Can you believe February is over. We ended the month with a great meeting at Biddeford Middle School. Our first order of business was to nominate and elect Haley Thompson of Thornton Academy to our board. I am really excited about her coming on the board for a 2 year term as a Director.
Thank you Jeremy Ray and Karen Chasse for making the meeting happen today especially after two snow days. I really want to recognize Ms. Lee the teacher and her students for putting on a fantastic lunch at the Tiger Café. The 6th, 7th and 8th graders started us off with small Caprese Salad on a tooth pick or cherry tomatoes with a leaf of fresh basil. Lunch consisted of a choice of three soups a pasta fagioli, chicken with orzo and a corn chowder. I had the chowder and then followed that up with the chicken and orzo. Both were served with homemade crackers. I passed on the garlic bread but it did look good. My favorite was the chicken with orzo. The hot bowl of soup was chuck full of chicken and orzo that had a really nice balance of herbs and spices. The students finished us off with a choice of mini cheesecakes with fresh fruit on top or a fruit cup.
After lunch we got to ask students questions. These 16 students that worked for us, some were servers, some were cooks, etc. were really excited to participate in the program. These students are also cooking at home for their families. All 16 Rotarians at the meeting had a really good time being there.
We got to meet Marty G’s 7th grade daughter who is participating in the STEM program at BMS. We also got to watch Sabine drool over all for the sewing machines that were in the class, I mean dining room. We also learned that the culinary program ends at 8th grade.
I was surprised to learn that the Center for Technology does not have a program for kids wanting to pursue a career in the food and hospitality industry. The reason is pretty simple, they don’t have the space or the money to build a kitchen. Jeremy Ray mentioned that they would be happy if they even had an offsite space for a kitchen.
This is a nice segue to bring up what I think are two great opportunities in front of us. The kind of events that don’t happen all that often. I would like to start a conversation with all of you about two initiatives that we can share in. Obviously I am still on my sugar high from the extra cheese cake I had yesterday; we should talk about helping BRCOT get a culinary program going. The other initiative we talked about Monday night at Red Ribbon Committee meeting on Monday night was Thornton Academy’s campaign to build a new field house. Lionel Gym was designed for a school of 650 kids, TA now has over 1700 kids.
Our club has a rich history of supporting our communities by participating in projects that have a high level of permanency and visibility. Examples are MacArthur Library, The Truslow Center and more. Yesterday, I drove by Rotary Park and I was honored to see our sign at the entrance. It was Rotarians that were behind converting a dump into a year round playground for everybody. So let’s start those conversations about Biddeford and Thornton and do we want to be a part of it.
I plan on addressing these initiatives with the Board at our next meeting on March 6th before I present them to you, the membership. I ask that you keep your minds open so that we can have meaningful conversations on these issues and whether we want to get involved. As Rotarians we can be the inspiration for our community. There is no other group like us.
At the outset I want to thank Julie Villemaire for filling in so admirably in preparing the Tack for March 20. I would love to have one or two more volunteers write the Tack for a few weeks each. It can be as brief or as long as you want it to be.
Have you ever put bread in the toaster and let it sit in there so long it almost sets off the smoke alarm and then when you take it out, burning your fingers in the process, you realize you have no butter so you eat it plain? That is how dry this Tack will be. Bonneville Salt Flats dry.
Our March 27th meeting was a bit of an intimate affair with light attendance. President Joe again apologized for the parking. I walked down so I did not contribute to the parking lot gridlock but I know people struggled to find spaces. It is not really going to get better with improved weather coming and more and more people going out to lunch. Carpooling may become necessary.
Karen Chasse led us in the 4 way test and Joe Bassett led us in a prayer. Surprisingly both seemed to have done it before.
Our recently clean shaven President Joe introduced visiting Rotarians and guests. Fausto is apparently saving himself for his Presidential year and Don Pilon was among the missing as well. Former club member, Guy Gagnon, and Dr. Joe Boyle were introduced as a guest and visiting Rotarian, respectively.
Joe reminded us that our essay contest meeting with be on April 10 at PeoplesChoice Credit Union on the Industrial Park Road in Saco. If you can carpool to that meeting please do so as there is limited parking. It is always a great meeting when we get to hear the essays of the various middle school winning writers who will share their views on what family means to them.
