Staff Writer

Donald Hynes sat the middle of a nearly empty room, laughing as a stylist carefully trimmed his hair and beard.

Hynes, who lives in Biddeford, joked with stylist Amy DesRoberts of Saco during the third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day “Not a Day Off, But a Day On” event at First Parish Congregational Church in Saco. The church opened its doors to welcome all who needed a helping hand and offered free haircuts, laundry facilities, health screenings, meals, health and beauty products and clothing.

For Hynes, the event was an opportunity to receive services he finds unaffordable on a “very tight budget.” After being screened for high blood pressure and eye and foot problems, he made his way through a room of donated supplies and into a temporary hair salon on the second floor of the church.

“I needed a haircut and I needed a walk,” Hynes said of his decision to spend the morning at the church. “People will recognize me now. It’s been seven months since I had a haircut.”

Kris Galasyn, director of Christian education at the church, said it received a $500 grant from the Maine Commission for Community Service to support the day of service. Last year, the church welcomed 30 clients who came in from a snowstorm and Galasyn expected nearly double that number to attend this year.

To prepare for the day of service, church members donated health and beauty items and new socks and underwear during Sunday services. Second Congregational Church in Biddeford, Cornerstone United Methodist Church of Saco, Seventh Day Adventist Church of Saco and Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco all participated in the weekly collections.

Galasyn said the day of service is designed to help people in need, including homeless people in the community. Volunteers found inspiration in a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that hung on the wall of the church: “What are you doing for others?”

“This is something we though we could do for the community. There is homelessness in all different forms, we know there is. It’s right here in Saco,” she said. “We have people coming in every week looking for help. This is a way for them to come and get information, have some breakfast and get a haircut.”

Senior Minister Doug Nielsen said actions speak louder than words and church members feel called to put that message into action.

“When all is said and done, there’s typically more said than done,” he said. “We’re putting our faith into action and Martin Luther King Jr. clearly did that in an extraordinary way. This is our way of trying to follow his lead.”

Nielsen said there are certain times of the year when generosity is even more poignant. Hosting a day of service on Martin Luther King Day encourages people to think about King’s message of helping “the last, the lost and the least,” he said. 

“The fact of the matter is poverty doesn’t know any racial constituency. People are struggling in their poverty every day of their lives,” Nielsen said.

After the church burned to the ground in 47 minutes in 2000, the congregation decided to rebuild in the same location and create a facility that would be a community resource, Nielsen said. The church includes laundry facilities, showers and an industrial kitchen.

Like other churches in the area, Nielsen said First Parish has seen a sharp rise in the number of people looking for help with food, gas and counseling.

“The need far exceeds our capacity to respond,” he said.

As volunteers cleaned up breakfast and prepared for lunch, Belinda Archer and her daughter, Brianna, sorted through a table overflowing with donated undergarments and beauty supplies. The Biddeford family came to the church to get out of the house and pick up items they can’t afford on their limited income.

“Every little thing helps,” Archer said before getting her hair cut. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for people to get out and get these things they really need.”

For Cheryl Brice of Biddeford, stopping by the church to get a haircut and pick up items she can’t afford to buy was helpful.

“Everybody is so polite and friendly. There’s a lot of help here,” she said. “It helps to get items that are expensive on a fixed income.”

In addition to serving meals, health screening and haircuts, the event offered local service agencies the opportunity to meet with clients and pass out information. Jodi Bissonnette, director of York County Food Rescue, said she jumped at the chance to participate. Her program provides food to pantries across the county and she directs people to pantries in their community.

“We have to really get out there and let people know what’s going on,” she said.

Debra Gagnon, director Bon Appetite in Biddeford, said she appreciated the opportunity to meet with people who could benefit from the meal program. Bon Appetite serves dinner from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Monday through Friday at Second Congregational Church in Biddeford.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t have a warm place to sit,” she said.

Martha Morrison of MedHelp Maine was on hand to talk to clients about how to enhance access to prescription drugs that they can’t affor. She works with area hospitals to set up assistance programs so people won’t go without needed medication. All three hospitals in York County – Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford, Goodall Hospital in Sanford and York Hospital – offer prescription drug assistance programs.

Morrison said she encourages people who are struggling to pay for medicine to contact their doctors for more information about how the programs work.

Dana Cotton was on hand to meet with veterans about the Sanford-based program Military Surplus for Veterans in Need. The program, open to all veterans, since 1994 has provided warm clothing, boots and other items to veterans in need.

Cotton said veterans simply need to show up at 199 Jagger Mill Road in Sanford between 9 a.m. and noon any Friday to receive surplus items.

“Any veteran who shows up at the door we’ll take care of,” he said.

In a room set aside for medical screenings, University of New England medical student Maggie Buttlar took clients’ blood pressure and offered counseling to people whose blood pressure was high. Nearby, Scarborough Walmart Vision Center Manager Eric Leighton provided free vision screenings. Robert Marchand volunteered his reflexology services, while visiting nurses gave flu shots and provided foot care.

Children and teens also participated in the day of service by volunteering and creating collection boxes for United Way. Children from the church school colored cardboard boxes shaped like houses for the “Houses for Change” program, while teens from local high schools stepped out into the community for various service projects.

Barbara Wentworth of United Way said the cardboard boxes, made by Volk Packaging of Biddeford, will be placed at businesses in York County in March to collect money for programs to address homelessness.

Old Orchard Beach High School seniors Michelle Johnson and Brett Allen, both members of the Interact Club, volunteered for the event. They spent the morning sanitizing toys in the church school with the help of Interact Club members from Thornton Academy.

“I think it’s fun because I like helping other people,” Allen said. “It makes me happy.

“I’m excited,” added Johnson. “It’s a great program with all these activities going on.”

Both Galasyn and Nielsen said they were impressed by the number of people who spent their day off from school or work helping neighbors.

“This is huge,” Nielsen said. “It’s absolutely huge.”

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.