News

Houlton Stimulus Package

April 30, 2020

The Houlton Stimulus Package is a joint effort of The Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, Southern Aroostook Development Corporation, and the Town of Houlton.

On April 30, 2020 we invite you to join our local business community as they extend a generous hand in support of businesses effected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Over $50,000 in donations has been deposited to a special account which will allow us to match dollar for dollar gift certificates purchased to support our small business community. On that date if you purchase a gift certificate for $50, we will match it with another $50 to make it worth $100. A check will then be sent for $100 to the business(es) you have chosen to support. Join the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, Houlton Community Development and Southern Aroostook Development Corporation and these generous donors for this exciting project!

Update 4-29-2020

Donors

This Stimulus Package is made possible by these great community sponsors!

  • Agri-Cal/Haymart
  • Andy Tidd Construction
  • Andy’s IGA
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Aroostook Milling
  • Aurora Mills & Farm
  • B & D Transport
  • Bangor Savings Bank
  • Bastions Tavern
  • Bates Fuel
  • Beal’s Aircraft
  • Bell Chiropractic
  • Bill and Binks Glass Menagerie
  • Bloomer and Russell
  • Brenda Adams
  • Brookside Inn
  • Brown’s Heating
  • Buildings Etcetera
  • Cam’s Lawn Care and Landscaping
  • Candace and David Crane
  • Carl and Brenda Campbell
  • Cecilia Rhoda, Probate Paralegal to Attorneys
  • Chadwicks Florist and Greenhouses
  • Clark’s Auto Sales
  • Community Living Association
  • Corey Farms
  • Country North Gifts
  • County Federal Credit Union
  • County Yankee
  • Currier, Trask and Jordan
  • Cyr and Sons Repair
  • Daigle Oil Company
  • Dan DeLucca/Houlton Rental Center
  • David J. Edgar Law Services
  • Davis, Gates & Alward
  • Dead River Houlton
  • Donahue Property Maintenance
  • Donald and Dorothy Fitzpatrick
  • and Mrs. Eric Rau
  • Rick Goodwin
  • Dunn Funeral Home
  • FA Peabody Co.
  • First Choice Realty/Becky Day
  • First Choice Realty/Scott Walker
  • Fitzpatrick-Peabody Farms
  • Fournier Plumbing/Heating
  • Fredericks Transport
  • Furniture & Floors North
  • Gary and Alison Bossie
  • Greg’s Garage
  • Gretchen and Brian Fitzpatrick
  • Hanson Realty
  • Harbison Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
  • Hatfield Realty Services, Inc.
  • Heather Hill Management
  • Hidden Spring Winery
  • Hines Sculpture and Stonework
  • Hiscoe’s Lawn Care
  • Houlton Elementary School PTO
  • Houlton Farms Dairy
  • Houlton Internal Medicine
  • Houlton Lodge of Elks
  • Houlton Power Sports
  • In Memory of Anne Callnan
  • McLaughlin Construction
  • H. McPartlands and Sons
  • James and Martha Berry
  • Janel and Steve Nelson
  • Jean’s Serendipity
  • JEI Sports
  • Jim and Lori Weston
  • JMM Services
  • Jody and Donna Anderson
  • Joe and Heather Fagnant
  • Joe and Joann Inman
  • John Harvell State Farm
  • Katahdin Trust Company
  • Kevin Carmichael Masonry
  • Kevin Watson
  • Kip Swallow Land Surveying
  • Lawn Enforcement and Landscaping
  • Linneus Sno Sports
  • Machias Savings Bank
  • MACS Trading Post
  • Manes and Tails
  • Matt and Molly Cowan
  • Matthew McGary Logging
  • Matthew’s Trucking
  • McDonald’s of Houlton
  • McNan Wood & Pins at the County Co-Op
  • MCR Electric
  • Michelle’s Dog’on Grooming Salon
  • Monument Lodge #96
  • Richard Rhoda
  • Nancy and Francis Fitzpatrick
  • North Country Cruisers
  • Northern Lights Extracting and Processing
  • Northern Refrigeration
  • Nortrax-Houlton Location
  • Pat Crowley-PDQ Door
  • Perry and Kim Hall/Hall Logging
  • Peter and Kathy Chase
  • Pleasant View Tree Farm
  • Priority Auto Sales
  • Rick Hannigan Plumbing and Heating
  • Roger and Kathy Dyer
  • Ross Sheet Metal
  • Sadies Bakery
  • Sage Financial
  • Seiders Variety and Redemption
  • Severson Hand and Nelson, Esq.
  • Shiretown Inn and Suites and Downunder Sports Pub
  • Shiretown Taxi
  • Smith Bros. of Houlton Plumbing and Heating
  • Sue and Jon McLaughlin
  • Sue Tortello
  • SW Collins Company
  • Swallow Electric
  • Ted and Iva Sussman
  • The Bus
  • The Monroe Family
  • The Tweedie Family (Tim and Erica)
  • The Vault Restaurant
  • Thirsty Dawg
  • Tiny Homes of Maine
  • TNT Takeout
  • Tom and Sally Callnan/Callnan’s Greenhouse
  • UPBEAT Counseling and Mentoring Services
  • Warren Tweedie
  • Webb Insulation/Invictus Spray Foam
  • Wendall and Patricia Hersey
  • Westford Hill Construction
  • Weston’s Carpentry
  • WHOU
  • York’s of Houlton

Frequently Asked Questions

GREATER HOULTON STIMULUS GIFT CERTIFICATE PROJECT

How much money has been raised so far?  The goal was $5,000 and the amount raised is $45,000!

