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AN ALPACA

for Christmas

FOR PITTSTON YOUTH, HOLIDAY BRINGS GIFT OF A LIFETIME

BY MATT CHABE SENIOR EDITOR

A lot of kids ask for pets at Christmas: ponies, puppies, mice and more. Except for a few lucky individuals, those wishes often go unfulfilled, a dream left to rekindle and pitch again next year.

In the case of seven-year-old Nathaniel Bartlett of Pittston, however, the dream’s not only coming true, it’s doing so in spectacular fashion. This Christmas, Nathaniel’s not getting a puppy.

He’s not getting a pony.

Nathaniel’s getting an alpaca.

Today, while others recover from gift-giving or observe family traditions, Nathaniel and his family will be at Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm in Unity at a carefully-staged holiday gathering. He might wonder where the jar containing the chore money he’s been saving to buy an alpaca has gone. He might marvel at the generous donation “Santa” has made to his cause. He’ll be presented with a business card reading something like “Nathaniel Bartlett, Alpaca Owner.” And that’s when he’ll be reunited with Denali, his friendturned-new-charge.

Little will he know that Denali was actually purchased for him nearly three months ago.

Jason and Angela Bartlett, Nathaniel’s parents, said his interest in alpacas began last year after a chance visit to Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm in Unity with his grandfather. He enjoyed the farm and the animals so much, they said, that they took him back and “he just fell in love.”

The Bartletts have a family camp on Unity Pond, they said, not far from the farm. Once Nathaniel’s interest was evident, they began visiting more frequently. Soon, he was volunteering at the farm and saving his weekly allowance money to buy an alpaca.

Friends and family began donating to his alpaca fund. The seeds of a passion were planted, and the Bartletts recognized an opportunity for personal growth.

“At some point this summer we asked him what he wanted to be when he grows up,” said Jason, “and his immediate response was, ‘I want to be an alpaca farmer.’”

One day, on one of Nathaniel’s weekly visits, he and Jason saw a poster on the wall displaying the farm’s alpacas. One alpaca in particular, a four-year-old male named Denali, caught Nathaniel’s eye. He was for sale.

“At the farm, they have the females on one side and the males on the other,” said Jason. “The females can be a little testy at times, and the males can be a little more mellow. [The farm] told us that Denali, in particular, can be a mediator when the other ones get rowdy. Nathaniel thought, ‘This is a really cool alpaca.’ That sort of started the whole thing rolling.”

So, unbeknownst to Nathaniel, the Bartletts took the next step and purchased Denali.

“Nathaniel is very reserved, very sensitive, very intuitive to others,” said Angela. “When he took this interest we knew we needed to support it, but we didn’t know to what degree.

[Since taking this interest], he talks to anyone on the farm, stranger or not, because he knows alpacas. He’s researched, he’s educated himself, he reads books on them. He listens to what [the farm owners] instruct him to

do. To see this transformation in him, we realized this wasn’t just a fad.”

Nathaniel continued volunteering at the farm and attending training sessions alongside adults, all the while further developing his friendship with Denali. Soon, he began visiting Denali specifically—he’d go the males’ side, said Jason, and eventually Denali lost interest in visitors that weren’t Nathaniel: “Denali definitely knows Nathaniel,” he said.

“Alpacas seem to have a tendency to attract people more sensitive in nature, those who love nature, appreciate beauty,” said Robin Pratt, who co-owns Northern Solstice with her wife, Corry. “Nathaniel is a very unique gentleman for his age.” He’s quiet, not overly animated. Most kids come in and the temptation is to run and chase the way you might with pigs or sheep, and alpacas don’t care for that so much. Right from the beginning, Nathaniel knew intuitively how to approach them.”

While anyone can own an alpaca, she said, not everyone has the right mindset for it. It’s true that alpacas can make endearing pets, but their underlying value lies in their dense hair (referred to as “fiber”).

“When he was first asked why he wanted to own an alpaca,” said Pratt, “his first response was ‘for the fiber, of course.’ And he gets that. You can buy an alpaca because they’re cute, sure, but their worth is in their fiber. It would be like getting a horse and not riding it or walking it. He has a vision, like the child that watches football and says they want to be the best quarterback in the country.

Everything they do forward is about that. He’s committed.”

While alpacas have been common in other parts of the world—notably Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador—for thousands of years, they were first imported to the U.S. in the mid-80s. Since then, their popularity has grown in part due to their high-yield fiber and low maintenance requirements.

For the Bartletts, who don’t own any farmland to speak of, Northern Solstice’s boarding and maintenance services were particularly attractive.

According to Pratt, alpaca maintenance is easy compared to many farm-type animals: it largely consists of regular shearing, toenail cutting and medical care, which Northern Solstice provides. Feeding is manageable—alpacas only eat about 2% of their body weight. And rather than heat, alpacas require cooling due to their dense coats.

“We didn’t just want to give a seven-year-old an animal. We’re not those parents that are like, ‘You want, you get,’ said Angela. “We don’t want to teach him that, and we don’t feel like that’s what this is. Right now, this is truly what he lives for. This is what brings him great peace and happiness.

[He’ll use his] chore money to pay the board, he’ll continue to have the responsibilities of raising an alpaca, he’ll continue volunteering on their farm. He’s engrossed in doing this— he takes it very seriously.”

“To me that’s what touching— a lot of parents would be like, ‘It’s an alpaca, we’re not getting you an alpaca,’” said Pratt. “But this little guy has been here every single weekend, and he’s out here doing chores, he’s out scooping poop alongside my [farm personnel]. He’s just so ‘old-headed,’ and I think about how wonderful it is that his parents would do this.”

PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN PRATT

Nathaniel Bartlett and Denali share a moment at Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm in Unity.

PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN PRATT

Denali on the farm.

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PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN PRATT

Nathaniel Bartlett marching in a recent parade on behalf of alpacas and Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm.

4 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

For Brewer student, fundraising is a passion and purpose

BY MATT CHABE SENIOR EDITOR

Noah Tibbetts is, by all accounts, a pretty remarkable guy.

He’s driven, selfless, a dyed-in-the-wool Red Sox fan, and,at times, a (very) local television personality.

At 12 years old, he’s also a fundraiser extraordinaire.

In just three years, this sixth-grade student at Brewer Community School (BCS) has raised over $33,500 for the EMHS Foundation Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) through his fundraiser, Nickels with Noah.

For Noah, it’s a passion born of purpose and experience. Diagnosed with bacterial meningitis as an infant, Noah spent a lot of time in the hospital.

Procedures, IVs and medications became a daily norm. Eventually, he beat the odds and recovered.

Today, Noah struggles with an immunity disorder and bronchiectasis, lung damage sustained from years of illnesses and pneumonia.

He still spends time in the hospital—he misses, on average, 50-75 days of school a year, said his mother, Julie Tibbetts. He has a tutor in place for those days, she said, and the support of family of friends. But it’s enough to know what it’s like for others like him, and those less fortunate.

It’s experiences like this that serve to drive him.

“I like feeling like I’m making kids like me feel better, helping them get medicine,” he said.

