Raymond Scout Troop 800’s open house nearing

By Kendra Raymond

Do you have a young person in your life who is interested in adventures, learning new skills, making friends, and spending time outdoors? Scouts BSA might just be the answer. With a newly implemented program which includes both boys and girls, there are opportunities for all young people to grow and learn, while upholding the core beliefs of Scouts BSA.

Scouts from Troop 800 in Raymond participate
in various camping and outdoor activities 
throughout the year. The troop will host an
Open House for interested youth and parents
at 6:30 p.m. April 14 at the Raymond Fire and
Rescue Department, 1443 Roosevelt Trail in
Raymond. COURTESY PHOTO

Scout Troop 800 in Raymond will be holding an Open House for all interested parents and youth at the Raymond Fire & Rescue Department, 1443 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, at 6:30 p.m. April 14.

Assistant Scoutmaster Mike Case says the troop is expecting a lot of interest in the upcoming Open House.

“We invite you and your family to our Scout Troop Open House to explore what Scouting is all about! Whether you are interested in joining a boy troop, learning more about forming a girl troop, or starting a Pack for younger youth, this event is for you,” Case said.

He outlined what the evening will be about:

What to expect

• Introduction to Scouting: Learn about the rich history and purpose of Scouting, and how it helps youth develop character, leadership, and life skills.

• Activity examples: Experience some of the exciting activities our Scouts participate in, from outdoor adventures like camping and hiking to hands-on skills such as first aid and orienteering.

• Scout-led activity: Watch or join in as our current Scouts lead an interactive activity, showcasing teamwork and leadership in action!

Interested in a Girl Troop or Cub Scouts?

Case said that while Scout Troop 800 is currently a boy scout troop, they are excited to collaborate and share information, experiences, and resources to help get a girl troop or Cub Scout Pack off the ground.

“Our Troop committee is eager to support the development of these programs, ensuring that all young people can experience the benefits of Scouting,” he said.

Who Can Join?

• Boys or girls ages 11 to 17 for Troops

• Younger youth ages 5 to 10 for Cub Scouts

• A desire to have fun, learn, and grow through teamwork and challenges.

Jason Moreau is the Scoutmaster for Troop 800 and says that he is excited to invite families who are interesting in learning more about the troop to join us.

“Aside from the Scout-themed games and activities, we will be providing an opportunity for questions and answers,” he said. “While Troop 800 is Boys Troop serving 11- to 18-year-olds, we encourage families who are interested in the Scouts BSA program for girls and younger Cub Scouts to attend as well to learn more about how we might bring those programs to Raymond.”

Moreau says he hopes to see the program continue to gain momentum in the community and that the troop keeps the adventures going year-round and have the group lead community service projects throughout Raymond.

“We have had some conversations with the Crescent Lake Watershed Association about assisting with erosion site projects this summer,” he said. “We’ve also been asked to help retire a collection of U.S. flags which is a great opportunity for our Scouts to engage in civic duty and learn proper protocol.”

The Troop has nine registered Scouts presently and Moreau hopes to add several more. He emphasized the importance of leadership and community, especially during a recent Eagle Scout project.

“We have one Scout who just completed their Eagle Project and is preparing for their board of review,” he said. "It was great to have the younger Scouts help with the process building park benches so they can get a sense of what is involved to reach that highest rank of the Scouts BSA program.”

While working their way through the ranks, the Scouts find a way to fill their progress with plenty of fun and skill building. Moreau says that the Troop has a lot of upcoming events for the spring and summer season.

“We always have a bunch of great outings planned. We try to schedule one per month. In April we’ll be honing our archery skills at Camp Hinds. In May, we’ll be camping at Spectacle Pond in Osborn Maine for a weekend and heading into Acadia National Park for the day. In June we’ll be heading to Baxter state park for weekend.” said Moreau. “During July we will be camping for a week session at Camp Hinds where the Scouts will swim, canoe, earn merit badges, and all kinds of activities with other troops from across Maine and beyond.”

Moreau is proud of the extensive resume that Troop 800 has under their belt. The enthusiasm and sense of adventure are palpable within the Troop.

“We’re always looking ahead to new and exciting outings. To give a sense of the type of activities we pursue, within the 12 months we’ve taken an overnight canoeing trip, backpacked via the light of a full moon to a rustic cabin in Camden State Park, hiked the Rumford Whitecap, and competed at a snowy Klondike derby, an ice fishing derby and a Star Wars themed camporee,” he said, “We just got back from an overnight trip at EVO Rock + Fitness in Portland where the boys scaled all kinds of climbing walls for hours before camping out on the mats for the night.”

