Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by the Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library in Sanford for their annual visit on December 2nd. Girls Who Grant (GWG) organized the event, took pictures for a suggested donation of $10, and e-mailed families their photos. A total of $700 was raised and then donated to the

Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library.

Pictured L-R: Mary Dabrieo, Coleen Paradis, Stacie Gillespie, Jean Collins (Asst. Director), Carl Johnson (Board Secretary), Jackie McDougal (Director), Savina Hutchinson (Board Member), Ron Vincent (Board Treasurer), Laurie Cohen (Board Member), Jamie Landry, Danielle Moody (Co-Founder of GWG) Al Pollard (Board President), Valerie Sullivan (Board Vice-President) and Colleen Levesque (Co-Founder of GWG).

Challenge Day is a two day-long interactive workshop where teens, teachers, and community members experience for themselves that compassion and connection are indeed possible in our schools. These amazing women have taken time out of their busy schedules to fundraise and bring the Challenge Day to Sanford Maine. We are incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful network of support in Sanford that cares about our next generation of leaders! Girls Who Grant was excited to contribute the first $500 and hope that other businesses and residents can reach into their pocket as well. It takes a village!

June 17, 2018

Girls Who Grant is a nonprofit group of women in Sanford who get together monthly to give back in various ways in the Sanford area. They recently granted their 16 purses to the Sanford emergency room at Southern Maine Health Care to give to women in need coming into the emergency room.

People in the picture are Christa Trudo Moulton, from Project Purse Maine, Jennifer Johnston, Jennifer Schmitz and Betsy Sheehan nurses from SMHC, and Colleen Levesque from Girls Who Grant.

While Christa was there, a very sweet woman in the ER donated the purse off her shoulder. 💝 #ProjectPurseMaine

Hailey Nolette received the annual Girls Who Grant scholarship. Sanford High School applicants were asked to write a one-page essay on the following: What have you done and what WOULD you do to build a stronger community in Sanford? Hailey joined the monthly GWG event where she read her winning essay to members.

Growing up, Hailey’s parents opened their home to those with disabilities from Waban as an alternative to group housing. She had the opportunity to bond with people who have schizophrenia, mental retardation, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, manic depression and dyslexia. “I know I have helped them build stronger social skills as I have been a candidate for them to talk to and a teacher for them on basic house rules.  These small contributions that I have made to Sanford have positively benefited the people in the community” states Nolette.

It is because of her childhood experiences that she has chosen to pursue a degree in neuroscience with the focus on becoming a Physician’s assistant. “In the long run, my goal would be to find the main issues in the brain and treat those instead of continuing to mask the issues with medication, this will make a stronger community in Sanford because these patients can become more independent and happy individuals”.

GWG wishes Hailey a bright future and will be looking forward to her contributing to our community when she returns. Congratulations Hailey!!