PHOTO COURTESY BANGOR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Bangor Federal Credit Union Branch Manager Travis Martin and Marketing Manager Tina Morrill present Noah Tibbetts with a check reflecting their matching contribution to Nickels with Noah’s total $14,223.40 raised.

The concept of Nickels with Noah is simple: Noah supplies each classroom at BCS with a jar. Students drop in their spare change. He collects the change and tallies the amount (the class with the highest total gets a pizza party). Then, Bangor Federal Credit Union matches the total amount. A big check gets presented to CMNH. And the funds go to fill needs in participating hospitals.

This year’s fundraising total, including Bangor FCU’s match, was $14,223.40.

“With donations like Noah’s, we distribute the funds where the need is greatest,” said Kelly Pearson, Director of Philanthropy at EMHS Foundation Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “[For example], we’d reach out to an organization like EMMC... and they’d let us know how they would like to spend that money on pediatrics. For instance, we could purchase a certain type of scale the neonatal intensive care unit may need for the babies.”

Of course, Noah has ideas of how he’d like the money to be used.

“He’s a little older now, so instead of just saying he wants to donate the money to maybe buy iPads to occupy kids getting shots, his new goal is to redo the preteen and teenage rooms at [Eastern Maine Medical Center],” said his mother. “They’re a little lame for older kids, mostly designed for toddlers.”

Noah echoed the vision: “We’re thinking about painting the walls like Fenway Park,” he added.

Noah and his parents started doing fundraisers five or six years ago, he said. The Nickels with Noah campaign itself began three years ago. That was when

Bangor FCU became involved, after Noah’s mother called to ask if they could use their change counters for the fundraiser.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s awesome,’” said Michael Sturdee, the marketing director at Bangor FCU at the time. “‘Not only will I allow you to use them for free, but I’ll match whatever he brings in.’ [Noah’s mother] was pretty thrilled about that, and the kid shocked me. I thought I was going to have to come up with a couple hundred bucks, and I had to come up with like three grand!”

The fundraiser built steam and became “a phenomenon,” said Sturdee. He recalled the reaction at a presentation Noah gave when receiving a CMNH 2014 State of Maine Champion Child recognition: “Everyone’s standing there with a lump in their throat. It was one of those pull-at-your-heart, goodfeeling moments. And I knew then that we’re doing the right thing here, and we need to keep doing this.”

In addition to the collection campaign at BCS, there are jars at Medway schools and all three Bangor FCU branches. For Bangor FCU, which matches Noah’s effort dollar-for-dollar, supporting causes like this is in their blood—they’ve been involved with 86 fundraisers throughout 2016 alone.

“Noah’s seen how difficult it is to get equipment, transportation, medication, all these things that make life easier for challenged young people,” said Sturdee.

“It was his endeavor to want to make it better, to raise money so when some child needs equipment for one reason or another that the family cannot afford that it’s going to be available. And that’s who we are, we

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 5

care about our community, we want to give back. That’s what credit unions do.”

When you meet Noah or talk to him, you’d peg him for a normal, active preteen, said his mother. Outwardly, there are no immediate signs of the struggles he faces on a daily basis.

“He’s very modest about it. He uses a machine every day, twice a day...that shakes his body to remove any potential stuff that’s in his lungs,” she said. “He’s going to be starting monthly treatments for his immune system. For the last year he’s taken antibiotics every day to prevent infections. He still gets sick, but it’s not as bad.”

It’s a challenge for a kid as busy as Noah. He often gets up at five, participates in sports, goes to school, and sometimes gets there early to appear on the school’s television channel. The Nickels with Noah project is his, from top to bottom, said his

mother. She said they’re supportive, lending hands and rides to Bangor FCU as needed, but it’s mostly his effort.

“Every year we talk about whether he wants to do it, and he does,” said his mother.

“He’s always been ambitious and stubborn.

I think that’s helped him. He just doesn’t give up. Despite all the stuff that’s been handed to him he just keeps going, he’s very tenacious. He’s never [been like], ‘Why me?’

He turns everything into a positive.”

His efforts seem to leave an impression on those he comes in contact with.

“Noah is an absolutely fantastic young man,” she Pearson. “He has a heart of gold, his smile is bright, and it’s an honor to know him. I consider ourselves really lucky to have kids like Noah in our community.”

“Wow, this kid is awesome,” Sturdee recalls thinking upon meeting Noah, “and he really cares about people.”

Halloween raises $2,000 for fire department

BY DON ENO SENIOR EDITOR

EAGLE LAKE—It was another spooky and ghoulish Halloween inside the Eagle Lake town forest this October. However, it was all for a good cause.

About 420 people attended the Eagle Lake Fire Department fundraiser this year, according to organizers.

Approximately $2,000 was raised to help the department purchase new equipment.

The weather was dry, if chilly. The cold temperatures deterred few it seemed, as the line to enter the Haunted Forest was backed up the length of the town office parking lot.

The forest guides took groups of between five and eight people on a scary walking tour of the darkened forest, where a plethora of volunteers lurked in the shadows and frightening scenes were played out along the trail.

“Next year we are doing it in September, and it will be on just one Saturday night from 7 p.m. until whenever,” said Bob St. Germain, the main organizer of the event. He said that warmer temperatures in September, versus late October, would be easier for volunteers and attendees alike.

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6 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 7

BANGOR HUMANE SOCIETY SHARES STORIES of success from past year

BY MATT CHABE SENIOR EDITOR

The Bangor Humane Society (BHS) doesn’t get a lot of chinchillas. Ditto for guinea pigs, hamsters or domestic birds.

They come in, for sure, but by and large people come looking for exactly what you’d expect: cats and dogs.

In fact, according to Stacey Coventry, Director of Development and Public Relations at BHS, cats alone account for nearly two thirds of the animals that come in.

Overall, BHS saw nearly 3,000 animals come through its doors in 2016. The vast majority of them are either adopted or reunited with their owners. BHS tries hard to match the right animal with the right household.

“We believe we’re in the matchmaking business,” said Coventry. “We try not to go into conversations with potential adopters with any preconceived notions or judgements. We say, ‘What are you looking for, what’s your lifestyle like?’ We get a sneak peak into their life—are they active, are there kids in the home, do they have other animals? We want to know what they’re looking for. Some people don’t know—they just know they’re ready to invite a furry companion into their life, and we’re here to advise and guide them through that process.”

The process can be a balancing act, she said.

“If a person is a very active individual who likes to go hiking and on road trips, we’re not going to connect them with a couch-potato dog,” she said. “But if that person is a couch potato, and they just like to hang around and watch Netflix, we’re not going to connect them with a dog that needs a lot of exercise. We want to be sure we’re making a good match.”

Coventry said the benefits of owning a pet are many. There’s always a happy tail wag greeting you when you get home, she said, regardless of the day you’ve had, and the unconditional friendship is very different from the other relationships we have in our life.

“I think they remind us to be in the present moment, they help us relax,” she said. “There’s a lot of research that shows how animals can help us reduce stress and anxiety. They can also help our health—I

may not always feel motivated to get outside and exercise, but knowing I have two dogs that could use getting out and will be happier if exercised is a motivator for me.”

