Furniture Friends

                                                              Furniture Friends! 

Once a month members from the Falmouth High School Service club volunteer with Furniture Friends. This organization receives donated furniture and then delivers it to families in the Greater Portland area. Some of these families are literally living on the floor and do not have a bed to sleep on. Furniture Friends relies on volunteers like those as FHS to make these essential deliveries possible!                                  http://furniturefriendsportland.org/

                                           Empty Bowls 3rd Grade Project 

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to raise awareness and fight hunger. A typical empty bowls event is hosted with a small amount of food going into each bowl and donations made are given to a charity of the host’s choice. This bowl of food leaves guest feeling hungry so they can relate to the recipients of their donations. Donations of this event were split between the Maine Truth and Reconciliation Commission to honor Native American culture and the Indian Island Food Pantry to support a food charity. This year Ruth Smith, a senior at FHS lead the 3rd graders during this project. Thank you Ruth and all FHS high school volunteers!

      Acoustics in the Commons:

       A benefit concert for Partners for World Health
A coffee house style event which took place in the "commons" of FHS. The concert raised $1,000 all to be donated to Partners for World Health.
http://www.partnersforworldhealth.org/

Habitat for Humanity Greater Portland Seniors vs. Faculty Basketball Game

For the 6th year in a row Falmouth High School hosted a basketball game to benefit Habitat for Humanity Greater Portland. Special guests Crusher from the Red Claws and Godfrey Wood who is the director for Habitat for Humanity Greater Portland made appearances which made the night even more fun and exciting! While the seniors beat the faculty by 1 point the real reward was that Falmouth raised $1000 which went directly to Habitat Greater Portland. 

                                                     Safe Passage 2015

         The week before February vacation a group of 10 students and 3 chaperones departed for Guatemala to volunteer at Safe Passage. Safe Passage is a non-profit organization working in Guatemala City to bring hope, education, and opportunity to the children and families living in extreme poverty around the City's garbage dump. Our FHS students came up with a variety of activities and lessons to experience with the children which furthered the close bonds that were made. This is the 6th year FHS has traveled to Safe Passage to volunteer, continuing this powerful and educational tradition.

Falmouth High Schooler Meghan Charest Selected as Maine's Top High School Volunteer of the Year!

Meghan, a junior at Falmouth High School is the second student in a row from FHS to receive the Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Meghan started her service in 7th grade by writing a grant proposal and coordinating a community garden in Falmouth to benefit the Falmouth Food Pantry. "I wanted to find a sustainable, effective way to provide healthier foods for the people using the food pantry." Her service did not stop there. She has continued to upkeep and organize volunteers to maintain this flourishing garden which yields about 500 pounds of fresh food per year for those in need. This award comes with a scholarship and a trip to Washington DC where she will attend events with other top youth volunteers from around the nation.

Not only did Meghan receive The Prudential Spirit of Community Award but because she has logged hundreds of service hours, she has achieved the President's Volunteer Service Award. She will receive a singed certificate from President Barack Obama commending her on her tremendous work. 

                                                            (Meghan in the middle)

First Grade Receiving Blanket Project for Partners for World Health

The first graders at FES are learning about children around the world. They decided to add a service component to their unit and partnered with Partners with World Health and their Project 10,000

The goal is to send 10,000 birthing kits to women all over the world so that they can have a healthy delivery and baby. Included in these birthing kits are receiving blankets which the first graders are collecting. They are also doing chores around their house to raise money to buy even more blankets. Elizabeth McLellan the founder of Partners for World Health recently visited the first graders and inspired them to help other children. 

"All of you are going to make a difference to people in Africa, even if you never meet them" McLellan told the Falmouth students. "You're making a big difference in people's lives."

The Forecaster did an article on this event: the link is below

http://www.theforecaster.net/news/print/2015/02/10/falmouth-1st-graders-make-blanket-statement-about/224192

Mississippi Habitat for Humanity Service Trip 2015 

10 students and 2 chaperones flew out to Mississippi in January to the community of Bay St. Louis. Their mission was to weatherize and restore homes after many had been impacted by hurricane Katrina which ripped through this town in 2005. The students worked a 40 hour week to help repair some of the 80% of homes which were destroyed or damaged by Katrina. This is the 7th year FHS has sent a group to Mississippi. Our students offer hope and a reminder to the community that they haven't been forgotten. 

