Freeport Community Services celebrates its 40th year of Connecting Neighbors, Enriching Lives, in 2014. As we lead up to our signature White Nights celebration on Jan. 25, we’ll feature stories each week in the Tri-Town Weekly about what makes FCS so special and all of the people who have helped to make it one of the largest success stories in the state of Maine.

One of the things I love the most about my new position as the director of Freeport Community Services is that this organization is truly a place for everyone.

From new moms with babies to our amazing elders, and from our active teens to the families that volunteer together, generations of our neighbors come together under one roof to create the rich tapestry that is FCS.

Two of the ladies who help to make this place so special are seniors at Freeport High School. When I asked Emma Egan and Katie McClelland how long they have been a part of this organization, they had to think long and hard.

“Ever since I can remember,” says Egan, as she tells me about the times she’d accompany her mother to deliver items to the FCS food pantry, “even before it was in the new building” at 53 Depot St. Despite their crazy schedules, these honor students have continued their families’ tradition of volunteering by giving many hours on their own to FCS.

For McClelland, FCS is a “great place to begin volunteer service, because you always see people you know.” Over the years, these veteran volunteers have worked in many areas across FCS. From staffing the Thrift Shop, to organizing fundraisers, and to assisting at First Friday concerts, there really isn’t much of the organization they have not touched. Egan adds that it is a great place to learn about leadership. “Once you start volunteering in one area, you see other things that you can do. The adults here help you so much, and really ease you into it.”

These two young women have grown into civic leaders at Freeport High School, too. Egan is president of the school’s Interact Club, and McClelland serves as vice president. This service club, sponsored by the Rotary Club, requires its members to complete 20 hours of community service per semester; but as Egan points out, may of its members exceed that goal by a large margin. This year, the club organized a successful Thanksgiving Moonlight Madness Run in Freeport, which resulted in a significant contribution to FCS’s Carol Kaplan Fuel Fund.

For both students, helping neighbors in their own community is very satisfying. “It is nice to do something for others where you can see a direct impact. It is great when we all work together,” says McClelland. They agree that it is the ability to see that impact that keeps them involved with FCS despite the academic and social demands of senior year.

When asked how she would describe her experience at FCS to other teens, McClelland states that she likes it because it “connects you to the community really well,” and encourages teens to “make a good New Year’s resolution – to volunteer at FCS!” Egan adds that FCS is a “great organization and resource for a lot of people – it’s cool to come here and volunteer. Do it once and you’ll be hooked!”

Many thanks to The White Nights sponsors for underwriting these stories: Bath Savings Bank, Curtis Thaxter, Brown Goldsmiths, The Bradley Family, Powers and French, Tri-Town Weekly, FreeportUSA, the Law Office of Mark Standen and Peter Warren.

Freeport High School seniors Emma Egan, left, and Katie McClelland have served Freeport Community Services long and well.