Phoenix Loves Horses Many people followed the story of Phoenix, the six-month-old chocolate pitbull mix that was dragged behind a truck in Brewer this past summer. When he arrived at BHS, he went into the foster care program where he healed and got the care he needed until ready for adoption.

While at BHS, the staff learned a lot about his personality and what his needs were. He was high maintenance, not house broken. He had developed some separation issues. He lacked basic manners and socialization, and needed training.

Phoenix went into BHS’s foster-to-adopt program, with the intention that if it all went well, he would be adopted. A young woman who was looking for a dog to train as a therapy or emotional support dog clicked with Phoenix. She lived on a farm with horses, and already had an older family dog in the home.

The woman felt a kinship with Phoenix and understood his anxieties, which gave her a new level of compassion and patience with him. After BHS set them up with training with a local trainer, Phoenix started to bond with his owner.

“He’s a very emotional dog,” said Coventry. “He’s bonded with a miniature horse on the farm, and they are all doing really well. He’s just come full circle, and to see how happy and attached he is to his new owner was one of our biggest success stories this year.”

Olaf and Cash: a (Mis)Matched Pair Many veterans who return home after

serving experience all kinds of challenges reengaging in the community. BHS recently established a program to pair veterans with companions, and two lucky dogs were recently paired with one lucky man.

When BHS was approached by a trustee looking to gift support, they were paired up with United Farmer Veterans of America, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans in agriculture. The partnership launched Pets 4 Farmer Vets to match dogs with veterans who are looking for a canine companion.

A senior veteran approached BHS looking for a companion. He was a huge dog lover and very involved in his community. He had lost all three of his dogs within months of each other and was in search of a companion to train as a service dog. BHS started searching for the right dog for him.

On Veterans Day, BHS matched him with an 11-month-old collie mix named Olaf—smart and sweet, but needing structure, training and a job, said Coventry. The veteran adopted him, and in the process met a beagle named Cash. He decided to adopt Olaf as a service dog, and Cash as a family dog. Though opposite breeds and complete strangers, the two have since become best friends.

Cleetus FInds a Friend When Cleetus, an orange tiger cat, came to BHS after his owners experienced a lifestyle change, he was diagnosed with an eye issue that gave him the appearance of a constant eye infection. Cleetus stayed at BHS for several months while they managed his eye problem. During this time, he was kept in a separate room where he could roam free.

A shelter environment is not ideal for animals trying to recover from medical issues, said Coventry—the stress is counterproductive. Cleetus was so stressed out he was literally pulling out his hair.

Staff would arrive in the morning to find clumps of his hair on the floor.

Knowing Cleetus would need lifelong care

for his eyes, BHS developed a care plan for potential adopters. A family came in and fell in love with Cleetus, including their young son who happened to have orange hair just like Cleetus. Cleetus adjusted nicely to his new family and they were able to provide ongoing care for his eyes.

Boomer’s Surprising Success Boomer, a young brindle pitbull mix, was highly active, very goofy, and didn’t know his own size—a full-grown dog that still acted like a puppy. He got overstimulated easily in play, and BHS had to impose cautions and limitations. Boomer couldn’t go to a house with small animals, said Coventry, or his prey instinct could kick in.

Because he was high maintenance and required a lot of training, he was with BHS for a long time. Eventually, they had to pull him from the adoption floor due to the stress of visitors. BHS tried to market him through social media, word of mouth, and “pet of the week” segments on local radio.

A young couple sharing an apartment took a shining to Boomer and, after clearing it with their landlord, took him home with a foster-to-adopt agreement.

However, when the landlord met the rambunctious Boomer, he balked and refused—either the dog goes, or you go, he said. So the couple left the apartment.

The man moved in with his parents temporarily while looking for a new apartment, but there was one problem: the household had cats. What they found, to their surprise, is that Boomer really likes cats, and becomes calm and affectionate around them. They’ve since adopted a kitten for Boomer, and he’s now doing well and responding to training.

8 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

As rural America ages, volunteers give a hand H

BY JENNI BERGAL

ARPSWELL, Maine — Dianna Haller loved her small, one-story home in this coastal fishing town, but it didn’t love her back. The living room floor was sagging. Snakes and mice were wriggling in through a gap under the front door. And mold was seeping in through a crawl space full of standing water.

Haller, a 65-year-old widow with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who uses an oxygen generator, was rushed to the emergency room several times this year because of breathing problems her doctors said were exacerbated by the mold. She badly needed help but couldn’t afford the repairs.

Last month, the Harpswell Aging at Home team came to Haller’s rescue. The group of volunteers in their 60s and 70s, dubbed the Dream Team, went to work insulating and shoring up the floor, sealing the foundation, rebuilding the front door, installing rain gutters and storm windows, replacing ceiling lights that were fire hazards and doing other work — all for free.

Across Maine, volunteers are stepping up to help rural seniors like Haller who want to remain in their homes as they age. Some work with local governments or nonprofits. Others have simply gotten together to offer a hand. Many of them are seniors themselves.

And what they are doing can be emulated by the rest of the nation, as the number of people 65 and over is projected to explode from 48 million to 77 million between now and 2035.

Maine’s rural population is older than that of most other states. Demographers project that a third of the state’s population will be 65 and over by 2032. And the challenges confronting Maine as it deals with an aging population are turning up elsewhere. Rural America is aging faster than its urban counterparts, as fewer children are born and younger, working-age adults are moving away.

John Cromartie, a U.S. Department of Agriculture geographer, said the problems would be particularly severe in New England, the Great Plains and Midwest farming states.

“The rural areas are the canary in the coal mine,” he said. “In lots of cases, older people don’t have the means to leave, even if they wanted to. And many want to stay because it’s where they were born or settled down and raised a family.”

Local governments cannot afford to pay for all the services needed to help seniors stay in their homes.

State governments face the same dilemma. And retrofitting a house for aging people can be expensive.

It can cost $800 to $1,200 to widen a doorway to accommodate a wheelchair, $1,600 to $3,200 for a ramp and up to $12,000 for a stair lift.

That’s what makes Maine’s growing volunteer network so valuable.

“There isn’t enough money in Maine to deal with this problem,” Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, said. “It’s going to have to be community by community, using volunteers and public and private resources.”

Already, more than 60 communities throughout the state have started or are in the process of starting programs to help seniors age in their homes, Maurer said.

Some volunteers offer rides. Others grow and donate fresh fruit and vegetables. Some offer respite to caregivers. And many, like the Harpswell Aging at Home team, perform home maintenance or do chores that residents can’t do themselves.

Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, called what’s going on in Maine a model for other states.

“These are really small communities doing incremental changes that make a huge difference to the people who live there. They’re doing it with existing resources and the human capital they have there.”

As in other rural areas, many of Maine’s seniors live in multi-level homes without a bathroom or bedroom on the first floor. When they can no longer drive, there’s little, if any, public transportation available and grocery stores, pharmacies and doctors can be far away.

Experts say older adults who stay in their homes often do less maintenance as the years go by, so their houses often deteriorate.

