A coalition of Midcoast Christian churches banded together to raise funds for heating assistance for local families. They held a public event, “Helping Hands, Heating Homes” on Saturday evening Feb. 7 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Newcastle. The event included a spaghetti dinner, silent auction and concert. “Helping Hands, Heating Homes” raised over $8,200. All proceeds are being divided equally between the Ecumenical Council on Homeless Prevention (ECHP) and Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP, Inc.)

Water of Life Lutheran Church, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church led the planning and implementation of this event. They are planning on making “Helping Hands, Heating Homes” an annual tradition; but it will probably be held in the late fall, starting in the fall of 2026.

The main purpose was to provide heating assistance to neighbors in need.

“This recent cold snap has been brutal. There are many families struggling to heat their homes right now”, said Don Sproul, chair of the event and president of the Water of Life Lutheran Church. “The churches and community really came together. Our goal was to raise $5,000 – we raised over $8,200 to help local families.”

Anyone interested in helping with future “Helping Hands, Heating Homes” dinners can reach out to Sproul at 207-441-7778.