Waldoboro Lions Club was presented the eighth annual Coulombe Center Award for Innovation in a brief ceremony at St. Andrews Village in Boothbay Harbor. 

The Lions were nominated for their innovative support of eye care for school-age students who cannot afford care. The selection committee chose them from a record-setting number of nominations. 

“When the committee looked at all of the submissions and rated them by the award criteria, the Waldoboro Lions Club was at the top of each category,’’ said Anni Pat McKenney, director of the Coulombe Center for Health Improvement.  

The Innovation Award selection process begins with nominations from the public. Several MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital team members review and score submissions to determine a winner. The Waldoboro Lions Club received a plaque to commemorate the achievement, along with $3,000. 

The event’s keynote speaker was Nancy Stover, a retired educator and current coordinator of RSU 40’s McKenny-Vento program. Established by federal law, the program provides resources for students who do not have a home to help keep them in school. 

Federal funds are limited in how they can be used, and most of these funds support transporting students to and from school. Community funds, like those from the Waldoboro Lions Club, can help with housing and other needs that cannot be met with federal funds. 

Stover said four Medomak Valley students who have faced the barriers that come with not having a roof over their head are set to graduate high school this year, thanks to the program’s assistance, expanded help in the school district and community support. 

To learn more about the McKinney-Vento program, visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/counseling/highmobility/homelessed