Help a military vet and his family stay warm!

Sam and his family are new to Maine and need some help from their community to stay warm this winter. Sam is a military veteran who is now pursuing farming, and his beautiful farm, Sweet Pea’s - which he leases for $1000/month from the owner - provides the people of Mount Desert Island with fresh veggies, free range eggs, and lilies in the summertime.

Unfortunately, there are some problem areas of the farm that Sam inherited when he took over management - the most pressing matter being that the house where he and his family live (an aging double-wide mobile home) is not winterized, and stands up poorly against the bitter cold of Maine winters. Sam tried to access help through a Maine Housing Authority program, but was denied funds for winterizing because the house was deemed too old to bother with, specifically due to being a mobile home.

Although the state found the age of the home not worthy of funding, it is still the family of six’s only home.

Where other institutions fail to provide, however, the power of rural community prevails. Some local farmers and friends teamed up to do a bit of “caveman carpentry” on the home to get Sam’s family through the winter a little more comfortably: to prevent freeze ups of the water lines and, in general, to create a warmer indoor space, we insulated the perimeter of the building from inside the crawlspace under the mobile home, as well as sealed some holes around the base of the house in drafty areas. The materials for this project have cost $550 so far. To date, there are still more areas to be sealed and insulated. Our hope is to raise $1000 to cover the costs of materials for winterizing, and any leftover funds can be used for heating oil for the remainder of the season.

Maine winters are notoriously cold, and everyone has the right to be warm in their home. Sam is a hardworking, kindhearted man who is doing his best to succeed at a new endeavor - a difficult one, no less. Farming can often feel like an uphill battle - getting through the winter shouldn’t have to feel like a battle too. Please share and donate to help us help a friend!