WATERVILLE — Goodwill Northern New England is working with Chris Bernier to host a uniform drive from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the Waterville store in The Concourse.
Any child who needs a scouting uniform can pick one up at the drive. Anyone who has one to spare can donate it to the store ahead of time.
So far, Bernier (a commissioner for K-Valley District of the Boy Scouts) and Goodwill NNE has outfitted more than 650 children in Maine who needed uniforms. All year, the Waterville Goodwill store sets aside donated uniforms for Bernier, who then washes every uniform and rips off every award badge by hand, according to a news release from Goodwill.
Bernier started by serving Waterville children, but now he gets calls from all over the state asking to help outfit Scouts in need.
“So far we have served over three dozen communities in Maine with some traveling as far as Topsham, Pittsfield, Bath and Bangor,” he said, according to the release. “There are many people who are deserving who can’t work or can’t afford a uniform for their child, and that’s what this is about. It’s about changing the future, changing the next generation, helping kids be better than they can be and building a better citizen.”
Bernier has approximately 200 uniforms that Goodwill NNE collected for his cause in storage, ready for Scouts. The only requirement for a child to get a free uniform is that they register for scouting or is already a registered scout. The program also allows for Scouts to trade in their uniforms when they outgrow them or change ranks — when they give back an old uniform, Bernier will give them a new one, according to the release.
Anyone who would like to donate a uniform can drop it off at the Waterville store. Parents should bring their Scout’s registration form as proof. Scouts also will be able to register at the store during the drive.
“I’m a one-man show,” Bernier said, according to the release. “But we’re just getting it started. We’re working on becoming a nonprofit, we’d like to expand it. We’re trying to make it needs-based. We serve kids who can’t afford to go to the council store and get a brand new uniform.”
Goodwill Industries of Northern New England is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates jobs, delivers needed services for people with diverse challenges, uses environmentally friendly products and processes – all while earning revenue to pay for and expand innovative workforce services in all three states. Goodwill NNE operates retail stores, health care and cleaning services which help fund the innovative workforce programs that empower individuals and families to find personal stability through work.
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