BIDDEFORD — On May 17, 2007, Michael Payeur, a Biddeford High School graduate, was severely injured during his second deployment in Iraq. After being released from a critical care unit to his base in Fort Hood in Texas, much of the work of dealing with medical and other issues for his follow-up care fell to his mother, Pam Payeur.

Pam Payeur said dealing with these issues and figuring out who to contact and what to do was extremely difficult. Through her own educational process, she said, she thought there must be others in her position who faced the same difficulties.

Payeur decided to share her knowledge with others and the Wounded Heroes Program of Maine was born. The program helps wounded veterans as they transition from the military to civilian life, by providing monetary support and advocacy.

After hearing the Wounded Heroes story, Biddeford High School students in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, or JMG, program were so moved, they decided to award the organization two grants, totaling $2,000.

“They touched our hearts a lot,” said Gabrielle Campbell, a BHS senior.

Each of the more than 75 JMG classes around the state are provided $1,000 to award to a non-profit organization, as part of the Jumpstart Our Youth, or JOY, initiative.

JOY “teaches young people to give back,” said the JMG Southern Regional Manager Katy Foley. The initiative fits with the organization’s mission, she said, which is to teach students to be civic-minded and philanthropic.

Under the JOY initiative, which BHS JMG Specialist Brian Heal said is a large part of JMG’s student-driven curriculum, students research non-profit organizations throughout the state in which they are interested.

From these, seven are selected to make presentations to the students and finally a group is chosen to receive the grant.

There are two JMG classes at Biddeford High School. This year, both classes decided to award their grants to Wounded Heroes.

It was a hard decision selecting a single organization, said BHS senior Vickie Welch.

“You want to help everyone,” said Andrea Chambers, also a senior, but, she said about Wounded Heroes, “their presentation was very powerful. They helped people who helped us.”

Chambers, Welch and Campbell all said they have a family member or know someone who is a veteran.

Receiving the grant funds from the BHS JMG students “was huge,” said Pam Payeur, noting that her son attended the high school.

In addition, she said, “It’s important that the younger generation know what being a veteran means. … that it’s noble.

“Just to know they get it,” as attested by receiving the grants, was very moving, said Payeur.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].