Moreau says that he finds his time spent volunteering with Troop 800 very rewarding.

“As leaders and parents, it’s humbling watching the boys grow and mature, become a more cohesive team, and discovering new talents and interests they didn’t realize they had,” he said “Our Scouts really enjoy planning and going on regular trips, seeing various parts of our state and country, and connecting with the outdoors and our community. Our Troop is really dedicated to providing these opportunities for the youth in Raymond, and surrounding communities.”

Case and Moreau are anxious to share the benefits of Scouting with prospective members.

For further details about Raymond Troop 800’s Open House, send an email to troop800me@gmail.com or call or text 207-370-2896. <

In the public eye: WPS instructional interventionist gives students confidence to succeed

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

To say that Debbie Greenlaw is important to student success at Windham Primary School would be an understatement.

Debbie Greenlaw is the Literacy Instructional
Interventionist for first grade students at
Windham Primary School and she also
leads the school's Summer Technology
Programs and After school Clubs.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

As the Literacy Instructional Interventionist for first grade students at WPS, Greenlaw provides targeted support and individual or small group instruction to students who are struggling in literacy. She focuses on skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing, all while collaborating with teachers and monitoring a student’s progress.

Her work involves directly working with students who need extra support; designing and implementing targeted interventions based upon student needs and data; and delivering instruction to individual students or small groups, focusing on specific skills or areas of difficulty that students may encounter. While she tracks student progress, Greenlaw can make adjustments as needed, coordinate other school staff members for support and inventions, and keep parents informed about their child's progress and intervention strategies.

“I found my passion helping littles with their academic success,” she said.

It’s a huge responsibility but that’s not all Greenlaw does at the school.

She also leads the WPS Summer Technology Programs and coordinates the school’s After School Clubs.

“The online Summer Technology Programs are free to any student in our school,” Greenlaw said. “The programs are engaging and motivating for our learners. The programs help the students keep up with their learning through the summer.”

The WPS After School Clubs give students an opportunity to pursue their interests along with being involved with at least one club each session.

“We have two sessions starting at the end of January through May,” Greenlaw said. “All these clubs are free for our students to attend.

Usually there are 10 to 12 clubs offered each session, and each club has grade levels from K to 3, giving students more opportunities to participate in clubs.

“The teachers are wonderful with thinking of engaging fun clubs for the students to choose,” she said. "There is a lot of participation in the clubs, and we have the lottery system in place for choosing clubs. The lottery is the first choice of selections for the clubs. When possible, my goal is to have the students get their first choice, but sometimes certain circumstances prevent students from having their first choice. Then the students get their second or third choice. We have been able to have every student that signs up for a club participate in the sessions.”

She says that WPS teachers are the reason the school can keep having clubs for its students.

“They take their extra time to plan clubs that are motivating and promote social skills for the students,” Greenlaw said.

After-school clubs offer many benefits, including developing cognitive skills such as problem solving, teamwork, exploring interests, fostering friendships, and making learning fun, she said.

“I would not be able to lead or coordinate either the Summer Technology Programs, or the After School Clubs, without Dr. Kyle Rhoads, WPS principal,” Greenlaw said. “He is the person who initiated the Summer Technology Programs and After School Clubs for our students.”

Greenlaw has lived in Windham her entire life. When her children went off to college, she decided to go to college too.

“I went to Andover College with my daughter,” she said. “We graduated together. I have two associate of science degrees in Office Management and Paralegal Studies. Law was not for me. I knew I wanted to help children in some way.”

“I contacted the DOE and was told that I could apply for an educational technician certification with my college credits,” Greenlaw said. “I went back to college and got six more credits to become an Educational Technician III. It was the best decision I have ever made. Every day I am thankful for the Windham Primary School Community and the students.”

She started working at WPS as an Academic Support technician for grade K to 3 and that is close to what she does now as an instructional interventionist.

For Greenlaw, she says that her most memorable moments at WPS are when a student understands a strategy that she is teaching them as well as when the students then use that strategy to become a successful reader.