“The challenges in rural areas are probably the most severe,” Susan Reinhard, a senior vice president at the AARP Public Policy Institute, said. “Isolation is a serious problem. Depression goes up. Physical health declines.”

For Haller, the Dream Team not only improved her house but improved her health. She is breathing better and hasn’t been to the hospital since they did the work.

“You used to smell the mold all the time,” she told volunteers who arrived to make more repairs this month. “Now I can smell the salt air.”

Forefront of a trend In Maine, people 65 and over made up 19 percent of the state’s population last year, up from 16 percent in 2010. And many state officials and advocates foresaw the coming trend.

In 2013, the Maine Council on Aging and House Speaker Mark Eves held a series of roundtable discussions about the issue with leaders of business, finance, housing, philanthropy and state and local government. That provided a framework for a summit on aging that drew 400 people in 2014 and resulted in the Maine Aging Initiative, in which groups across the state try to come up with ways to tackle the challenges posed by an older population.

Among the Initiative’s recommendations: Urging communities to help the elderly remain in their homes.

Advocates for seniors in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont also share information about ways to help keep seniors in their homes and beef up efforts to make communities more age-friendly. The partnership is now working with more than a hundred communities in the three states.

And in 2015, Eves, a Democrat, and state Sen. David Burns, a Republican, created a legislative caucus on aging. Since then, the Legislature has passed or funded 16 measures to help older adults, including more funding for home-delivered meals and in-home care workers and expanded property tax relief for seniors.

“One of our goals wasn’t just to pass legislation but to elevate the profile of these issues affecting our aging population so people can take the initiative,” Eves said.

“If you fast-forward 10 years, I think Maine will have some lessons for other states, particularly rural ones, about how to do it well.”

Lending a hand

Many of the lessons in Maine are to be found in the volunteer and civic groups that have sprung up or stepped in to help seniors continue to live at home.

The Dream Team in Harpswell was modeled after another home modification team, The Regulars, a group of retiree Habitat for Humanity volunteers who have been helping seniors in midcoast Maine since 2014.

Last year, the John T. Gorman Foundation gave Bath Housing, a regional housing authority, a $156,000 grant to help seniors make home modifications. The agency used $69,000 from the grant to contract with Habitat to expand The Regulars’ work.

Like the Dream Team, The Regulars are an eclectic group of retirees, including a lawyer, an engineer, an FBI agent and an English professor, who volunteer for Habitat.

They work twice a week, rain or shine or snow, which is why they’re called The Regulars. They have taken on 60 jobs throughout the area. They’ve done everything from widening doors and fixing gutters to replacing floors to installing ramps. Habitat pays for materials, trains the volunteers and provides liability insurance, staff support and a van with tools.

Many seniors who’ve gotten help from The Regulars live in substandard housing or mobile homes, which often are not insulated and can be freezing during long, cold Maine winters.

“One guy who had five bypass operations had no heat.

We got the furnace working,” George Shaw, 76, a volunteer, said. “We’re these people’s peers. We make them feel like they’re being helped by their own community.”

Kathy Smith, development director for Habitat for Humanity-7 Rivers Maine, said it’s not just rural seniors living in modest homes or trailers who need help.

The group has assisted people who live in larger houses that are worth more but don’t have the income to maintain them.

The Village Lodge Handy Brigade, run by a team of Masonic lodge brothers whose ages range from 19 to the mid-70s, assists seniors in the small farming town of Bowdoinham and in two other towns with everything from changing light bulbs and installing smoke detectors to replacing storm windows and making minor carpentry fixes.

“This program helps people maintain their independence and keeps their property from deteriorating,” Peter Warner, 60, the Masons’ lodge master, said.

Warner said that since his team, whose motto is “One light bulb at a time,” organized in February, it has helped about 30 seniors. On a recent fall day, two team volunteers visited the home of a grateful 76-year-old woman and her disabled sons to replace ceiling tiles in a bathroom ruined by a plumbing leak.

“Older folks don’t want to be seen as needing help, but with the Handy Brigade, they know of them and may even have someone in their family who was a Mason,” Patricia Oh, who coordinates senior services See Volunteers, Page 11

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 9

10 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

Community Care is a nationally accredited non-profit human service agency specializing in: Outpatient Therapy; Adult and children’s case management; In home clinical support for families; Independent Living Supports; Treatment Foster Care.

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 11

FOR DARLING’S ICE CREAM AMBASSADOR, SERVING SMILES IS

Sweet Indeed

BY MATT CHABE SENIOR EDITOR

Y

ou’ve likely seen the truck. It’s pretty hard to miss. Boxy, bulky and anything but subtle, it sports an ice cream bar on the roof and melted ice cream down the sides. It’s often attended by children and adults alike looking for a frosty treat.

That’s right: it’s the Darling’s Ice Cream for a Cause ice cream truck, and it’s headed to a fundraiser near you. First seen on the road in 2012, it’s available free of charge to support anyone looking to raise funds for a cause. To date, the van has raised over $225,000 and made over 1,200 stops. The ice cream is free—the driver only accepts donations toward the fundraiser in question.

The drivers bounce from event to event for entire summers supporting causes. But what of their desires? Are they able to resist the creamy delights beckoning from mere feet behind them within the truck’s frigid stronghold?

The answer: they eat it. They definitely eat it.

“My favorite, it changes a lot,” said Alekzander Sayers, a Darling’s Ice Cream Ambassador for the past two summers. “Last summer it was Klondike all the time. But this summer I went through a strawberry shortcake phase, and I ate a good number of those on my route.”

Sayers’s favorites, though, don’t necessarily reflect his customers’.

The van holds 1,000 pieces of packaged ice cream, including cones, bars and sandwiches. It also stocks treats for those who can’t eat dairy products. There’s something for everyone.

“Age is the biggest factor [when it comes to favorites],” said Sayers.

“The ‘youngins,’ they often get pops—watermelon pops, blue raspberry pops, cookies ’n cream cones. As they get older it’s all about the Snickers, the Klondike bars. And I can’t tell you the number of times an adult came up and said, ‘Is that an orange cream bar? I haven’t had one of those in 20 years!’ They’re like little kids all over again.”

Sayers fell into the job exactly the way you’d expect; that is, totally by chance. The Brewer native was on break from college, he said, when the opportunity struck: “I was sitting around the living room with my family, and my cousin was on Facebook and asked me if I had heard of Darling’s Ice Cream for a Cause. She showed me this hilarious post with all the employees in ice creams suits. I called and put in my application, and I was on the truck the week after that.”

There have been many Ice Cream Ambassadors. Sayers wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last. The first summer he did it, he said, there were two; last summer, there were four. The life of an Ambassador can be deceptively tough. They put on a lot of miles statewide, getting assigned to various events and community activities throughout the summer. Sometimes they’re with co-workers, sometimes they’re solo.

Volunteers

PHOTO COURTESY ALEKZANDER SAYERS

Darling’s Ice Cream Ambassador Alekzander Sayers (from left) and fellow Ambassador Devon Biggie atop the Darling’s Ice Cream for a Cause van this past summer.

