Today I had the extreme pleasure of presenting the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi with a retired PC truck to support their extensive food pantry operation.
The Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi is the longest continuous kinship-related Abenaki tribal community in the United States. One of the many services they provide is food assistance to ensure all Abenaki families have access to healthy and nutritious meals. Each month, they support over 500 clients in their communities and rely entirely on funding from grants and donations.
The truck donation will eliminate costs of transporting food donations, allowing more money to be directed to the food and products needed by the Abenaki community. But it also means something more than that to PC. John Lavoie, a longtime PC superintendent who is retiring in July after 45 years with the company, is also a member of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi Tribal Board and is actively involved in the organization’s efforts. We are so proud to be able to support John’s heritage and passions with this donation – it is just a tiny token of our appreciation for his incredible work leading successful PC construction projects for over four decades!
“In our Native American tradition, we are taught to care for our community – our friends, family and neighbors – whether they are a member of our tribe or not,” said Debbie Dubois Lavoie, manager of the food pantry (and John’s loving wife!). “We share what we can as best as we can and with PC Construction’s help, we can continue our fight against food insecurity. Our hearts are full and now our shelves will be filled more efficiently and cost effectively. We are so grateful for PC’s generosity.”
Anyone wishing to support the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi may visit their website: https://abenakination.com/donate.