“In my opinion, the best thing about my job is the Windham Primary School Community and all the smiles on the students' faces every day,” she said. <

Windham resident uses poems to give back to community

By Elle Curtis

Windham resident and poetry author Bob Clark, driven by a sense of giving back to society in a permanent manner, is preparing for the release of his newest book, “Sleigh Bells,” as a part of his annual poetry display at the Windham Public Library for National Poetry Month during April.

Bob Clark grew up in Windham and became
fascinated with writing after reading National
Geographic magazine. He is now a poet who
has written a new book and a new poem
about Babbs Bridge which is on display at
the Windham Public Library in April.
PHOTO BY ELLE CURTIS   

“Sleigh Bells will be his seventh published book of an impressive collection. The book will contain roughly 12 poems, including a poem by Clark focused on the restoration of Babbs Bridge, Windham’s historical covered bridge.

Growing up in Windham, Clark lived in a farm home, which included a horse barn from 1825. When he was young, Clark had growing interests in writing and reading, inspired by some 1930s National Geographic magazines that he kept in the attic of the horse barn.

“National Geographic really opened the world,” said Clark.

Through images found in both magazines and online, Clark found inspiration.

“Can you imagine? The opportunity I have to make another new book with a new cover,” he said. “That alone is interesting to me since I can find inspiration from photos online.”

Apart from photos found online and nature, Clark is also inspired by authors such as Longfellow and Robert Frost. In viewing other people’s work, Clark says he has found his niche.

What’s behind the image is the impulse of emotion. Emotion is the key to the product he’s laying out in words. His poems “Our Candle Vigil” and his newer poem, “Babb’s Bridge,” speak about a commonality between the towns of Lewiston and Windham that Clark believes should be continued. With his work and library display, Clark wants to reach the public.

“Our Candle Vigil,” which was presented to Lewiston city councilor following the tragic mass shooting there, conveys a message of support.

Through poetry, Clark sees his poems as a way of giving back to the community.

“The tragedy is the tragedy, but the humanity of it is that we somehow manage to get through it and pull together, and recognize each other, kind of lean on each other,” said Clark.

It is as he writes that he asks himself what influence his poems can have. He’ll rewrite a poem 40 to 50 times. Each poem is roughly 2 to 4 pages. They mean a lot to Clark. He strives to capture the image and word selection is an important part of that. Words can carry a little image, he says.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be thousands of words. It might only be six words and then boom, it grabs you and captures your imagination,” says Clark.

Poetry is one way Clark has reached the public and left a lasting mark. For years, he was unsure how to put his work out there until he thought of framing his work for displays.

“Nobody else was doing that,” he said. “Libraries didn’t have a local poet that would just come in and frame his work to be put up and displayed. They would have a book here and maybe a book there.”

Windham Public Library has been a place where Clark is able to display his poetry. His focus is on providing lyrical respites in a busy world.

“There’s time to become aware, and there’s this time to decide, well I like these things in life,” said Clark.

With that in mind he wrote his poem “Those We Never Knew.” Clark presented the poem to the Maine State Senate earlier this year as a part of delivering the opening invocation at the Maine State House in recognition of and gratitude to those who sacrificed for our nation.

His words prompt reflection on the origins of America’s independence and he learned the power of words by taking college courses at the University of Southern Maine in the late 1960’s.

More ambitious projects are in the works as Clark prepares for “The New Poetry Workshop’ with the Maine Coast Men group.

“I’m very excited. I’m not writing a new poem for it, but I’m explaining how to ‘cook the cookies,’ and how the work is done,” he said. The themed workshop will focus on ‘Lyrical Respites in a Busy World.”

Clark’s newest book “Sleigh Bells” will be on display along with some of his other works at the Windham Public Library throughout the month of April for National Poetry Month. Free copies of his “Babb’s Bridge” poem will be offered. <

Maine Audubon offers new way to be part of Annual Loon Count

Mainers might not be thinking about summer just yet, but Common Loons will start to appear on lakes and ponds shortly after the ice melts, so Maine Audubon is already getting set for its 42nd Annual Loon Count.

Maine Audubon is adding a new twist to its Annual Loon
Count for volunteers this year. Community scientists
who volunteer to survey specified lakes will have seven
days, from July 19 to July 26 to scout out, access, and
conduct a one-hour survey of their assigned lake.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The organization has added an exciting addition to the annual count this year and is looking for volunteers.

Come spring, Common Loons will start reclaiming their territories and engaging in courtship rituals with prospective breeding partners and filling the air with their distinctive and beloved calls.