They stay for the entire event, handing out ice cream and chatting with strangers for a half-hour or three hours, however long it lasts.

But it’s all worth it, in the end. The goal, said Sayers, is to help out important causes that need a helping hand, ones that are doing good things for their communities. This past summer, he worked a concert at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor to raise money for the suicide awareness initiative SAVE. Someone dropped a $10 bill in the donation slot, Sayers said, refusing an ice cream. The man explained that SAVE had literally helped save his brother’s life, and he was showing his appreciation.

“It was so touching,” said Sayers.

He related another experience at Camp No Limits, an organization headquartered in Maine that provides summer camp experiences across the nation for young people with limb loss.

“The first time I went to that summer camp, it started out terribly,” he said. “I had misread my schedule, and my boss called me like, ‘Are you gonna be here?’ and I was like ‘Oh, no!’ I rushed out the doors and it was a torrential thunderstorm. So

I’m cruising down the interstate as fast I can safely while the rain is beating against me, through all the summer construction, and I’m just frustrated with myself and angry. I pull off the exit and it’s like a divine moment—the clouds part, the sun starts shining, and I show up to the camp and all these kids are living it up and having a tremendous time and my day’s just made. All because we showed up with ice cream.”

In fact, bringing happiness to people just might be the best perk of the job.

“I love whenever we pull up somewhere and kids are just like, ‘Can I see the truck?’ and we bring in ten tiny children and we let them get a photo,” he said. “That’s always really awesome.”

And what about the tough days and the tough customers?

“I had this difficult customer once, and I had to excuse myself and let my co-worker work the window,” said Sayers. “He said, ‘Dude, eat a Snickers.’ And I’m telling you, those Snickers commercials are true. I ate a Snickers and felt so much better. It’s real!”

Continued from Page 8

for Bowdoinham and works with the team, said.

‘Life experience to share’ Cumberland is another Maine town committed to helping seniors remain in their homes. It budgets about $50,000 per year for an aging in place initiative that

includes a program that sends trained volunteers to spend time with seniors who feel lonely or who live with a caregiver who needs a break.

Susan Gold, the town’s Aging in Place coordinator, said the program offers social and psychological support, and isn’t income-based. “Providing a friend isn’t something you can buy, even if you have a million bucks,” she said.

For Brian and Judy Hathaway, both 76, a weekly visit from volunteer Heidi Kleban makes a big difference.

Judy Hathaway suffered a stroke nearly 10 years ago. She has difficulty communicating and often gets frustrated.

Her caregiver husband said he desperately needs some time away, and when Kleban visits he can take off and know his wife is having a good time

playing cards or taking walks.

“Heidi comes in and Judy just melts.

She loves her,” he said.

Kleban, 46, said she volunteers because she enjoys the company of older people.

“They have a whole life experience to share,” she said. “And besides, who else would have taught me gin rummy?”

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

12 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 13

Kiwanis looks to build playground for all on Bangor waterfront

Hermon Girl Scouts serve a delicious monthly meal to seniors in their community

BY MATT CHABE SENIOR EDITOR

BY JODI HERSEY SPECIAL TO THE BDN

In the small town of Hermon, there’s a group of seventh grade Girl Scouts who every month are living out their organization’s promise to help people at all times.

In fact, you can find most of Girl Scout Cadet Troop 1285 waiting tables, filling water glasses and removing empty dishes at the town’s monthly senior citizen meal held at the Hermon Elementary School.

“This was a good opportunity for them to learn to do things out of the goodness of their hearts with no expectations other than it feels good to help someone else,” said Stephanie Campbell, leader of Girl Scout Cadet Troop 1285.

It all started back in January when the town’s senior recreation program needed a few extra hands at their monthly senior citizen meal. Campbell asked her nine scouts if they wanted to volunteer and Artist’s rendition of the proposed playground. Image courtesy Laurel Wentworth-Roach. when they agreed, she herself gave them a according to Tracy Willette, Director of few waitressing tips and pointers.

When the Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis Parks and Recreation. The project’s “I waitressed for a lot of different restaucame together in early 2016 to discuss mission met that of the City’s vision for the rants and it’s a good skill to know. The girls community projects to support its mission, space, said Wentworth-Roach—something ask people if they want more coffee, tea or a lot of ideas were developed. Some stuck, ultimately family-oriented. water. They learn to serve from the left side some didn’t. One of them, however, kept “We’re grateful we’ve been allowed to use and not to interrupt people if they are talkreturning: a community playground. the space,” she said. ing,” Campbell said. “Plus, I think it’s good Now, the Kiwanis group is raising funds The club has been pursuing 501(c)3 status for them to interact with their elders beto make their playground vision a reality. for the project and has begun fundraising cause their [own] grandparents aren’t alive Laurel Wentworth-Roach, an insurance efforts to reach the project’s estimated or they don’t live around the corner.” manager at Darling’s Agency and a $100,000 to $125,000 price tag. The Carol Edgecomb and her husband member of Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis, fundraising effort is already gaining steam. have attended a few of the senior meals credits the initial idea to Larry Smith, a In November, the club held the Sweet Affair where they not only enjoyed the food, fellow Kiwanis member and retired and Chair-ity Event, in which 31 custombut also the company.

Bangor-area teacher. designed adirondack chairs were auctioned “Being fairly new in Hermon, this has “As we considered other ideas, the off to benefit the playground project. given us the opportunity to meet other [playground idea] came and went,” she Different organizations could sponsor the people in the community,” explained Edgesaid. “A few weeks later, I happened to chairs before the auction, said Wentworthcomb. “The Girl Scouts are so polite and see a Kiwanis magazine article on Roach, noting that about $13,000 was raised do a marvelous job. If I was their leader, playgrounds. A couple of us took the from the event. playground idea and decided this is The club also set up a fundraising booth something we want to pursue.” at a recent Rascal Flatts concert on the Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis is one four Waterfront. Darling’s lent them a tent to Kiwanis clubs in the greater Bangor area. use in the effort.

According to its website, the club is Darling’s has been very supportive,” said dedicated to supporting projects for Wentworth-Roach. “As a company it’s very underprivileged kids and their families, supportive of its employees becoming part raising funds and working with many local of the community.” agencies to help area youth.

She said the project has been hard work, After scouting potential sites, the club but worth every minute. finally narrowed it down: the amphitheater “My daughter brought my eight-year-old section of the Bangor waterfront. grandson to support me [at the Chair-ity “We saw this location and thought [the Event],” she said. “It was nearing the end of playground project] would complement it,” the evening, and he said to me, ‘You know she said. “We didn’t know initially it was what? I can’t wait to play on that an amphitheater. We loved this site. Its playground.’ I was tired, we had put a central to everyone’s enjoyment and not lot of time into the event, and I just hidden in one single neighborhood. thought, ‘You know, that just makes it After approaching Bangor city officials, all worthwhile.’” the club received approval to use the site,

I’d be very proud.”

Approximately 40 people attend the monthly meal where for just $3 residents 50 years of age or older are treated to a hot meal, homemade dessert and a drink.

“Word of mouth on how good the food is is getting out there, because it’s growing,” said Edgecomb.