Joe also mentioned the May 11 (that’s a Saturday) hands on event during which we will help to put together 10,000 meals in 2-3 hours. Bring your aprons.
President Joe also announced the creation of an ad hoc committee to review major asks for club donations and to perhaps work on a larger gift policy. The members of the committee so far are Paul Deschambault, Don Pilon, Karen Chasse, Jackson Brown (maybe) and me. The committee has been invited to next week’s Board meeting on April 3 at 7:45 at P&C Insurance.
Heather Gendron announced that the Scholarship Committee is reaching out to our area high schools and the COT to solicit applicants for our $1,000 post-secondary scholarships. The Committee will meet on April 30 at Bangor Savings from 3:00 to 5:00 to review applications and narrow the pool of applicants to the students who will then be interviewed by the Committee. If you have any interest in helping to screed the scholarship applications please plan on attending the meeting on April 30.
Ron Drouin asked if we were planning anything for our Club’s 100th anniversary next year. Jackson indicated that he invited our sister club in Bideford, England to come over for the celebration though no celebration as yet is planned. It was suggested that we combine a gala with a fundraiser to be held in March to raise money and celebration our 100 years in existence. Marty Grohman learned that he would be chairing any such event as our vice president. Good luck Marty.
Jim Godbout announced that we are getting close to clearing the title on the next Rotary House to work on located on Main Street across from the COT. Jim thought that we may have a judgment as early as next week, but the emails I have seen from Keith Jacques would indicate that we may incur a bit of a delay. Don’t start swinging the wrecking ball just yet. Stay tuned.
Matt Simmons failed to appear and I suspect he is still circling the parking lot looking for a space. President Joe solicited happy dollars which seems to be most of the Matt Simmons show anyway. The happy dollars included:
Jeremy Ray announcing that the Biddeford School Department and Dayton School Department have established a new entity that will be doing the bus transportation for the Town of Acton. Jeremy will look good behind the wheel of an Acton bus.
Denis Elie completed the Mary’s Walk 5K run defeating his aunt whose Jazzy Scooter battery died. Ken Farley, however, did beat Denis.
Dr. Joe was named the Foundation Chair for his new club.
Reegan announced that the United Way is doing a fundraiser at Arundel Ford for the United Ways’ Tools4Schools backpack project that our club has supported in the past. If you test drive a Ford at Arundel Ford on April 5 in the afternoon Arundel Ford will donate $20.00. It is a great cause and nice of Arundel Ford to do that but I think I would rather donate the cash or have a dentist donate $20.00 for my next root canal as opposed to dealing with a car dealership.
Sue Gajewski is back and thanked Jackson for filling in so admirably in her absence.
Conrad Welzel was happy he recited the 4 way test correctly last week.
Marty Grohman was happy to be on the radio for Veterans Count and that he and Jeremy will be art critics selecting art to stay in the high school.
Jackson won the 50/50 for the second week in a row.
President Joe promptly started the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. In case anyone was wondering or counting the weeks under Joe’s leadership, he announced that it was the 39th week in this Rotarian year. He called upon Conrad Welzel to flawlessly lead the group in the 4 Way Test. Joe Bassett was on deck with the invocation. President-Elect Fausto was present prior to the meeting but went MIA when it was time to introduce visiting Rotarians and Guests. Vice President, Don Pilon stepped up to the plate to introduce the visiting Rotarian with the best attendance in this club, Dr. Joe Boyle and also Paul Deschambault’s better half, Carole. Jim Audiffred was pleased to introduce Pauline Van Haynes from South Africa. Pauline was a Rotary Exchange Student many years ago and one of her host families was Jim and Margo Audiffred. Pauline is married and has two girls. She went onto to medical school and is an OBGYN. Jim and his family went to Australia to visit with Pauline and her family. Pauline was at a conference nearby and took the opportunity to step away from the conference to visit with us.
Rise Against Hunger Community Project: Jackson Brown informed the members that on May 11, 2019, we will be joining forces with the local Kiwanis club at the Elks Lodge in Saco from 9:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. to put together 10,000 meals to be delivered to the local food pantries. This is a wonderful project to bring families and friends together for a great cause. Our club made a donation of $1,250.00 to this project.
AD-HOC Committee for Major Giving: Paul Deschambault and Don Pilon have agreed to co-chair this new committee. President Joe asked that they meet soon to discuss whether or not the club should get involved. More information to come.
