First Congregational Church of Wiscasset became a chain of thanks Sunday as area causes got the $8,800 church member Nancy Roby said Summerfest raised this year. First, Pastor Josh Fitterling praised Roby and fellow member Ed Peele for co-chairing year 35.

Then Roby gestured to the congregation she said knitted, baked, crocheted and more. She said she was amazed after all these years, they could still find items at home to donate to the yard sale tables. And then she told the guests in line for the envelopes, their causes are the reason the church did all of it.

“We appreciate so much all you do … and we thank you so much for all you do for our communities.”

They thanked her as they got the gifts. Representatives interviewed afterward continued expressing their thanks for the church’s donations.

“It’s really affirming and inspiring to the nurses, aides and volunteers to know the community and the church’s members appreciate what they do in providing compassionate care,” said MaineHealth Care at Home community liaison Connie Jones. “It means a lot.”

“In this region, there are so many young people desperately needing (services), so we appreciate every donation we can get,” Midcoast Literacy board chair Dave Damour said, smiling in the back of the church as he did throughout the ceremony at the front of the church.

First Congregational member Gail Burke helped Summerfest this year with donated items from cleaning out her attic, and her time helping sell jewelry at the event in June. In the fellowship hall after Sunday’s presentation, she said the day of Summerfest always has an uplifting spirit, and when the church gives out the funds each fall, “It’s a wonderful thing. It’s so rewarding, to see what you did.”

According to information Roby provided, this year’s donations went to Camp POSTCARD, Camp Pride Pilgrim Lodge, Carpenter’s Boat Shop, CHIP, Inc., Cooper-DiPerri Scholarship Fund, Feed Our Scholars, Habitat for Humanity/7 Rivers Maine, Healthy Kids, Lifeline of Midcoast Maine, Lincoln County Dental Clinic, Midcoast Humane, Midcoast Literacy, Miles & St. Andrews Hospice, MOBIUS, Inc., New Hope for Women, People to People, St. Philip’s Food Pantry, Sussman House, Tedford Housing, Washington County Children’s Program, Westport Island Helping Hands, Wiscasset Green, FCCW Church World Service and FCCW Special Needs Fund.

Also Sunday, the service inside the church on the hill remembered the 11 people slain and the police and others injured in another house of worship Saturday. During prayer, Fitterling called the shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania an act of hate. People there are living through a horrific time and “grieving the loss of these children of God,” he said.

“We let our silence be our prayer, because this is one of those moments I don’t have the words.”

Fitterling added in an interview, he checked that morning to see if the victims’ names had been released yet. They had not, so he plans to include the names in next Sunday’s service, he said. Names honor people more than a number can, he said. “They are our brothers and sisters,” he said of those killed.