament on Sept. 21. Volunteers are also needed to visit churches and provide information about Habitat. To volunteer for these jobs phone 212-6820.

Dear Sun Spots: Each member in our fifth-grade class is working on a project called Parade of States. We are responsible for gathering as much information and materials about the state as we can to help sell the state. The project is due in the beginning of June.

I have chosen your state of Maine for presentation. If any of your readers would please help me out by sending pictures, postcards, a used license plate, facts, products etc. from your state, it would be greatly appreciated. Please send your items to: Alexis Kehr, c/o Foothills Elementary, 10621 234th Ave., Buckley, WA 98321. Thank you all for your time. – Alexis Kehr, Washington.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, Sun Spots has forwarded your information to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Services Division, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0029 who will provide sample license plates to teachers and students for school projects, free of charge.

You and other students may want to also check out some facts, trivia and more at the Maine’s secretary of state kids’ page at www.http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids.

To check into which sample plates you can order, check out the following link at www.state.me.us/sos/kids/government/licenseplates.html.

In the meantime, you may also want to write/contact:

Maine Office of Tourism, 59 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0059, or via their Web site at www.visitmaine.com, where you will find many links that may be of interest for your project.

MainelyKids.com online magazine via mail at Mainely Kids Inc., 449 Forest Ave., Second Floor, Portland, ME 04101 or via e-mail at general inquiries, info@mainelykids.com.

For fun facts on Maine check http://www.maine.gov/portal/facts_history/facts.html.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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