Operation Hunger 2023 Telethon

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) -In less than a week, WAGM in partnership with Catholic Charities Maine and the United Way of Aroostook will be holding our annual Operation Hunger Telethon. This telethon raises money to help feed people all throughout the county.

Dixie Shaw, the Director of Hunger Services at Catholic Charities Maine says, “When you make a donation to this telethon, it’s going to help us feed folks here in Aroostook County.”

Folks who otherwise wouldn’t have enough money to purchase the food they need. Now in it’s 5th year, the Operation 24 Telethon, which raises money for Catholic Charities Maine, has raised thousands of dollars to meet this very important need in the County community.

Kelly Landeen, Vice President and General Manager of WAGM says, “These telethons have gone way above our expectations. When we started these a few years ago, I think our first one we made like 25,000 and the last one that we did we made just shy of 80,000 and so it has gone leaps and bounds.”

United Way of Aroostook Executive Director, Sarah Duncan adds, “So many donors are struggling to pay their own bills, but it was amazing to see just the outpouring of support by Aroostook County and the donations that came in, it made it a record year.”

And it’s those donors that make this telethon unique from other telethons.

Shaw adds, “Our telethon consists of tiny donations. Multiple tiny donations. $5.00, $20.00, $25.00, $10.00, whatever a person can donate, it adds up. And it adds up to this huge sum of money that helps all of us in this community. And that’s not heard of, often times a telethon will have a big donor that comes in and donates a thousand or five thousand or twenty thousand dollars. Ours are small donations, you know what that says to me, that says that people know we’re here and they know that every dollar we get is going to be used to help right here.”

To donate to help feed people in Aroostook County, you can visit our website or call in a donation Thursday.

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