The 50/50 pot of $27 was won by Jackson Brown. I heard Jackson say that he wanted to give some to the SAA Matt Simmons but I’m not sure what happened to the rest. Like so many others, it probably went to the Red Ribbon effort, another very worthy cause.
Sabine McElrath recently returned from a trip to Guadeloupe. She was able to make arrangements to visit their local Rotary club and exchange the “Rotary Flag”. This was her third time visiting Guadeloupe but only the first time she was able to attend. She said that they meet every two weeks in person and that they skype the rest of the time. She said they had the most beautiful table setting that she has ever seen. The menu that was presented cost about 35 Euros ($40 US approx.) but she said the Rum Punch was well worth it! She explained some of the projects that our club has been involved with. She was amazed at how impressed their club was with the work we have done and continue to do. They have two major efforts. The first is “The Sea for Everyone”. Sabine mentioned that they have people with handicaps that actually like to go into the water & not just look from the sideline. One of their fundraisers is a race from France to Guadeloupe each year. They will get some info over to us so we can see about sending some funding their way to help with this cause. Their second initiative is to change snacks from baguettes and salty items to fruit.
It was time for SAA Matt Simmons to take center stage in hopes of boosting his budget with happy dollars and fines. Jackson was one of the first members to raise his happy dollar. He is very happy that our Treasurer Susan will be heading back from her winter travels. Jim Audiffred was happy to have Pauline visiting for a few days. Bill Paterson was happy for his 13 year old grandson whose Dad happens to be a paramedic. Dr. Joe was happy that he was able to make the meeting on time after thinking he would be late. Not only was he on time but he was able to secure a premiere parking spot in the front of the building. President Joe was happy that Dr. Pierre Giroux was the best vet in town because he just expanded his family to include a new German Shepheard puppy named Phil. Roland Gagne gave a dollar and announced that Ron Drouin wasn’t feeling well . Julie was happy to not only see Heather MacLean in the Saco & Biddeford Savings newest commercial, but also Mark Nahorney. Conrad was happy that he was able to spend some time with his two ailing parents. Roland Gagne was also impressed with the Mark Nahorney’s use of the “Italian” language in his recent performance at City Theater. Matt was feeling the love today so he didn’t impose too many fines. Of course, President Joe wasn’t so lucky and was fined $3 for picking fights. Matt then charged the following Rotarians for money owed for either meals or dues: President Joe, Sherry Norton, Alicia Girard and Peggy Bean.
I am writing this Tack but I have no idea whether anyone will ever see it due to technical difficulties which may render it impossible for any of you to ever see it so I might as well write it like I am talking to myself.
Joe called the meeting to order. Huh, every week he tells us what week number it is like he can’t wait to get done. That seems inherently inconsistent with his assertions that the job is not that hard and everyone should run for President. While it is not the hardest thing anyone will ever do you can actually work hard at the job if you want to.
Lucie Kay did the four way test. My God did she join Rotary last week? It’s not that hard and she was reading it. I swear she had to sound out each number. Oh, I forgot, English is her second language.
Joe Bassett did the prayer. Man is he good at that or what? It’s almost like he has been doing it his whole life.
Conrad introduced visiting Rotarians and guests including Joe Boyle who must have 200% attendance.
Presidential Announcements: President Joe reminded us that we will be doing a hands on project with the Kiwanis Club on May 11 at a time and place to be announced. Jackson indicated the project will take about 2 hours and we are putting together 10,000 meals. Let me see if I can do the math (can you tell I was not really listening?). If 25 Rotarians show up (doubtful) and 25 Kiwanis show up we will have 50 people. That means we each will need to put together 200 meals in two hours or one meal every 36 seconds. I hope we have the Barber foods assembly line to work on.
Jackson was able to confirm the Elks Lodge on Ocean Park Rd., Saco for Saturday, May 11 from 9-12:30 or so for the meal packing project. The actual meal packing will start around 10 and it takes about 2 hours or less to finish 10,000 meals!
They have tables there, so It should be relatively easy to set up.
I hope you can all make it.