Once the breeding season is underway, thousands of volunteers will be taking to the water on July 19 across the state to count all the adult loons and chicks that they see in a designated half hour period. This long-running dataset has tracked the changes and trends in the population for more than four decades.

The valuable count information allows Maine Audubon to assess the impacts of conservation efforts over time, and to flag any significant changes in the population to aid better loon management in the future.

Last year Maine Audubon had the greatest amount of participation ever in the annual count with 1,624 volunteers surveying and counting loons on 407 different lakes in the state.

Thanks to this tremendous effort by community scientists the organization was able to estimate a Common Loon population of 3,146 adults, south of the 45th parallel. Unfortunately, there are not enough lakes surveyed north of this line to estimate the population for the entire state.

“The data volunteers collect is used to track population trends over time,” says Maine Audubon Director of Conservation Sally Stockwell. “We expect some fluctuations year to year, but the numbers indicate a healthy loon population, with a slowly increasing adult population and relatively stable chick numbers.”

Overall, Maine has the largest population of loons in the eastern United States, which makes the breeding success of loons here critical to the regional population at large.

The Common Loon in Maine faces all kinds of threats from boat strikes, nest flooding and lead tackle, to eagle predators, and despite that, with the help of an ever-growing volunteer base, the loon population remains robust.

“There are so many people looking out for loons,” says Maine Audubon Loon Count Data Coordinator Ethan Daly. “Loons are something Mainers can appreciate and unite behind. More people are educating their neighbors, more people are involved in our loon restoration program, more people are getting rid of lead tackle, and more people are considering how shoreline management can impact freshwater ecosystems.”

All these steps can help ensure that Maine lakes are clean and clear, which loons depend on to find and catch their prey. These efforts also help increase loon nesting success and survival.

This year, in a new effort to expand the reach, involve more people in the count, and gain a better understanding of where loons are and what they’re doing in the northern part of the state, Maine Audubon is introducing Extended Duration Surveys this summer.

This is a pilot program for selected remote lakes and many lakes which are often not surveyed.

Community scientists who volunteer to survey these lakes will have seven days, from July 19 to July 26, to scout out, access, and conduct a one-hour survey of their assigned lake. Many of these lakes lack boat launches or easy cartop access, and some range far from the beaten path.

These lakes will take a greater time and travel commitment than the standard loon count survey.

Volunteers may have to hike in and survey from shore, or carry a kayak or canoe in, and in some cases, it may be easiest to turn a survey into a camping trip. Many Maine lakes and ponds are only accessible through private land, so the volunteers may be asked to help in securing landowner permission to conduct a survey.

If traveling and hiking into remote lakes and ponds to find unrecorded loons sounds like an activity that you might be interested in, please contact Maine Audubon Community Science Manager Phil Keefe at pkeefe@maineaudubon.org and he can help you find a lake to survey that is of interest.

For more about the Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count, visit maineaudubon.org/looncount <

RSU 14 expands early childhood education services for preschool students

By Lorraine Glowczak

According to the Learning Policy Institute, students who attend preschool programs are more prepared for school and are less likely to be identified as having special needs or to be held back in elementary school than children who did not attend preschool.

Teacher Caitlyn Cashman gives a lesson to Pre-K students
during a class at Raymond Elementary School earlier
this week. PHOTO BY BETH PEAVEY

Studies also indicate clear positive effects on children’s early literacy and mathematics skills. To support early learning opportunities for children in Windham and Raymond, RSU 14 is expanding its early childhood education services to reach more young families.

This expansion includes increasing Pre-K offerings in elementary schools in Windham and Raymond and strengthening partnerships with community organizations.

At this time the district currently serves 66 Pre-K students, providing them with essential early learning opportunities. Yet as the school district continues to grow, school officials say that its early childhood programs must also grow to provide more families with access to high-quality preschool education, helping set a strong foundation for future academic success.

“The district currently provides Pre-K services at Raymond Elementary School and Tu Casa Childcare in Raymond, as well as A Child’s World Preschool Center in Windham,” said Christine Frost-Bertinet, RSU 14 Assistant Superintendent. “For the 2025-2026 school year, we are hoping to expand these services to accommodate 59 more children from Raymond and Windham with a funding gap of just $1,604 per student for the entire school year.”

She said that in total, RSU 14 would need to invest about $102,700 beyond what state funding provides, what she calls “a modest investment in our youngest learners' futures.”

