The Wiscasset Middle High School Student Council did a fundraiser at McDonald’s April 28 for Veggies to Table. Students and teachers helped take orders at the window, held signs out front, and passed out free packets of vegetable seeds.

Senior Dillon Leeman, 18, student council president, said 75% of the proceeds from food sales would go to Veggies to Table while 25% would go to the student council.

When asked why they decided to support Veggies to Table, Leeman said they wanted to focus on a local cause. “Sometimes when you donate to large organizations, the money gets lost and the impact is not as big. Donating to a small charity means that it will be felt more.”

Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler said she was proud of the students. “The kids came up with a good idea. They wanted to hand out seeds to help community members grow their own food,” she added.

French and Spanish teacher Allain Ollier co-founded Veggies to Table with wife Erica Berman. When he learned the student council had chosen to support it, he was surprised. “There are a lot of nonprofits around Wiscasset. I was moved that they chose ours,” he said.

Ollier and Berman decided to start Veggies to Table when they learned about food security needs in Lincoln County. The organization donates fresh vegetables, seed packets and bouquets of flowers to local people. “Mr. O grows flowers and gives them to his students to give to teachers,” said junior Madison Westrich, 17, student council secretary. “There are days when all of the classrooms are full of beautiful flowers.”