Campbell and her troop aren’t just helping to feed the town’s retirees; they’re also supplying food to the Hermon Middle School Food Cupboard. Cadet Troop 1285 has been able keep the food cupboard stocked through cash donations they’ve collected and food drives. Campbell is working hard to stretch the last remaining dollars the Girl Scouts have raised in order to keep supplies on the shelf until the end of the school year. But she admits it is getting a little scarce.

“It’s been a good project for the girls to get involved in to help their fellow classmates and to realize not everyone has a hot meal on the table,” said Campbell. “[Food insecurity] is definitely a problem, so I feel if we can take care of it in this school maybe we can pass it on to all three schools.”

The members of Girl Scout Cadet Troop 1285 are well on their way to earning their community service pins by doing one good deed after another, not only to help their community, but also to fulfill their scout’s promise to help people at all times.

Those wishing to make a donation to the food cupboard can send an email to hmsfoodcupboard@gmail.com.

For more information on the senior citizen monthly meal, contact senior program director Janis Dow at dowj@hermon.net.

14 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

Maine restaurant owner strives to help others, raise money for charity

BY ABIGAIL CURTIS BDN STAFF

Thanksgiving that year, ordering her to cease engaging in miles to work from a trailer park in Windsor.

AUGUSTA, Maine -- As hungry diners surged into the solicitation and describing the restaurant as a business “For 35 years, I struggled. I struggled to pay my bills. I Red Barn restaurant last Friday, getting ready to tuck into was on the verge of bankruptcy five times,” she said. “Once, posing as a charity. Although the letter turned out to be plates piled high with fried chicken or clams, owner Laura something of a mixup, with Attorney General Janet Mills the only reason I didn’t file was because I didn’t have the Benedict moved through the tables a little like a rock star, coming in person to the restaurant to apologize, it did lead $1,100 fee it took.” or maybe more like a beloved nun.

Benedict to start the Red Barn Cares Foundation nonprofit.

Aside from her money struggles, she had stress at home, She greeted her customers, especially the older ones, too. She’d married, but by 2000, her marriage had ended and The letter also led to statewide media attention and raised with a smile, a hug, a kiss, a caress of a lined cheek or a the restaurant’s profile even more. her mother, to whom she was very close, had died. gentle squeeze of a gnarled hand. One woman gave her a So the charitable giving continued apace, but in private, That was the year her drinking started to “get very bad,” shopping bag packed with homemade whoopie pies and Benedict’s life was spiraling out of control. Even as she she said. other treats. Another, 80-year-old Joyce Caverly of But Benedict kept on doing the other thing she knew how shared lots of personal anecdotes on her Facebook page, she Winthrop, offered up a succinct description of Benedict. did not talk about her continued drinking and somehow did to do -- work hard at the restaurant -- until the Great “She’s an angel in disguise,” Caverly said without a pretty good job pretending that she was OK. Recession and the stock market crash occurred, putting the hesitation.

Until she couldn’t pretend anymore.

Welcome to the Red Barn, a In late 2014, she was serving “on every restaurant where the food seems almost board” that asked her and spending money at incidental, no matter how delicious. In charitable auctions like it was water. Yet she the last few years, Benedict, 51, has was going home alone at night after the events turned the joint she affectionately calls were over to find oblivion in beer. “a chicken shack” into a charitable “I was making everybody believe I was too powerhouse, raising more than $2 good to be true,” she said. “Then I went home million for good causes such as Honor and all I had was a drinking problem.”

Flight Maaine and graduation festivities On Dec. 12, 2014, Benedict sat down and for various local high schools. She also wrote a Facebook post that got more real than has harnessed the power of social media she had ever gotten before. She opened up and to tell the stories of the community she told the thousands of her fans and friends that loves so much, writing with honesty and she had a drinking problem, and she needed power about her customers, about the help. elderly folks and the veterans she “I did it because I wanted to be held reveres and respects, about neighbors accountable,” she said, adding she reread what who have suffered tragedies and who she had written 100 times before sharing it. “I need a helping hand to get on their feet hit send, and I called my therapist.” again.

Benedict went into a hospital for nearly a Benedict is quick to offer that helping week, beginning the hard work of getting hand. But she also shares with her sober and getting well. That was when she 73,000 Facebook fans an unflinching finally was diagnosed with bipolar disorder -look at her own struggles and demons. news that came as another blow.

Benedict is a recovering alcoholic who “I said, ‘What is it?’ And the doctor told me also has been diagnosed with bipolar exactly what I’d been suffering from my entire disorder and depression. Her restaurant life,” she recalled. has come close to bankruptcy several times in the past. And despite these GABOR DEGRE | BDN hardships, her smile shines bright and her gratitude at still being here and Laura Benedict (from right), owner of the Red Barn restaurant in Augusta talks to Joyce alive and able to help others is so Caverly and her husband, John Caverly, of Winthrop. The Caverlys have been regular Bipolar disorder, also known as manicprofound it is almost palpable. customers at the restaurant since the 1980s. Benedict said she struggled to keep the depressive illness, is a brain disorder that “It’s not about food here. It’s about business afloat and personally battled with alcoholism. A few years ago she managed to turn causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity the emotional connection,” she said. her life and the business around and raised more than $2 million for charity. levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day “All I do is hug people when I walk in tasks, according to the National Institute of the doors. This is my church and my life.”

Red Barn’s future in more jeopardy.

Mental Health. People having a manic episode may feel On a November day in 2009, Benedict didn’t have the very elated, have lots of energy, feel like their thoughts are money to pay for her food delivery. So she decided to give going very fast and do risky things like spend a lot of food away to customers in exchange for a suggested $5 money, among other signs and symptoms. During a donation, and word spread fast, bringing enough people to depressive episode they may feel very sad, empty or Benedict was one of 10 children who grew up poor in her door to keep it open a little longer. Many of them also hopeless, have very little energy, feel worried and empty, Augusta, with a hardworking father who owned Augusta started to follow the Red Barn on Facebook, the beginning have trouble concentrating, and think about death or Seafood and had his own struggles with alcohol. Her older of the large, engaged online community that exists today. suicide. brother, Bobby, opened the Red Barn in 1977, and Benedict Benedict started doing weekly donation dinners to raise At first, Benedict rejected the idea of taking medication began working there as a child. She purchased the to control the disorder. restaurant from her brother when she was 20 years old, and money for local causes by donation. Benefits began to be an important part of her business model, and by 2013, the “I didn’t want to be numb,” she said. said that the money problems started immediately. restaurant had raised more than $635,000 for charitable But as she continued on her path toward recovery, she “It was already in a mountain of debt,” she said causes. It also caught the attention of the Maine attorney accepted the help that came in various ways, including Trying to stay one step ahead of the creditors, Benedict general’s office, which sent a letter to Benedict just before through medication and also lost her house, then her car, and at one point was biking 17 See Red Barn, Page 16

Finding the light

Into the darkness

Wishing all our friends and families a very Happy Holiday

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BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 15

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16 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

Red Barn

Continued from Page 14

through the kindness of the people who had read what she wrote on Facebook.