When do the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates go on sale?  The certificates go on sale at 9:00am on Thursday, April 30th, 2020.

Where can I get Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates?  Certificates can be obtained at the live Kick-Off Event on Thursday, April 30th, 2020 from 9:00am-4:00pm at J McLaughlin Construction at 174 Bangor Street, Houlton. Cash, checks and credit or debit cards will be accepted.

Can I purchase Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates by phone?  What’s the phone number?  Gifts certificates can be purchased by phone by calling 694-3414, 694-1399, 694-2546 or 694-1101 after 9:00am on Thursday, April 30th, 2020 and using a credit or debit card.

Can I pay for Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates with cash, check and credit card?  Yes. All those methods are accepted as indicated above.

Can I purchase Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates on-line?  No.

Is there a maximum on the value of the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates I can purchase?  The maximum you can pay for 1 gift certificate is $250. You will then receive a $500 gift certificate.

Is there a limit on the number of Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates I can purchase?  You can purchase any number of gift certificates at $250 each (receiving a $500 certificate for each).

Will any one business be limited to the amount of benefit they receive from the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates?  No, but we encourage everyone to support as many different businesses as they can.

Is the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate Project only for Houlton business?  How far outside of Houlton can certificates be purchased for?  The Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate Project is for businesses primarily in the Southern Aroostook region from Bridgewater at the north, south to Weston and west to Sherman.

What happens if the business I want a Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate for is closed?  We will issue you your certificate. The funds for the business will be held in an account and will be disbursed to them when they have reopened.

What if I want the closed business to receive the funds for the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate?  You may sign a waiver to have your portion of the certificate sent to the closed business. The money from the Stimulus Fund will still be held in an account and will be disbursed when they reopen.

What if the business I purchase Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates for fails to reopen?  Can I switch it for a different business?  Yes. If the business does not open within 30 days of being allowed to by State order, you may have your certificate(s) re-issued for a different business. If you signed a waiver to have your portion sent to the closed business, only the portion from the Stimulus Fund can be re-issued.

What if the business I chose to purchase Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates for is open when I purchase them, but later closes?  While the certificates do not have an expiration date on them, we encourage you to spend them as soon as possible to help stimulate the local economy. Once funds are disbursed to a business, we cannot issue your certificate(s) to a different business.

Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates at any type of business?  Yes. You can use them at any business in the designated region for new purchases. The gift certificates may not be used to pay for existing bills.

If I don’t use the full value of my Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate during a single visit to the business, can I use the remainder later or get cash back?  The participating businesses should honor the full value of the gift certificates. Some may do this by issuing you a gift card from their own business so they can track the amount used and leave the balance for a future purchase. Some may choose to track your spending on the certificate itself or refund the difference back to you.

Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates to pay an existing bill?  No. The gift certificates are for new purchases.

Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates at a gas station or to buy heating oil? Yes.

Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates at the Houlton Water Company or to pay property taxes?  No. The gift certificates are for new purchases of products and services.

Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates to pay dues to a Houlton organization?  No.

 Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates for a local medical bill?  No.

 Do the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates expire?  No. There is no expiration date but we encourage you to use the certificates as soon as possible to help stimulate the local economy.

Someone gave me a Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificate for a business, but I want to switch it for a different business.  Can I do that?  No. All sales are final with the exception of a closed business that fails to reopen as addressed above.

If I change my mind after purchasing Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates can I get my money back?  No. All sales are final.

Can I use Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates at a national chain store?  Most national chain stores will not accept certificates that they have not issued themselves, but we are checking with those chains that have a local presence to see if they will be accepted. (This question will be updated as additional information is obtained.)

Some stores sell gift cards for businesses such as Applebee’s, Amazon, iTunes, etc.  Can I use the Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates to purchase these types of gift cards?  The business selling the gift cards would have that discretion.

 Can I use Greater Houlton Stimulus Gift Certificates at the Farmer’s Market?  No.

I want to contribute to the Greater Houlton Stimulus Fund.  Can I do that?  How?  Yes. You can take a check or cash to the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce at 109 Main Street, Houlton or call 694-3414.  Checks should be made payable to “Houlton Stimulus Project”

Houlton Stimulus Package - AD

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7 Comments

  1. Tried calling non stop. One number didn’t work. Two of the others mailboxes were full left a message on Josh’s but don’t know if my order for the gift cards went through. Friends couldn’t get through either. Was really hoping to get gift cards.

  2. Yhe phone lines are all busy, i did manage to leave a message, will i get a call back or keep trying the numbrrs

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