I got to live auction Sabine’s book bag and David Howard’s (ask Heather McLean who he is but don’t ask Heather G) book. Doing a live auction at our club is like doing a live auction at a funeral home. It’s like trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos who don’t drink. No one bids and no one wants to make eye contact. Well the bag and book sold for $1,000, not bad. If you believe that I have a bridge to auction off next week.
Joe acknowledged that parking continues to be a problem and suggested that perhaps someone might want to find another place for us to meet. I suspect we will just have to put up with the parking issues which will be compounded by the new apartments being built. Urban planning at its best.
Sargent at Arms:
Matt Simmons took to the podium with his copious notes related to fines. I don’t have any idea how he finds the time to prepare like that before every meeting (sarcasm, yes) and I can’t imagine how he has exceeded his budget. Has he been getting the Red Ribbon money? I guess we are all happier than we have been in the past so he gets a lot of happy dollars each week. Some examples include:
Matt being over budget (I want an audit)
Dr. Joe being our visitor with the best attendance (Christ, he has better attendance than 80% of the people actually in our club)
Sara Brouillard announced that she and her husband are expecting a baby boy. Not sure why Sara is not listed on our website these days.
Peggy Bean gave a happy dollar for going to the COT and indicated that there were not that many Rotarians there. We were supposed to meet that the COT today, but the meeting was postponed so there shouldn’t have been any Rotarians there. What is she talking about? Oh, Peggy was talking about our meeting at the Biddeford Middle School which probably looks a lot like the COT absent the garage doors, a house in progress and a bunch of tools.
Ken Farley announced that his daughter was accepted at Bishops University in Lenoxville, Quebec from which my two sons graduated. That’s very cool.
I announced that Heather McLean was in a TV ad for our bank and got paid a little stipend which she donated to the club. Nice touch Heather.
Julie V. apologized for not being able to get the Tack out to everyone which means most of you probably won’t be able to read this anyway so why am I typing?
Steve Morin will break his attendance streak when he goes on vacation next week to Texas. I can see Steve at a dude ranch watching the tumble weeds roll by.
Karen Chasse gave a shout out to Sarah Neault’s Instagram page. I received a candy gram once.
Matt then fined Roland for parking on top of Lucie. She did look tired and a bit run down. He also fined Lucie for putting sugar in Roland’s pants. Those two should get a room. Finally (and I mean finally) he fined Denis for saluting the full parking lot on March 6 by indicating that the parking lot was number one if you know what I mean.
While sitting here I happened to notice the banner hanging from the podium, “Be The Inspiration”. Damn, that’s a lot of pressure. I can see being AN inspiration but to be THE inspiration is a tall order. What the hell was the RI president thinking? Well, I guess he is the RI President so maybe he is THE inspiration. I will settle for being inspired every now and then and call it good.
We have a terrific District Assembly planned for Saturday morning, April 6th!!
While this Assembly is highly recommended for all Club officers and committee chairs, all Rotarians are encouraged to attend. And, new Rotarians will have a wonderful Rotary experience, seeing what Rotary offers beyond their Club!
Our sessions include workshops for: International Service, Global Grants, District Grants, Rotaract, RYLA, Youth Exchange, Public Image Techniques, Best practices of Rotary Growth Teams, Smart Phone Apps, Rotary Action Groups (RAGS, lol), Non-profit 501(c)3 vs 501(c4) Considerations, and, more, more, more...
$20 gets you breakfast, and a fun-filled Rotary experience!
WCSH 6 Who Care Agency of Distinction | United Way Partner Agency | Mainebiz’s Nonprofit Business Leader of the Year | Maine Children’s Alliance Giraffe Award |TD Beach to Beacon Charitable Recipient
The program was about the My Place Teen Center in Westbrook and their efforts to establish such a center in Biddeford as well. We heard from Deb Shangraw who is the current president of the Westbrook Gorham Rotary Club which has been instrumental in support to the success of MPTC. Deb serves as a consultant for MPTC and is excited about the prospect of setting up a MPTC in Biddeford. She maintains that the loving atmosphere at the MPTC saves lives and that it is one of the most unique places on earth. The MPTC is located in a former church which has been renovated into a shining facility with a commercial kitchen from which they serve many meals each week.
We also heard from Donna Dwyer who is he President of MPTC. She is clearly passionate about the program and would love to see a new MPTC in Biddeford in the former church located at 75 Bacon Street owned by the Biddeford Housing Authority. She said the MPTC in Westbrook serves 40-70 kids each day from ages 10-18 with the only qualification being that they are a kid.
