BETHEL – May was a month of celebration for the REPANT! elves after having reached the 1,000 mark in tote bag creations, representing over $23,000 in proceeds donated to the Bethel Area District Exchange and Food Pantry. Two local area businesses, the Grace Note Inn on Mayville Road and the GEM Theater, each hosted gatherings for the elves in recognition and gratitude for their accomplishment and gift to the community.

Over 20 area volunteers make up the REPANT! elves who diligently gather twice weekly at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society which has graciously offered them a second-floor room for their sewing machines and supplies. In an effort to reduce the amount of discarded clothing that enters our waste stream, the REPANT! elves design and sell creative, whimsical tote bags from recycled old clothing in an effort to serve the Bethel area community. Donated pants, t-shirts and fabric scraps are used for the reusable totes. The sewing machines continue to hum as REPANT! enters its third year of production.

Founded in 1992, the Bethel Area District Exchange, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization staffed fully by volunteers, supports the School Backpack Program, the Smile Fund (assistance for denture expenses), and the Bethel Area Food Pantry. One hundred percent of the sales from REPANT! totes is donated to the Exchange for these programs.

REPANT! will be selling its creations at upcoming area markets including the BAAM (Bethel Area Arts and Music) Art Fairs on July 2 and August 6 at Philbrook Place on Main Street as well as at the Monarch Festival on August 14 at Valentine Farm on North Road. A great selection of totes may be found any day at a number of locations throughout Bethel including the GEM Theater, Barking Dawg Market, Riverview Resort, True North Adventureware, and at the Gemini Café, which will be opening soon on Main Street.

Donations payable to the Bethel Area District Exchange may be mailed to PO Box 232, Bethel, ME 04237. Follow REPANT! on Facebook at Repant-Totes-Bethel-Maine.