School plant sale

The School Around Us hosts a plant sale and garden day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 23 at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Kennebunk.

Purchase vegetable seedlings, perennials and vines. Also available are tufa planters, garden stepping stones and bake sale items. School Around Us parents and staff will offer children’s activities and garden-related information, including a worm composting demonstration. The plant sale is also the pick-up and sale location for composters and rainbarrels.

The School Around Us is a holistic learning community, encouraging the growth of mind, body, heart and spirit.

Garden club plant sale

The Seacoast Garden Club’s annual plant, pie and dessert sale takes place at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 23 at Port Hardware, Route 35, Lower Village in Kennebunk. Dozens of plants, donated by club members, will be offered. These will include perennials, annuals, seedlings, vegetables and herbs. A table of garden ornaments will be available for children to purchase. Home made pies and special desserts are always a special attraction at the sale. In case of rain, all activities will take place at the next-door Washington Hose Company Firehouse. For more information, call Susan Gesing at 967-5660 or Nancy Kling at 967-1097.

Goodwill seeks

worksites for youth

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, on behalf of Coastal Counties Workforce Board, is issuing a request for proposals for summer youth employment worksites. The groups’ organizers plan to serve 200 youth throughout this region from June 8 through Sept. 30. Worksite proposals can be of any size and length within the time period. Goodwill determines eligibility, certifies all participating youth and administers payroll for participating youth. Goodwill seeks worksites that offer meaningful work experience with appropriate supervision.

The program places children between the ages of 14 through 24 (emphasis on 16-through 24-year-olds) on worksites. Youth workers are placed with local non-profits, municipalities, and private sector businesses, and to gain work experience and work readiness in a field of their interest. An effort will be made to match worksites with participants’ interests and goals; however emphasis will be on finding work experiences in the following sectors: “green” jobs, information technology, health care, and financial services sectors.

A copy of the application is available at www.goodwillnne.org/summeryouthrfp. For more information, call Heather Stott at 347-3215. 

SMMC employee 

clothing drive a success

In the midst of planting gardens and attending May Day events, people took time to clean out their closets for Southern Maine Medical Center’s recent summer clothing drive. SMMC employees coordinated a community-wide clothing drive to assist those less fortunate. Participants responded with hundreds of donated items of clothing and shoes. Calls from individuals in the community came in on a daily basis and as an added surprise, the Biddeford High School’s National Honor Society delivered 60 large bags of clothes. 

 This generosity enabled SMMC to distribute more than 160 boxes and bags of clothing and shoes to the Salvation Army in Old Orchard Beach; Stone Soup Food Pantry in Biddeford; In A Pinch, a small organization which gives away soaps, shampoos, hygiene products and other non-food necessities and Milestone Foundation in Old Orchard Beach, a rehabilitation center for men. These organizations will distribute to those in need free of charge and were grateful to SMMC and the community for their assistance.

Kennebunkport offers summer day camp

Kennebunkport Parks and Recreation is accepting registrations for summer camps. They offer day camp programs June 22 through Aug. 14, as well as swim lessons, bike club, archery, beginning and intermediate tennis lessons, soccer, gardening, mini-golf, kayaking, youth golf camp, and Outdoor Adventure for middle school students.

Most programs are open to children entering kindergarten through those leaving eighth grade. Day camp activities are age appropriate, with particular focus on the special needs of each age group. Programs are first come, first served when space is limited. For more information call 967-4304 or visit www.kennebunkportme.gov.