BANGOR — Several families were able to return to their homes and resume their lives in December after suffering significant loss from Hurricane Irene last August. Hurricane Irene hit Maine with severe rains and damaging winds. Hundreds of families were affected by the devastation, were removed from their properties and relocated to shelters.

With the help of a $10,000 grant from Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Charities Maine was able to participate in a collaborative effort to serve affected areas in Franklin, Oxford, Kennebec and Penobscot Counties.

This grant was carried out by a collaborative effort between Catholic Charities Maine, Maine VOAD, Southern Baptists Convention, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, United Methodist Committee on Relief, National Emergency Response Team and National Disaster Relief, who provided the labor, at no cost, needed to complete the repairs. These groups provided volunteers, rebuilding crews, a construction and tool trailer and a volunteer housing unit as needed during the project.

Trees and debris that had fallen on homes were removed, roofs severely damaged by strong winds were repaired and in some cases rebuilt and a family’s well, that had been contaminated because the casing loosened due to erosion from heavy hurricane rains, has also been replaced.