Our purpose is to use the Winthrop Area Rotary, a well established and well connected organization, to help six Winthrop area communities provide window inserts for those who struggle to heat their homes. In 2022 the Winthrop Area Rotary spent approximately $8,000 to provide 200 window inserts to 23 homes across multiple communities. We are a small club of about 14 members so we could not sustain that level of funding without assistance. In 2023, with the help of our first Grow Grant, were able to provide 200 inserts to 25 families. In 2024, we are committed to building 250 inserts, more if we have the needed funds.  The Winthrop Area Rotary has been in existence and working to support our communities and our the world since 1948. However, 2022 and 2023 were the first years that we did the WindowDressers project. In 2022, we had more community volunteers than we could accommodate at times including 60 enthusiastic middle school students. In 2023, because our WindowDressers build immediately followed the mass murder in Lewiston and we were on “lock down”. We had to make immediate adjustments including working longer hours with fewer volunteers while the school was still closed to students. But we made it happen! For our 2024 build, we again have a commitment for a space to build the inserts and the commitment of multiple volunteers including students, teachers and community volunteers of all ages to do the measuring and building.