More than 60 parishioners from Catholic churches in Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and South Portland partnered recently with Catholic Charities Maine to build window inserts to help in weatherization efforts for locals receiving fuel assistance.

The window inserts offer an inexpensive alternative to window replacement and help reduce energy loss, thereby saving heating fuel. An assembly line was created at St. Maximillian Kolbe in Scarborough earlier this month, which included volunteers young and old.

In addition to parishioners from St. Max, volunteers were also on hand from St. Bartholomew’s in Cape and Holy Cross in South Portland, according to a press release from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The weatherization project was made possible with a Parish Social Ministry grant from Catholic Charities. The grants are presented annually to benefit parishes that have projects directly serving vulnerable people in need.

This year grants totaling $15,000 were given to 10 parishes throughout Maine to assist them in expanding their capacity to serve more people or to help develop a new social ministry, the press release said.

“The application for (the window insert) initiative stood out in that it is a sustainable program that will assist in creating a more sustainable world,” said Michael Smith, director of mission for Catholic Charities Maine.

“It was a wonderfully organized project that allowed so many different parishioners to partake in such important work. Their care for their neighbors was truly on display. We believe that even small steps made by a few can have a lasting impact in our communities,” he added.

– Kate Irish Collins

Helping hands make light work as parishioners from local Catholic churches banded together to build window inserts that will reduce energy loss.

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