Fecteau’s Team Extends a Helping Hand

Volunteers with Ellen Fecteau

Photo: Jennifer Davie

By Jennifer Davie

Ellen Fecteau doesn’t wear a cape, but as organizer of North Parish Congregational Church’s free store, she definitely qualifies as a hero. For about 12 years, she and a dedicated group of volunteers have been helping community members fill household needs that might otherwise go unmet.

The North Parish Community Cares Free Store began as part of the Community Cares Day event that occurs every October on Indigenous Peoples Day. At first, the program distributed coats and cold weather gear to those in need only on this weekend. As the need in the community grew, clothing was permanently set up in the North Parish Dow House, giving the Police Department and School Department access to cold weather resources as needed.

Fecteau notes that the effort has never been exclusively hers, or her church’s.

“It takes a village to support this level of need in our community,” she said. “Many local churches, businesses, and individuals have provided the resources necessary to sustain this mission of love and commitment.”

In 2020, Fecteau and her helpers moved the store to its current location in two large rooms in the North Parish Robie building. Community members were invited to make appointments to come to the store to obtain what they needed – everything from blankets and coats to toiletries.

The need for the Free Store dramatically increased in 2023, when new Mainers from Angola, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo began moving into Sanford/Springvale. The Free Store began collecting items that could help families set up a new household, including gently used furniture, curtains and kitchenware. What began as serving a specific demographic has since morphed into serving any household in need when a referral is made through a provider.

The police and school departments, General Assistance Office and York County Community Action make referrals to Fecteau and her team. Most are for people who are transitioning into stable, long-term housing after being unhoused. Without the help of Fecteau and her friends, many families would be sleeping on the floor in their new homes and without items such as pots and pans to enable them to prepare food.

Fecteau also works tirelessly to make sure unhoused people have access to hygiene items, including soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and toilet paper. The store provides clean and dry clothing, with no questions asked. Items like tarps and sleeping bags can also be accessed for people who sleep outside.

Fecteau notes that volunteers and donations for the Free Store come from her congregation and from the community at large. Donations are especially welcome in these categories: clothing, shoes, and cold weather gear; blankets, sheets and towels; household items like dishes, silverware and pots and pans; baby’s and children’s clothing and toys; new toiletries and cleaning supplies, gently used furniture in excellent condition. Financial donations are also welcome. To make a donation, call the church office at 324-7090 or call or text Fecteau at 420-7090.