Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
PHOTO: Fifth-graders from St. Dominic Academy collected items for Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice recently. (Submitted photo)
LEWISTON — After learning about hospice care from Dr. Shauna McElrath, a specialist in palliative care for Central Maine Healthcare, fifth graders at St. Dominic Academy decided to lend a helping hand to the mission of caring for people experiencing advanced, life-limiting illnesses.
“Last year, we were able to have Dr. McElrath come in and speak to the students about what she does as a hospice doctor and exactly what hospice does for its patients,” said Theresa Dufour, a fifth-grade teacher at St. Dom’s.
It was a message that sank in and inspired the students to hold a collection for the Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice, also in Lewiston.
“We have been collecting for hospice during Catholic Schools Week,” said Jen Poliquin, another fifth-grade teacher. “We collect items such as lotion, toothpaste, shaving cream, puzzles, games, and other items.”
But the large collection of items won’t just offer comfort to patients.
“We also collect items for the family members of the patients that may be staying with their loved ones during their final days,” said Dufour.
Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice is non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life by providing innovative and compassionate medical care. During the pandemic and despite the challenges of adjusting to modified in-person instruction and distance learning, the number of service projects at St. Dom’s has only grown, said said Alanna Stevenson, principal of the Lewiston campus.
“St. Dominic Academy is more than just a school. It is a community and a family rooted in strong traditions like service to those in need around us,” she said. “I am blown away by the ever-present support offered by our faculty, staff, school families, and students.”
