Boothbay Region Community Resource Council’s annual Set for Success drew mixed emotions as volunteers organized school supplies for the region’s students Aug. 8 in Boothbay Region YMCA’s field house. Organizer Sue Burge said the absence of students, teachers, administration and the wider community was an immense disappointment, but would not prevent getting all the essentials to every student.

Said Burge, “This has been different. Definitely different. It's wonderful to have so much hands-on help, but you have a certain thing in your head and then all of a sudden it changes. It's disappointing because we don't see the kids, we don't see the parents and we don't celebrate their education. That's what's difficult.”

Coast Guard Chief Adam Smith and four cadets, sophomores from USCG Academy, hauled out all the supplies to be checked and then to designated spaces on the floor of the field house. Burge said the help was greatly appreciated especially since the cadets had everything set out way ahead of schedule.

“We do a summer program where cadets will go off to field units to get some experience during the summer … This year is unique because of COVID. It was supposed to be two weeks at a time, but this group is down five weeks … I told them what we were doing and they've jumped all over it and said 'We'll help out.'”

Every year, students line up by class and receive a list, pick out a backpack and make their way through tables of supplies to pick out what they need for the school year. Due to COVID-19, students, parents and teachers could not congregate, so volunteers took the teacher list, made trips around the field house to all the boxes of supplies, and boxed everything for every classroom. Before school begins, custodians from each school will pick up the boxes and distribute them to the classrooms where teachers will pack backpacks for every student.

“The big thing this year is backpacks – they have to have a backpack because every school supply that we give them has to remain in their backpack. Nothing can be in the classroom: no extras, not them getting up and going and getting something. That's not going to happen.”

Burge said needs will likely arise after everything is sorted and put together. She stressed the thanks to those who have donated to keep the program going especially since times are tough for everyone.

Said Burge, “This year has been a very, very different year because of COVID and people just don't have the resources that they have had in the past, so we are working on a very thin budget … But I had enough rainy-day so we could get it going and make this happen.”

Set for Success is still taking donations to make up any oversight, continued needs and to go toward next year’s event. Checks can be made out to Boothbay Region Community Resource Council (BRCRC) at P.O. Box 43 Boothbay Harbor, Maine 04538.