Family Program Brings Christmas Across Maine
Story and Photos by Sgt. Angela Parady, 121st Public Affairs Detachment
Sometimes I feel like one
of Santa’s elves when I
drive up to someone’s
house, he said. I knock
on the door of a family
and I see the smiles on
the faces of these kids
when they see the gifts
in my arms. I know their
Christmas will be a little
bit brighter because of
what we do.
help.”
Mark Cater is the family
assistance center services
coordinator for the Maine
National Guard. “Christmas
Across Maine is a need- based
These little elves are part
of the Maine Army National
Guard Family Assistance
Service Center, civilians and
military who work together
to support servicemembers
throughout Maine. The
program is called Christmas
across Maine, and it tries to
help ease some of the stress
of the holidays for struggling
military families.
Master Sgt. Barbara Claudel,
state family program director
for the Maine Army National
Guard, said the program
started 14 years ago, as a
little tree in the lobby at Camp
Keyes.
“There were little ornaments
on the tree that said ‘girl, age
5, likes Barbie’s, and things
like that,” she said. “Most
of it was our employees that
would come in and take one
off. We would adopt three
or four families to help out
during the season. Then the
war started, and everyone
wanted to help, and to be
truthful, we all needed more
by their units, or they can
contact the Family Assistance
Service Center directly.
“I prefer the units to nominate
the soldiers, because it puts
the ownership back on the
leadership,” said Cater, who
lives in Gardiner. “The squad
leaders, the platoon leaders,
they should know whether
they have a soldier who is
struggling. I contact the
soldier and check with them.
If they say no, we stop the
process. If the soldier wants
to go through with it, knowing
community, but sometimes
there just aren’t enough
resources. Luckily for Mainers,
there is a very supportive
non-military community
that has always stepped
up to the challenge, said
Claudel. For those who are
struggling, sometimes the
most important thing is to just
know someone is looking out
have turned around to be
sponsors. For some, it was
just a bad year, usually
someone lost a job, but when
they were able to get back on
their feet, they turned around
to help someone else.
“They pay it forward,” said
Claudel. “There are some
people who can’t get out of
struggles they go through so
that others don’t have to.”
The program has grown, and
the community has grown to
meet the changing demands.
Last year they had 110
families, this year they are
just shy of 90 families.
Servicemembers can be
nominated for the program
The families are known as
family number one, family
number two and so on, and
then matched to those who
have indicated an interest in
a sponsership. The sponsor
will do the shopping and the
wrapping, and then someone
from the center will collect the
gifts and deliver them to the
family.
“This is really their way of
doing that. Everyone needs
help at some point in their
life, no matter who you are.”
The Family Assistance
program couldn’t do
what they do without the
outpouring of support they
get from the community.
Claudel remembers when
the outpouring of support
beginning of the war in Iraq.
People told her that support
would end, but it hasn’t. It
never stopped.
they we will go through with
it. There are a lot of them
that are very proud, and
don’t want the help, even if
they do need it. Those that
take the help are always very
appreciative.”
program connecting current
military families who are
struggling or have come under
bad times, and people in our
communities have stepped
up to help them,” he said. “It
is kind of their way of saying
thank you for keeping us free,
the military does,” said Cater.
for them. Many people are still
not aware of the services that
are available to them through
their units, their command,
and through veteran’s groups.
“The family assistance center
is just the middle man,” said
Claudel. “I think that’s the key
to it. We just match people
up. “
“The gifts are nice,” she
continued. “But to me, its
more the fact that someone
has their back. Someone has
stood up for them when they
have needed it.”
The Maine National Guard
likes to take care of people
and families within their
Both Claudel and Cater said
that a lot of the people they
have helped out in the past
that cycle, but for others, they
come out of it okay. Then,
they are a better person
afterwards, able to help
people out by telling 0