RUMFORD — What began as a “tiny” effort of giving four or five families food baskets during the Christmas holiday break has grown to include 14 local families, Mountain Valley High School Secretary Peggy Lapointe said Tuesday.

Seven years ago, Lapointe, who is retiring Wednesday after 15 years at the school, started preparing the food basket donations for needy families with her husband Chip. Now the entire high school is involved and each department donates food baskets, with some donating two or three.

Needy families are selected by Lapointe and educators in each department. “We actually target the working poor: single moms who work and have kids, or people who work and are struggling. We just want to make it a little bit easier for them through the holidays,” Lapointe said.

Donations totaling $700 were also received from the high school staff and Student Council, Catalyst paper mill employees, Rumford police officers and Oxford Federal Credit Union, who have supported the school’s food basket drive in previous years.

“And it’s getting so they’re calling us now (to donate) instead of us calling them; it’s been really amazing,” Lapointe said.

Special education teachers Sarah Bolduc and Leanne Virgin helped Lapointe with the shopping and packing of the baskets and bags of food, paper plates, towels and even a few Christmas decorations, while many students helped to unload the items and carry them into the school for the shoppers.

“It was a lot of fun,” Virgin said. “My daughter and I had a blast doing it and finishing up the shopping last night.”

“It kind of puts you in the spirit, to see that families are getting some help during Christmas,” Bolduc said.

Each family received a basket including rolls, crackers, oranges and a foil pan to cook the turkey that they were given. They also received two full bags of items such as a box of macaroni and cheese, cookies, other everyday staples, candy canes, milk, butter and sliced cheese.

“It’s a really huge event for our school and for the families,” Lapointe said. “Our whole school is (like) a family and we help each other out.” 

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net

Mountain Valley High School educators, from left, Leanne Virgin and Sarah Bolduc and secretary Peggy Lapointe prepare baskets and bags of food and other items Tuesday for 14 families in need. Donations for the baskets came from high school staff, the Student Council and local businesses. (Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times)

Each family received a basket and two bags of food including a turkey and paper goods in their donated food items for Christmas from Mountain Valley High School staff, Student Council and local businesses. (Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times)