Students raise funds for food cause
Junior Madison Westrich holds fresh flowers from Veggies to Table. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Veggies to Table co-founders Alain Ollier and Erica Berman with McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dillon Leeman and Madison Westrich. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Principal Charles Lomonte. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Science teacher Seth Platukis takes orders. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
From left, junior Madison Westrich, science teacher Seth Platukis, special education teacher Molly Carlson, Alain Ollier, Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler, McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens, WMHS Principal Charles Lomonte and senior Dillon Leeman. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Senior Dillon Leeman and Junior Madison Westrich hand out seeds at McDonald’s in Wiscasset. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dillon Leeman and Madison Westrich with advisor Deb Pooler, Veggies to Table co-founders Alain Ollier and Erica Berman and McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council President Dillon Leeman and Student Council Secretary Madison Westrich hold signs for Veggies to Table outside of McDonalds. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Principal Charles Lomonte helps. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Deb Pooler chats with Principal Charles Lomonte and McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alain Ollier and Molly Carlson. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alain Ollier and Molly Carlson. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council President Dillon Leeman hands out seed packets. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Junior Madison Westrich holds fresh flowers from Veggies to Table. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Veggies to Table co-founders Alain Ollier and Erica Berman with McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dillon Leeman and Madison Westrich. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Principal Charles Lomonte. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Science teacher Seth Platukis takes orders. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
From left, junior Madison Westrich, science teacher Seth Platukis, special education teacher Molly Carlson, Alain Ollier, Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler, McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens, WMHS Principal Charles Lomonte and senior Dillon Leeman. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Senior Dillon Leeman and Junior Madison Westrich hand out seeds at McDonald’s in Wiscasset. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dillon Leeman and Madison Westrich with advisor Deb Pooler, Veggies to Table co-founders Alain Ollier and Erica Berman and McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council President Dillon Leeman and Student Council Secretary Madison Westrich hold signs for Veggies to Table outside of McDonalds. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Principal Charles Lomonte helps. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Deb Pooler chats with Principal Charles Lomonte and McDonald’s General Manager Christie Owens. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alain Ollier and Molly Carlson. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Alain Ollier and Molly Carlson. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
Student Council President Dillon Leeman hands out seed packets. MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
MEGAN STEELE/Wiscasset Newspaper
The Wiscasset Middle High School Student Council did a fundraiser at McDonald’s April 28 for Veggies to Table. Students and teachers helped take orders at the window, held signs out front, and passed out free packets of vegetable seeds.
Senior Dillon Leeman, 18, student council president, said 75% of the proceeds from food sales would go to Veggies to Table while 25% would go to the student council.
When asked why they decided to support Veggies to Table, Leeman said they wanted to focus on a local cause. “Sometimes when you donate to large organizations, the money gets lost and the impact is not as big. Donating to a small charity means that it will be felt more.”
Student Council Advisor Deb Pooler said she was proud of the students. “The kids came up with a good idea. They wanted to hand out seeds to help community members grow their own food,” she added.
French and Spanish teacher Allain Ollier co-founded Veggies to Table with wife Erica Berman. When he learned the student council had chosen to support it, he was surprised. “There are a lot of nonprofits around Wiscasset. I was moved that they chose ours,” he said.
Ollier and Berman decided to start Veggies to Table when they learned about food security needs in Lincoln County. The organization donates fresh vegetables, seed packets and bouquets of flowers to local people. “Mr. O grows flowers and gives them to his students to give to teachers,” said junior Madison Westrich, 17, student council secretary. “There are days when all of the classrooms are full of beautiful flowers.”