“That was the post heard round the world. That post had 100,000 comments.

What I hoped people would understand is that because you have an addiction it does not mean you’re not a good person,” she said. “My putting a face to it, being honest and open and vulnerable, it helped me get well.”

She found that her customers did not shun her. Instead, more came, drawn, perhaps, by her inescapable humanity.

“They trust me. They know that I’m coming from a place of hurt and triumph,” she said. “The relatability between me and my customers went through the roof. People came in -- they lost their job, or they felt hopeless. They felt that I wasn’t going to be other than what I was.”

One of the customers who had been with her since the beginning and who keeps coming back is Don Tuttle, a 92-year-old World War II veteran from Augusta. He served as a tailgunner on numerous bombing missions over enemy territory in Europe and earned a Purple Heart after being wounded. One day, he came into the restaurant looking for Benedict and holding a mahogany box.

“I’ve got something for you,” he told her.

It was the Purple Heart medal.

“He said, ‘I risked my life for this, and I’d rather see it above ground than below ground,’” Benedict said.

She treasures the heavy medal, wearing it around her neck every day, and it’s joined by her “bling”: other medals and pins she’s been given over the years by her customers.

“People come here because they’re appreciated and needed,” she said.

“Everybody wants to be appreciated and needed. And sometimes you can give a voice to people who feel they don’t have one.”

As Benedict moves around the dining room, people are drawn to her as if there is a magnet inside her next to her heart.

“Everybody loves her,” Joyce Caverly said.

“We love coming here because the people here make you feel like you’re family.”

Recently, Benedict has had a swirl of attention from inside and outside Maine.

Her philanthropy was featured on NBC News with Lester Holt this summer and this fall by a contributor to Forbes.com.

She is very excited that next month she’ll be on the cover of Maine Seniors magazine. But she’s not interested in letting all that fame go to her head. She doesn’t want to forget where she was just two years ago, in part because she doesn’t want to ever go back there again.

Benedict expects to get her two year sobriety chip on Dec. 12, a day she will no doubt mark by spending time in the restaurant with the customers she loves.

“You have to stay grounded and humble,” she said. “I will fight to the end of my days to make sure my past doesn’t swallow me up.”

We would like to thank our customers for their continued mployees for support and our employees their hard work all year long! ave a very We hope you all have happy holiday season!

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BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 17

18 BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

Christmas babies get overlooked on their birthdays; most learn to accept, even enjoy it

BY EMILY BURNHAM BDN STAFF

By religious definition, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. For many, that’s the most important birthday of the year, and the reason for the season.

But for those people who were born on Christmas themselves, or in the few days before or after Dec. 25, it can turn their special day into an afterthought. While all the other kids get birthday parties, presents and other special treatment on their birthdays, Christmas babies tend to get overlooked.

Some Christmas babies have resigned themselves to the fact that for them, birthdays are always going to be overshadowed by other holiday events—but in most cases, they’ve also figured out other ways to enjoy themselves, and to help others in the spirit of the season.

Nevertheless, when you get a birthday present wrapped in red and green paper, it can be a bit irksome for birthday boys or girls.

“I’m the oldest of seven kids. Every other sibling was so excited for Santa to get there. They could care less about my birthday,” said Shane McCarthy, former owner of State Street Wine Cellar in Bangor, who was born on Christmas Eve. “I used to get gifts that said Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas on them. I used to say that the right mitten was for my birthday, and the left was for Christmas.”

“I hated my birthday as a kid because I didn’t have

parties with other kids because everyone was doing family stuff. And my locker never got decorated in high school,” said Clare Davitt of Bangor, whose birthday is on Dec. 26.

“We tried half birthdays for a few years, but that was lame.

But my parents were great about trying to make a distinction between the two days, different wrapping paper, different presents.”

Most parents try to make the day unique for their kids, apart from holiday festivities. For Bangor resident Ryan Cole, whose birthday falls on Christmas Eve, it used to bother him but it doesn’t much anymore.

“I always used to be jealous of kids that had birthdays in the summer, because they’d get presents twice a year, all spread out, and I had to wait a whole year,” said Cole, a recent graduate of the University of Maine. “But now, it doesn’t bother me. You just have to step aside and make it special for everyone else. And my family has always been really great about it.”

Though her birthday is actually a few weeks before Christmas, Kailee Soucia, 12, of Orrington, decided that this year she’d combine Christmas and birthday into one special day that benefits others—she opted to collect donations from family and friends and buy gifts from the Angel Tree at the Brewer Walmart.

In total, Kailee raised $280 for her Christmas/birthday effort, and with a friend went to Walmart and was able to

buy gifts and food requests for 12 children.

“The store was super helpful at check out and Tonya, a Walmart employee, was very helpful when we went to the service desk with the Angel Tree presents,” said her mother, Laura George. “She was pleasantly surprised when we informed her the whole cart was for the Angel Tree. She immediately gave Kailee a hug and praised both girls for being so kind-hearted.”

As the years progress, birthdays become less important, and the sting of a Christmas-birthday is lessened—though it’s still hard to find something to do, since most businesses are closed. Davitt makes a point of spending time with loved ones and making sure it’s a special day for everybody.

McCarthy takes himself out to a fancy dinner at the Lucerne Inn in Dedham, since it’s one of the only places open on Christmas Eve, and, of course, he spends time with family and friends.

“There were two really nice things for me. One, my grandmother McCarthy’s birthday was on Christmas Day, so she would always go out of her way to call me and say happy birthday, because she knew the deal,” said McCarthy. “And one of my best friends growing up had a birthday on the 26th, so on Christmas night we would always go out to a movie and celebrate together. There ends up being a lot of nice things about it, even if you kind of grumble about it when you’re a kid.”

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 19

NFI North, Inc. Inspiring and Empowering people to reach their full potential

2016 Empowerment Award Winners

We celebrated our 13th Annual Empowerment Lunch at our 2016 NFI North Conference. We had four honorees who are NFI consumers who have shown incredible growth and are now giving back to their individual communities.

We are so proud of the work that our recipients have done and the goals they accomplished. Each received a grant to further their education or professional goal. We also honored two individuals as outstanding volunteers to our programs. NFI thanks Hal Liberty and Debbie Fraser for their dedication and commitment to our programs and the clients we serve.

NFI NORTH is a leading nonprofit human service agency specializing in the treatment of children and adults with behavioral health challenges. The Agency is accredited by the Joint Commission as a Behavioral Health Care Organization. Due to growth and expansion in our programs we are pleased to be bringing new jobs to the Bangor area in the New Year. For more information about our ever-growing, award winning team, visit our website at www.nfinorth.com

Thank you to our amazing Bangor area staff

NFI North would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff who work diligently to improve the lives of our consumers and families. We appreciate all that you do and wish you the best of the Holiday Season.

