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SKOWHEGAN — The sad demise of the North Cornville Ladies Aid Society has meant a boost for several Somerset County nonprofits, including the community’s youngest members, as the Ladies donated some of their remaining funds to support the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program for early childhood education in Somerset County.
The North Cornville Ladies Aid Society began in Cornville in 1911. Women in this rural area came together to socialize, sew, pray and discuss the latest news. The society was incorporated in 1946 and grew to become a community-based organization.
Members raised money through turkey pie suppers, strawberry festivals, quilt raffles, pie sales and other projects. In turn, they helped schoolchildren get winter boots or coats, visited elderly shut-ins with holiday gifts, and stepped in to help when a family faced a financial crisis.
“There was lots of laughter, sharing and support given to each other as well as the community members,” said Sue Ellen Lexier, a former member. “But membership had diminished in recent years, and we decided to close our local chapter of the Ladies Aid Society.”
Since closing, the Ladies have donated the remaining chapter funds to several other organizations as well as KVCAP, including the Skowhegan Area High School for the Cornville student scholarship and the Veterans Basket program.
The Skowhegan Early HeadStart program is part of the larger Greater Skowhegan Early Childhood Collaborative, a diverse set of partners who are working together to increase access to high-quality early education and care for young children so they are prepared to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
“The research is clear. High-quality early education and care improves students’ success in school, preparing them for college and the workforce,” said Nicole Chaplin, who oversees KVCAP’s early childhood programs in the greater Skowhegan area.
“We are pleased to support this vital opportunity for young children and their families,” said Lexier. “These donations are a way for the community spirit of the North Cornville Ladies Aid Society to live on through our donations.”
PHOTO CAPTIONS: From left are Peggy Hamilton, Nicole Chaplin, enrolled toddler and Sue Ellen Lexier at the Skowhegan Early HeadStart building on Academy Drive.
