FARMINGTON – The holidays are bringing outing acts of kindness and sharing to those in need in Franklin County.

Two winners from Chester Greenwood Day activities have used their prize money to give to local families this Christmas.

Third-place winner in the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce gingerbread house contest Darlene Paine and her daughter, Shelby, of Wilton, took their winning gingerbread house entry and sold raffle tickets to students at Academy Hill and Cushing Schools. They charged 25 cents for each ticket and raised $114. A fifth grade girl won the house, she said.

Paine, principal at Academy Hill, said they added that and their prize money to the school’s annual read-a-thon. For the holiday, students take pledges and spend an amount of time reading. Proceeds are donated to needy families in the area. The pledges, raffle and prize money brought in $460, Paine said.

The second-place winner in the Chester Greenwood parade, University Credit Union, also chose to help a family this Christmas with their prize, said branch manager Beth Beaudoin. The staff contacted SAD 9 guidance counselor Ben Milster and arranged to “adopt” a family of four in the area. A total of $300, including the $175 parade prize, bought gifts and a basket of food for a dinner. A gift card for a ham or turkey was also included in the basket.

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce also remembered area families this year. The chamber seeks donations of food and monetary contributions each November to give a holiday meal to Franklin County families. They exceeded their fundraising goal and provided food for 25 families.

“Once you know there is a need, you feel responsible to respond,” Lorna Nichols, the chamber’s executive director, said Thursday. “With higher prices on everything consumers purchase, our communities are seeing more families, in many instances with both parents working, who are not able to make ends meet.”

“Many folks really stepped up to the plate this year because they know it’s a difficult time for folks. This is our way of giving back to the communities we serve,” she said.

State police troopers from Troop C were one group who stepped forward, she said. Based out of Skowhegan, many of them either live or patrol in Franklin County, including Nichols’ husband, Scott. The troopers adopted the chamber’s food basket program as their Christmas project and provided a large monetary donation, she said.

Many other donations were also received from chamber members and other unknown contributors, she said.

Each family received a turkey, canned ham, stuffing, carrots, cranberry jelly, potatoes, vegetables, rice, peanut butter, jelly, rolls, pie, cool whip, bread, marshmallow fluff, cereal, fruit, tuna, soup, pasta and sauce, brownie mix, sugar, flour, candy canes and more.

The food gift boxes were being delivered Thursday and Friday, Nichols said.