Acadia FCU staff rise to help after devastating Dr. Levesque school fire

After a fire destroyed Dr. Levesque Elementary School in Frenchville, Wisdom Middle/High School found themselves scrambling to accommodate over 100 more students in time for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. Acadia FCU President/CEO David Desjardins issued a challenge to his staff in an effort to help meet their needs.

“After speaking with officials from the school department to find out what their immediate needs were, we decided to donate toward supplies and equipment for their kitchen,” said Desjardins. “This fits in nicely with our mission of helping those in need through our Ending Hunger Campaign.” Desjardins considered a monetary donation for the MSAD #33 kitchen equipment need, but was looking for a way to grow those dollars even more.

“We challenged our staff to donate to the cause, with Acadia FCU agreeing to match their contribution, up to $1,500,” continued Desjardins. “Our goal was to boost the donation amount—and boy, was it ever a boost—staff pitched in $1,668 from their own pockets! I’m especially proud of how our employees responded to this challenge.”

MSAD #33’s food service director, Melanie Lagasse, is trying to outfit the kitchen with more equipment to account for the extra production that will be coming out of this space. She indicated that besides time and space issues, the Wisdom Middle/High School kitchen would also need extra plates, silverware, kitchen utensils, and equipment ranging from additional toasters to steam tables.

The generosity of Acadia FCU staff from branches in Bangor and the St. John Valley brought the total donation amount to $3,168. Acadia FCU’s donation will go toward restocking the kitchen and helping to feed additional students.