To support this growth, the district will introduce new Pre-K spaces at Windham Primary School and partner with A Space to Thrive, a newly established childcare center that broke ground last month at 184 Pope Road in Windham.

By working with community partners such as A Space To Thrive, Tu Casa, and A Child’s World, this school and community mixed delivery system can better provide high-quality, affordable Pre-K options for local families.

“This system allows us to offer a variety of program models to meet the diverse needs of our youngest learners,” Frost-Bertinet said. “By partnering with local providers, we can strengthen the entire community’s focus on early childhood education.”

Frost-Bertinet says that this collaboration also creates opportunities for shared professional development among educators and enhances support for children’s academic and social-emotional growth.

The benefits of early childhood education extend far beyond preschool. Studies show that the first five years of life are critical for brain development, with one million neural connections forming every second.

These early experiences lay the foundation for brain development, influencing how neural connections form and function, and determining whether a child builds a strong or fragile foundation for learning, health, and behavior.

According to Frost-Bertinet, 90 percent of brain development occurs before the age of 5, making early education crucial in preparing children for success, not just in school, but also for life.

Emotional and physical well-being, social skills, and cognitive development in these formative years all serve as key indicators for future academics, the workplace, and the community.

Hannah Marshall, the Executive Director of A Space to Thrive, emphasized that the importance of reliable early childhood education during a recent interview with WGME 13 television.

“It’s crucial that parents have somewhere they can rely on and trust for their children,” Marshall said. “And we know that the more investment that goes into those early years, the better the outcomes, whether it’s academic success or social development.”

With RSU 14’s expansion of early childhood education services, more families in Windham and Raymond will soon have access to the resources needed to give their children the best possible start in life. <

RSU 14 Odyssey of the Mind teams prep for upcoming tournament

By Jolene Bailey

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an extracurricular opportunity typically designed for students ranging in elementary and middle school that allows them to use their creativity, ingenuity and energy to contribute to something bigger and outside of the classroom environment.

Students of all abilities become problem solvers while demonstrating their skills and perseverance they bring to the table throughout the season.

Odyssey of the Mind advisor Linda Berry oversees the Kindergarten through Grade 5 students participating in the RSU 14 district. This year, the program has 60 students, gaining seven more participants at Windham Middle School than last year.

Berry said that this program typically has between 50 and 80 student participants.

“Sometimes we have students who are reluctant at the beginning of the season to participate on a team with others they don't know yet,” Berry said. “That feeling typically fades quickly as students bond and develop relationships over a common goal. With OM, all students ‘shine’ and contribute towards something meaningful. As well, seeing the confidence that grows within a child throughout the season is rewarding.”

Odyssey of the Mind’s purpose is to educate all students how to use and develop their pure creativity to solve problems of any kind without fear or high confusion. When competing, the team’s goal is to fit all the required pieces into a performance skit. From making props to coming up with lines, teams do it all by themselves.

During practice, students learn and work on their teamwork and being quick thinkers. The strategy of being fast helps them in the long run with verbal and hands-on spontaneous problem solving.

RSU 14 students may sign up to participate in OM early in the school year.

OM tournaments challenge teams of students with a given problem and then they create a solution to present in a tournament open to all ages, Berry said. It is a family-driven program where adult family members typically serve as coaches.

“Once we know how many adults are interested in coaching, we begin to assign students to teams,” Berry said.

“Teams are composed of five to seven students and are grouped by grade divisions, K to 2, 3 to 5, and 6 to 8. Teams begin meeting weekly after school hours in December and January and continue until the tournament in early April,” said Berry.

At the tournament, the teams will choose from five different long term problems to solve out and include technical, classics, structure, and performance questions.

The teams then perform their solution in an eight-minute skit in front of a panel of judges. Students are also judged on a spontaneous problem, so practicing how to solve that type of issue is something that teams work on throughout the OM season.

“It is always a busy and exciting season. WPS and Manchester have been supporting OM teams for many years now and each year we try to make it the best experience for our students,” Berry said. “It's wonderful to see the relationships that flourish and grow through the program, children or adults. Some of our coaches are former OM student participants so it's nice to see them supporting the next generation in this program. The relational side of OM makes me appreciate being able to do my part with the organization of it all.”