We also heard from Guy Gagnon, a former club member and the head of the Biddeford Housing Authority. They would like our hands on help to convert space in the former church to a new MPTC for Biddeford and Saco kids. They would like to open it in the summer of 2020. They will need money for the space and a new kitchen but they will also need hands on help. Sounds like a great project.
Below is some additional information provided to us about My Place Teen Center.
My Place Teen Center is a southern Maine organization based in Westbrook with a second location to be opened in Biddeford, July 2020. Our mission is to provide a safe haven for middle and high school youth, ages 10-18, sustaining them with comfort, meals, resources, and hope.
Opened in 1998, we are a year round, free, out of school time, evidence-based, positive youth development program specializing in cultivating grit and alleviating hunger and trauma. We are open five hours per day, five days per week, year-round. Everything we do for the kids is free.
My Place Teen Center is at the forefront of some of the most crucial issues of our time.
We fight to keep kids safe from the devastation of the opioid epidemic.
We combat poverty and food insecurity.
We create real, authentic communities with kids from diverse backgrounds, teaching them how to be good citizens and good neighbors.
We show teens from broken homes that there is a better way to live life – with accountability, personal responsibility, and self-care.
We are not just raising kids, we are raising the next generation of adults, and they are headed your way. It matters who they are now, and whom they become as adults.
We know adverse childhood experiences and the lifelong consequences of trauma can be counterbalanced with protective factors such as increasing cognitive capacity, healthy attachment of relationships, the ability to regulate emotions and behaviors, and creating safe environments. This is our calling card.
MPTC Domains:
Character development, academic support, civic engagement, and life skills.
MPTC Differentiators:
Free
Homey, warm, inviting aesthetic
Nutritious, full, daily meals
Year-round
25 hours per week
Teen-centric
Job and life preparedness
Focus on social emotional learning and evidence-based strategies such as instilling grit, curiosity, leadership, and self-awareness
Drop-in and program specific
Local control; local decision-making
In 2014, Biddeford champions and stakeholders, including the Mayor and Biddeford Housing Authority, requested discussions about how to bring our business model to Biddeford. Originally we were functioning in a consultant mode – how THEY could operate such a facility like ours, but early 2017 discussions turned to: Would WE bring our business model to Biddeford and run a second site/MPTC for them? Given that expansion was already part of our strategic plan, this was an easy leap due to the positive relationship developed with City leaders and a similar demographic and landscape between both cities.
Thus, we have been working closely with Biddeford Housing Authority and Mayor Casavant regarding establishing a second site at 75 Bacon Street, Biddeford; the former St. Andre's Church. Our target opening date is July 2020. We will be located on the bottom floor - about 9,000 square feet - of the church. The former rectory houses a high school alternative education program and the convent is now senior housing.
Today’s Speaker was Michael A. Merrill, Program Director of Veteran Services for Volunteers of America. The Assistant Program Director, Brian Bouthot, was also visiting with us today.
Over the years, Volunteers of America has established itself as "The Place to Turn" for our country's most vulnerable individuals. Volunteers of America was founded in 1896 by social reformers Ballington and Maud Booth. They envisioned a movement dedicated to “reaching and uplifting” the American people. On behalf of the organization, the Booths pledged to “go wherever we are needed, and do whatever comes to hand.” That declaration continues to guide Volunteers of America’s outreach efforts today.
At Volunteers of America Northern New England they serve the people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with the promise to reach out and uplift the human condition and provide opportunity for individual and community involvement.
Volunteers of America has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Volunteers of America is also proud to be the largest provider of affordable housing in the country.
Willingness. Creativity. Compassion. These underlying values of our founding vision have led Volunteers of America Northern New England to serve more than 8,000 people annually in Maine.
Cabin in the Woods: 21 veterans and their families can finally say “we are home” as Cabin in the Woods opens its doors and offers peace of mind to residents. After serving our country, our veterans deserve more than just a thank you, they deserve a home and a community that will fight for them the way they have fought for us, and now they have just that.
Cabin in the Woods Community is the first project of its kind in the state of Maine, and the only program in Maine that will offer permanent housing for homeless male and female veterans, as well as their families.
