POLAND SPRING — Poland Spring Brand Water provided assistance to needy families in its host communities through employee and company contributions of time, gifts, food and funds during the holidays.

“We believe in giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Heather Printup, community relations manager. “We focus on being a good neighbor and giving back all year, but especially during the holidays. All of us feel strongly about helping neighbors in need and find it rewarding to know that we can make a difference in someone’s life.”

Throughout the year employees are encouraged to give back in a variety of ways —  through food drives, volunteer opportunities and giving programs, but during the holidays employees are generous with donations.

In southern Maine, the Hollis factory donated 84 turkeys to the Hollis Baptist Food Pantry in time for Thanksgiving and employees at the factory recently worked with town officials to provide gifts to 30 local families in need through the Town of Hollis Christmas Fund. Additionally, a $6,000 donation was made to York County Food Rescue in support of hunger prevention and holiday meals.

At the Kingfield factory employees worked with staff at Kingfield Elementary School to provide eight students with gifts for Christmas through the plant’s Holiday Gift Giving Program. Employees chose “ornaments” from a giving tree that contained gift wishes for members of local families. Employees purchased and wrapped their wish list presents, which were delivered to the school for distribution.

The company’s original plant in Poland worked with the Poland Community School and the town of Poland to identify children and parents who could not afford Christmas gifts.

“It means so much to the families and to the school to have the support of Poland Spring. We look forward to the arrival of these gifts by employees each year,” said Lexie Triggiani, Poland Community School counselor.

Poland employees also gave 170 turkeys and $1,500 to the Poland Food Bank for Thanksgiving and holiday dinners, as well as 222 pounds of nonperishable items to the MANNAFED Backpack program. To help local families stay warm, a $5,000 donation was awarded to the Winter Wellness heating assistance fund through the Poland Town Office.

Additionally, a $5,000 donation to the Community Giving Tree, a Fryeburg area charity, helped provide winter jackets, snow pants and boots to families in the SAD 72 communities of Fryeburg, Denmark, Lovell, Stow, Sweden, Brownfield and Stoneham.

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