College can be a balancing act between academics, athletics, work and a social life. But on Sunday afternoon, nearly 30 students from the University of New England were literally balancing, on ladders, to bring the holiday spirit to downtown Biddeford.
“Where I grew up, it was really exciting to see when the lights would go up. It’s cool that 15 years later, I get to help do the same thing,” said Mady Denault, a senior studying dental hygiene, who grew up in Gouverneur, N.Y.
Volunteering with the local nonprofit Heart of Biddeford, 28 UNE students wrapped over 90 trees and light posts with lights and suspended colorful globes in tree branches down the length of Biddeford’s Main Street.
It’s the ninth November that UNE students have volunteered to hang lights with the nonprofit that supports economic development and downtown improvement.
“It’s definitely, obviously a UNE value to give back. So it’s always great when they are willing to bring that to the downtown,” said Delilah Poupore, executive director of Heart of Biddeford.
Heart of Biddeford frequently partners with UNE, hosting internships and numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the year. In addition to helping support its programs, working with students fits the nonprofit’s mission of connecting people with the downtown community and local businesses.
“I also think they get to know the community,” said Poupore. “Once you’re volunteering in your community, then it makes it more approachable.”
UNE seniors Sarah Goble and Catriel Conroy helped wrap yards of strings of lights on Sunday to get volunteer hours required in a class they are both taking on citizenship. The roommates also volunteered with Heart of Biddeford to set up its Halloween event, “Creepy Crawl.” Through volunteering, they said they learned more about what is available downtown – this semester they started regularly frequenting Elements, a cafe on Main Street.
“It’s just a good thing to get out there and learn about where you are, because we’re both seniors, and we never really knew all the little local businesses that were around here,” said Goble, who is studying animal behavior and is from Yorktown, Va.
While students from all class years strung lights, the volunteers were coordinated by UNE sophomores.
As first-year students get settled into campus life, sophomore class advisor Tony Montalbano said in their second year, students are encouraged to explore beyond the campus.
“Sophomore year, it’s more about broadening that awareness to the community. So by jumping on an opportunity to kind of get sophomores downtown and to do service for Biddeford, it was a way to kind of explore, again, that community aspect,” said Montalbano, who is also the director of student resolution at UNE.
“It’s nice to have our community on Hills Beach (Road), and then obviously our community of the town of Biddeford,” he said.
Junior Tighe Archambault, a business major from Pepperell, Mass., was talking with Montalbano about ways to get involved locally and got connected to this event.
“I thought it was absolutely awesome,” said Archambault.
“It’s a good way to give back to the community,” he said.
Poupore said that the community is always appreciative of those who hang the lights and how it lights up Biddeford as the town goes into winter.
“Year after year, we see on social media how much people just comment like they’re so happy the lights are out. They’re happy when we put them out before Thanksgiving,” she said.
Sophie Burchell — 207-780- 9033 sburchell@metln.org