The cabins have been built on 11 wooded acres on the grounds of Togus VA Medical Center in Chelsea, Maine and are within walking distance of services.
There are 16 one-bedroom and five two-bedroom 550-square-foot cabins, all less than 800 square feet, as well as a 700-square-foot two-bedroom cabin for office and community space.
The program has an emphasis on family reunification and employment, Cabin in the Woods will work with many local, regional, state and federal agencies to meet the needs of veterans and their families.
The $4.2 million development cost of the project will be funded primarily by Maine Housing Tax Credit Allocation. Our work continues with MaineHousing to finalize the timeline and construction documents. We have partnered with the Veterans Administration to secure a 75 year lease on the land and the Home Depot Foundation is generously funding a portion of the cabin construction costs.
The land for the Cabin in the Woods development was acquired through the Department of Veterans Affairs Enhanced Use Lease Program, where the VA leases underutilized real estate to the private sector for the purpose of developing housing for homeless veterans.
If you are interested in contributing to Cabin in the Woods please contact Michael Coon at 207-373-1140. Additional information about Cabin in the Woods and our partners can be found in our Media Kit.
Behavioral Health
We serve individuals who are 18 years or older and who have been diagnosed with persistent mental illness or co-occurring conditions. Our programs welcome people whose behaviors have frustrated the best efforts of other care givers. We use evidence-based programming to foster new thinking, attitudes and behaviors that lead to positive personal changes, independence, maturity and self-responsibility.
Our goal is to help break the cycle of hospitalization and homelessness and create a path to self-realization and community engagement.
A team of trained and caring staff members at each residence helps residents learn to cope with the challenges of everyday living by developing daily living skills, maintaining counseling, obtaining education regarding mental illness, improving, and learning how to manage symptoms, with an individual rehabilitation and treatment plan. For many of these individuals, it is a major step to greater independence.
Camp POSTCARD (Police Officers Striving To Create And Reinforce Dreams) is a free week-long program for Maine kids. Counselors are volunteer Police Officers from across Maine. Sheriffs, Troopers and Municipal Officers all come together to mentor and encourage kids while improving their perceptions of law enforcement.
In June, 161 children from all 16 Maine counties joined forces with over 80 Law Enforcement volunteers for a week of exploration, healthy activities, outdoor recreation, and education. Campers adjust to new places and people – all while being mentored and cared for by officers of Maine law enforcement and public safety organizations.
Law enforcement professionals (current and retired) from all 16 counties in Maine spend the week 24/7 at Camp POSTCARD; Many have been Camp POSTCARD leaders for 5,10, 15, even 20 years. Their goal is to give children an experience that will enrich their lives and give them hope for the future. During this week, campers experience officers as caring and fun-loving people primarily concerned with the well-being of children.
Camp POSTCARD gives children a new perspective on what’s possible for them to achieve; the adults who are providing these many experiences and cheering them on are officers and many other caring adults. Camp POSTCARD gives children a boost to their confidence; they broaden their horizons and have the world open up to them in ways they could not imagine.
Camp POSTCARD is a long-term partnership between the Maine Sheriffs' Association and Volunteers of America Northern New England.
Qualified officers are invited to become volunteer leaders at camp. Campers are unaware that the counselors are from law enforcement until the last day. Many of the campers come from homes where there has been negative interaction with law enforcers.
Senior Services
Our senior services and programs promote health and independence for the elderly. We encourage seniors to be active and healthy through a host of support services. We are one of the nation's largest nonprofit providers of quality, affordable housing for seniors and a major provider of professional long-term care.
For seniors, maintaining independence is very important. We provide housing for seniors who want to live independent lifestyles where they can thrive and age in place. Our senior residents deserve the quality of life that they desire and our commitment to service-enriched housing offers them just that.
Paul Hazelton House I & II : The Paul Hazelton I & II Houses, located in Saco, Maine, provides a combined 66 units of high-quality, affordable housing for low-income elderly people, with disabilities and other needs.
Bayview Heights: Bayview Heights is located in Portland, Maine and provides 59 units of high-quality, affordable housing for low-income elderly people, with disabilities and other needs.
Our Rotary club donated $500.00 to help Veterans coming out of programs with moving expenses. They were able to help 3 Veterans with our donation
.
There are no municipalities helping them out. They run off of public and private donations & grants.
