HOLDEN, Maine — We all know how generous Mainers can be, and these past few weeks were no exception as donations reached more than $13,000 to support Sarah's House of Maine.
Sarah's House is a home in Holden where people can stay while a loved one gets treated for cancer at a nearby hospital.
Sarah's House Executive Director Delores Landry turned 60 last week.
Most fundraising efforts at this non-profit were canceled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, so that's why Landry decided to ask family, friends, and community members to donate sixty dollars for her 60th birthday.
"We would just sit and read the cards, and it was heartwarming, overwhelming, especially in a time where there is so much negativity to have such a wonderful, warm and generous gesture from so many people has been amazing," says Landry.
To her surprise, she got more than 100 people sending her birthday cards totaling $13,000.
"It's been a hard year for all non-profits, because of the virus and not being able to hold a lot of our fundraisers, so it was just an opportunity to try to make up a little bit of that difference," says Landry.
Landry tells us it has been a hard year for fundraising and those $13,000 are important and will go to general operating budget expenses to run the house.