Beverly Bonnie Danielle Esther Hope Jay Jayson Jeri-lyn Jessica Marie Morgan Nancy Rebecca Sheila Teresa

Beau Courtney David Elizabeth Heaven Jessica Laura Lisa Megan Olena Scott Stephanie Stephanie Tina Todd

Valerie Breanna Caitlyn Carla Carol Claudia Danasa Edward Heiko Jeanette John John Jonathan Jordan

Justin Dominic Kenneth Jeffrey Leonard Joanna Lucy Karen Nicholas Kyle Polly Jo Meghan Reginald Robin April Ryan Audra Tracy Gary Amy Logan Diane Adeena Elizabeth Andrew Gayle Craig Leanne

20

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

A 65-year walk: Old Town-Orono YMCA helps keep couple active

BY AIMEE THIBODEAU SPECIAL TO BDN

T

here’s no possible way to count the number of steps Merton and Gloria Wheeler have taken side-by-side, most often hand-in-hand, during their more than 65 years of marriage.

What started as a young college romance has continued through the decades. Twenty years ago, it led the Wheelers to the Old Town-Orono YMCA where they walk the indoor track at least five days a week — sometimes more.

“We spent a lot of time in there up until two years ago,” Merton, 86, said as he walked past the Y’s fitness center.

“Walking is what we do now.”

The Orono couple was married Dec. 29, 1950 — just days before Merton was made active duty in the Air Force. They had met during their first semesters at Husson College.

“Neither one of us had an automobile back in 1949,” Merton said. “She lived in Orono and I lived in Hampden, so we took the bus.”

The bus stop was at the corner of Park and State streets in Bangor and both buses came at the same time.

“We started walking up the hill together, and we’ve been walking together ever since,” Merton said.

When Merton got out of the service, they moved back to Maine, had their son, and eventually retired from the University of Maine — Gloria after 25 years and Merton soon after with 24 years.

In 1993, they came to the Y on doctor’s

orders to help Gloria recover from surgery.

“I don’t remember which [surgery] it was,” said Gloria, who has had numerous surgeries as she’s gotten older and had a mini stroke just a couple of years ago. “It might have been my knee.”

The Y has helped keep the couple active and now, both in their mid-80s, they have no intention of giving up their walking ritual anytime soon.

“Hopefully it keeps my joints and things working and usable,” Gloria said.

“This is a great place to walk and exercise.”

“But we also do it just to keep ourselves active,” Merton added. “As you get older, it is a social event, as well.”

The Wheelers both agreed that it’s fun to watch the children at the Y participate in gymnastics and other activities while they’re walking.

“It’s a lot of fun to see the youngsters,” Merton said. “There’s almost always something going on.”

Those who see the couple walking together frequently comment on the fact that they always hold hands.

It’s partially to keep Gloria safe, Merton explained, but it’s also part of being married for so long.

“Gloria’s had some back problems and a fall would be very bad, and we don’t want that,” he said. “But I’ve got a saying for those who ask us about it: We decided it’s easier to hold each other up than it is to pick each other up.”

PHOTO COURTESY AARP

Lori Parham, AARP Maine State Director (from left), Frank Whiting, AARP Maine’s 2016 Andrus Award recipient, and Lucy Whiting.

Mainers over 50 making a difference in Maine

BY LORI PARHAM AARP MAINE STATE DIRECTOR

The end of the year is a great time to reflect on how Mainers are having a positive impact on their communities each and every day. While we often focus on the challenges facing our state, there are wonderful examples of Mainers over 50 contributing to our state’s economic growth, entrepreneurial success and their local communities. I feel fortunate to work with many of these individuals on an ongoing basis.

One individual from Maine continues to inspire us through his remarkable efforts to Merton and Gloria work with his entire community to help older residents who are at risk of going Wheeler of Orono have been hungry. After selling his Houlton auto transmission business to his son a few coming to the years ago, Dale Flewelling recognized a OId Town-Orono need to help vulnerable older adults in the YMCA for the County. He founded Friends of Aroostook last 20 years.

(FOA) in 2008. Working with local farmers The couple is in their mid-80s and who have donated, leased or sold some of their arable land to Dale, FOA has made a use the facility’s huge difference in the lives of thousands of indoor walking older residents who would otherwise go track at least hungry. With the help of a growing network five days a of collaborative partners including local week, walking banks, the Sheriff’s department, seed hand-in-hand. supply stores and many others, FOA continues to serve as a shining example of how a community can touch the lives of others far beyond their county line.

PHOTO COURTESY In October, AARP Maine celebrated AIMEE THIBODEAU Searsport resident Frank Whiting and honored him with our annual Andrus Award, named after our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. Frank has been volunteering since the age of 14. Now at the age of 80, he continues to volunteer for multiple organizations including his local fire department where he served as a firefighter for 46 years.

We have also seen a remarkable surge in the efforts of Maine towns and neighborhoods to advance age-friendly initiatives this year. In an age-friendly community, residents benefit from an environment that encourages them to remain active and socially engaged in an enjoyable setting. By adopting such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, and

more opportunities for residents to participate in community activities, cities and towns can become great places to live for people of all ages.

Sometimes age-friendly initiatives begin with just one person noticing a need. Such is the case with Shaw’s Supermarket in Augusta. When approached by a local resident who was concerned that there was no bench at the nearby bus stop, the store manager immediately responded. He recognized that for an older or physically challenged person, having to stand and wait for a bus could be quite a challenge, particularly in bad weather. The manager agreed to not only put a bench at the bus stop, but he also decided to place one at the back of the store for any shoppers needing to sit and rest.

In another example of local age-friendly efforts, residents in Bowdoin, Bowdoinham and Richmond have joined together to form The Village Lodge Handy Brigade to provide home repair and maintenance services without charge to older adults who live in their own homes. The only cost is for the parts needed. All of the work is done by volunteers who make it their mission to help people in the community.

Earlier this year it was announced that the city of Bangor had become the 100th community in the United States to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities (NAFC), and the 17th in Maine at that time. As of this printing, Maine now boasts 23 communities in the NAFC. Bangor always rates high in studies of livability and best places to retire, and this is another positive step toward making the city an even greater place to live. In large part due to the effective partnering taking place, Bangor is already serving as a potential model for other Maine cities and towns to follow.

It is exciting and inspiring to share stories like these that remind us how great a role each of us can play in stimulating positive change in Maine. On behalf of our 230,000 members in the state, we thank our volunteers and partners and all Mainers who are working each day to build a better Maine for all generations.

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 21

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BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016 23

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BDN GOOD NEWS Saturday/Sunday, December 24-25, 2016

THANK YOU AND

THANK YOU TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS Work at McDonald’s and Earn Your College Degree!

Education is the true game-changer.

McDonald’s® vision is to lead the industry in promoting workforce education. That’s why McDonald’s created Archways to Opportunity, a comprehensive education program to help people succeed and grow – both personally and professionally.

Today my job got me 3 credits closer to my degree We are e proud of our emp employees loyees who have benefited from this program: • Justin in Cottle recently received $700 in Archways To Opportunity tuition assistance.

Justin attends UMO and was recently promoted to Crew Trainer.

• Kelly Hoyt yt was awarded ourr lo local cal $500 McDonald’s Scholarship and $700 in Archways To Opportunity tuition assistance. Kelly attends Husson University and was recently promoted to o Shif Shift Manager.

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