RSU 14 teams have a proven track record of success in Odyssey of the Mind competition. In 2023, a team of seven members consisting of third graders from Windham Primary School and fourth and fifth graders from Manchester School ranging in age from 8 to 11 traveled to East Lansing, Michigan on the campus of Michigan State University for the world championship. Windham finished 23rd overall of the 67 teams vying for the title and posted the highest score in the spontaneous category among any of the 10 Maine schools represented in the championships.

This year the OM tournament will be held at Edward Little High School on Saturday, April 5. It is open to anyone if interested in seeing what it's about and watching students from across the state showcase their talent. <

Lakes Region resident helps raise $10K for fire victims’ food bank

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary in January in Hartford, Connecticut alongside artists, models, designers, photographers, and celebrities from across the United States.

The event honored SU’s dedication to empowering aspiring models and talent worldwide.

Misty Coolidge of New Gloucester was named
Supermodel Unlimited Magazine's 'Women of 
the Year' for 2024 in recognition of her
extraordinary efforts to combat hunger
locally, nationally and globally.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Among the distinguished guests was Misty Coolidge of New Gloucester, who was named SU’s Woman of the Year 2024 in recognition of her extraordinary efforts to combat hunger – locally, nationally, and globally.

"My hope was to bring the donation back to Mainers in need, but with all the horrific fires raging across Los Angeles, Supermodels Unlimited Magazine and I felt that donating to those families just makes much more of an impact right now – as they need it more than we do," said Coolidge.

As Mrs. USA Worldwide 2021, Coolidge set a personal mission to crush hunger across America. Over the past three years, she has volunteered at 32 of the 50 Feeding America food banks across the country while also traveling to 17 countries, working with FEBA and the Global Food Banking Network.

During her reign as Mrs. Worldwide, she authored her first children's book, We All Stir the Pot to End Hunger, and she visited Manchester School in Windham to lead a presentation about hunger to students and read her book to children there.

Rather than collecting royalties from her book, Coolidge committed 100 percent of the proceeds to Feeding America, furthering her impact upon the fight against food insecurity.

At her wedding venue, Coolidge Family Farm in Maine, Misty hosts two major charity events each year: Flowers that Feed, a floral runway show, and the Running of the Brides 5K for Hunger.

Proceeds from both events support her local Good Shepherd Food Bank, part of the Feeding America network. These initiatives are just a glimpse of Misty’s dedication to combating food insecurity in her community and beyond.

Coolidge was born in Waterville, grew up in Norridgewock and went to Skowhegan Area High School. After graduation, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Law and was planning to attend law school after college but became a paralegal instead, working as an intellectual property paralegal at Preti Flaherty for seven years and then as a real estate paralegal for Dead River Company for 15 years.

In 2022, the Good Shepherd Food Bank created an Ambassadorship program and made Coolidge their very first Ambassador to speak to communities across Maine about food insecurity and hunger.

“I was so honored and touched that such a huge organization would recognize my efforts and hard work,” she said. “My life for the past five years since moving to New Gloucester has been spreading the good word and mission of the Good Shepherd Food Bank. After all, we share the same goal.”

Even before she was involved in pageantry, Coolidge’s passion for fighting hunger has been evident for more than two decades in every community that she’s lived in, from Bangor to Portland, and through her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Her mission is personal, having grown up in a household in Maine with a single mom who worked three jobs to put food on the table and relied upon food stamps and the WIC program to survive. She told students that food insecurity is greater now than when she grew up.

“So many families are feeling the results of losing jobs, the cost of gas and groceries, and struggling to pay their utility bills. The numbers I’ve seen across the country in my travels are astounding and heart breaking,” Coolidge said. “Having little ones at home myself, I cannot imagine not being able to give them the food they need. There are people visiting food banks now that have never needed to use their services before. People need to know that help is available and it's OK to get help."

It was only fitting, then, that the $10,000 raised from the Supermodel Unlimited Magazine Anniversary Gala was donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, also part of Feeding America. This generous contribution will have a profound impact on families who have lost everything.

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine

Supermodels Unlimited Magazine is a premier publication and the only magazine in the women's market dedicated to the modeling and beauty industry, with each issue filled with the latest fashion trends, celebrity features, emerging talent, and more! The magazine just celebrated 25 years in the industry and is now focused on spotlighting the industry’s most beautiful powerhouses, trailblazers, and philanthropists; along with those who have broken boundaries and made a positive impact in beauty, fashion and entertainment. <