Ducktrap River Fish Farm, Inc.

(1997 – 1998)

In 1997, PROJECTS Inc. partnered with Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility in an effort to improve the public welfare contributions of Maine businesses. The mission of the two organizations was to educate Maine businesses and their employees on how to identify and serve the social needs of Maine communities.

The partnership’s first collaboration was with Ducktrap River Fish Farm in Belfast, Maine. PROJECTS approached the Ducktrap management with a proposal: we’ll raise the money and provide the institutional structure for a public initiative created and run by Ducktrap employees. Enthusiastic about the idea the Ducktrap management agreed, and even offered company employees paid time to work with PROJECTS.

After consulting with PROJECTS, Ducktrap employees determined that they wanted to create a new division of Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Waldo County, Maine. With the help of PROJECTS staff, Ducktrap employees linked up with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters national organization and began the process of establishing a local chapter. With help from PROJECTS, Ducktrap employees held countless bake sales and softball games to raise money for the new chapter. Through private fundraising, PROJECTS was able to contribute a significant portion of the startup costs.

“The real credit goes to the Ducktrap employees,” recalls Perry Gates of PROJECTS. “We basically took a very hands-off approach – acting as consultants and providing the backbone of funding.”

Within a year, Ducktrap employees had raised the necessary funds to bring a Big Brothers/Big Sisters program to Waldo County. With the help of Bill Michaud, then executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Midcoast, Maine, PROJECTS and Ducktrap transferred the management of the new organization to other members of the community. The Waldo County chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters still runs today.