Empty Bowls 3rd grade project 2014

Empty Bowls 3rd grade project 2014

Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to raise awareness and fight hunger. A typical empty bowls event is hosted with a small amount of food going into each bowl and donations made are given to a charity of the host’s choice. This bowl of food leaves guest feeling hungry so they can relate to the recipients of their donations. Donations of this event were split between the Maine Truth and Reconciliation Commission to honor Native American culture and the Indian Island Food Pantry to support a food charity.  2015 Project coming soon! 

FHS Volunteers Monthly!

Groups of FHS students volunteer monthly at:

Furniture Friends:  

One Thursday every month a group of motivated FHS students volunteer with Furniture Friends which is a non profit organization that provides essential furniture to the people in Portland who need it most. Recipients include the recently homeless, new immigrants, refugees, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, veterans, and long time Mainer's who have fallen upon hard times. Before receiving their furniture most of the recipients are living on the floor of their apartment.            

      

                                      "Wow - this is really interesting & meaningful." 

"This is better then soccer. It's definitely a better work-out & it's so great that we're     helping people at the same time!"

Partners for World Health:

One Saturday every month a group of FHS students volunteer to sort medical supplies through Partners for World Health. This organization collects discarded medical supplies from US health care facilities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and ensures that they are distributed to countries in need throughout our world. These medical supplies destined for the landfill are now making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. 

Ronald McDonald House:

FHS Students volunteer their time once a month at the Ronald McDonald house by cleaning various rooms to keep the house comfortable for those who are staying there. The Ronald McDonald House of Portland, Maine, provides an affordable “home away from home” for the families of children receiving medical care in the Portland area. 

Wisdom Tea at Ocean View:

Each month FHS students gather at Ocean View which is a retirement community servicing a wide range of active elders in Falmouth. The students sit at tables with elders and are prompted with quotes, questions, or pictures over tea which always spark meaningful conversations amongst both age groups which are now intertwined. This program not only benefits the seniors but equally as important benefits the students who attend.

#Just Say their Name

#Just Say their Name 
September 26, 2014



Tom Andrews, president of United to End Genocide visited with Falmouth High School. He met with the student body and launched the Just say their name campaign here at FHS. 

We are thrilled to say that President Obama did say the name of Rohingya people when he visited Burma in November.

Here is a link to a video and article speaking to Tom Andrews about United To End Genocide on News Center 6's website:

http://www.wcsh6.com/story/news/local/2014/11/20/genocide-and-maine/70039596/

6th Annual Falmouth Food Pantry Supper

6th Annual Falmouth Food Pantry Supper 
October 16, 2014

The town of Falmouth joined forces with Falmouth High school to create a Harvest Community Supper which benefited the Falmouth Food Pantry.

25 Falmouth High schoolers donated their time and effort to make this annual event a success.

Genocide and ME

Genocide and ME
November 20, 2014

Shining the Light of Truth:

A project of Maine Wabanaki Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project and United to End Genocide

An evening of poetry, art, stories and song depicting the lives of Maine's Native American population as well as genocide survivors.

FHS advanced art students were invited to display their works and artists’ statements they created in response to the stories gathered while meeting with United to End Genocide’s Tom Andrews, members of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission and genocide survivors from Darfur, Rwanda and Maine.

The art was also printed with a short statement to be used as Public Service Announcements for United to End Genocide and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Band Together Benefit Concert
November 15, 2014

A very talented group of FHS musicians and performers donated their skills and time to put on an amazing benefit concert to support the Safe Passage and Habitat for Humanity service trips. 

This concert was made possible by the hard work and dedication of the Falmouth Service Club, the Sage Passage Team, and the Habitat for Humanity Service Team.

All the proceeds from this concert went to building supplies for Habitat for Humanity and programming aide for Safe Passage.