Seeds of Hope offers a loan program for security deposits for rents. They work very closely with Reverend Shirley.
Veterans in their programs are required to volunteer in the community. There are some Veterans that volunteer for the Heart of Biddeford. President Joe let Michael know about our upcoming community project with the Kiwanis club on May 11th. If anyone would like to join us in this effort they are more than welcomed.
Donations from our Company B fund have been instrumental in helping these men and women. The donations have helped start new lives for some and new careers for others. Michael said they couldn’t thank our club enough for our part in helping out.
If you’d like more information about the wonderful organization you can visit their website at www.voanne.org.
Our speaker for the day was Karen Chasse who gave her “classification talk” which could have been entitled a “classification dissertation, novel or treatise”. My life couldn’t fill two minutes. The entire talk is set forth below. Karen has truly overcome a lot of challenges to accomplish what she has including having to type her talk on her phone on a treadmill at 5:00 Am next to Jackson. Talk about challenges! Perhaps she will get up in another 10 to 20 years and tell us how her book finally ends (I don’t mean finally ends, well you know what I mean or at least I know what I mean). Nice job Karen.
I will start with my personal life because it is much more entertaining and dramatic.
My life began in turmoil. As you’ve probably heard Trojans and Tigers didn’t mix well in the 70’s. My Dad is a TA graduate: Mom is a BHS graduate. They divorced by the time my Mom was 20 but kudos to Jim and Lynn for their success!
I grew up in New York with my Dad (who was in the Air Force), stepmom, brother and sister. My mom suffered from Lupus, lived in Biddeford, and we only saw her at Christmas and summertime. Throughout my youth, I had some of my own health issues: at four years old, I was hit by a dump truck and had to be in a full body cast for six weeks (that was not fun--for me or my parents), and I’ve had multiple surgeries on a congenital branchial cleft cyst in my neck. Otherwise, I grew up as a classic rule-following, introverted, middle child.
My Dad’s alcohol and drug abuse eventually led to his second divorce and at 16 I left behind my PHS Hornets’ Track and Cheerleading friends to move to Maine to live with my Mom and my Dad went to rehab. Unfortunately, six months later my very good friend died in a drinking and driving accident on New Year’s Eve. As you’ve heard from our fun “Name that Rotarian” game last year, I met my ex-husband, his cousin, at the funeral (a sure sign it was a match made in heaven, right?). And guess what was the cherry on top? He had a one-year-old son born on his 18th birthday. But Casey taught me how to love unconditionally and is by far the best “inheritance” I will ever receive.
After graduation, I went on to UMF but missed my ex-husband so terribly that I moved back to Biddeford after my first year, got an apartment together, got pregnant with my son, Tyler (the best “mistake” I ever made), got married, and managed to complete an Associates from UMA. (Yes, in that order – However, I don’t recommend this life plan).
Two years later I lost a child, another little boy, and fortunately a year later had my daughter, Julia - my only planned child, and during her teenage years I often wondered if I was crazy for that decision. My Mom passed away shortly after that from Lupus complications at age 43. Honestly, this was my hardest hurdle to overcome. She was, by far, the strongest and most positive individual I will ever encounter.
We then built a house in Dayton and I went to back to UMA to get my Bachelor’s Degree which I finally finished at age 42. Both my kids graduated from TA with Julia also attending the CNA program at COT. Following her graduation, I filed for divorce--which you all learned in the TACK thanks to Bill Kany’s creative writing. I guess Tigers and Tigers can get on each other’s nerves after 26 years.
Now, my son, Casey, is 29 and lives in Biddeford with his wife, Elizabeth. He is a foreman for a landscaping company in Kennebunkport. My son, Tyler, lives in Florida and manages the Warehouse for Titan Supply. My daughter, Julia, lives with me (and her boyfriend--who drew up the architecture plans for our rotary house!). She works at MMC and will graduate next year from USM’s Nursing Program.
My professional life is much more boring so hope you can stay awake through this part.
My first real job was Rich’s Department Store at 14 making $4.10 an hour. I hit the jackpot when, at 17, I was hired as a Switchboard Operator at $6.10 an hour thanks to Jobs for Maine’s Graduates. I bought my first junker car and my ex-husband taught me how to drive (so if you don’t like it, you can blame him). I was fortunate enough to work at SMMC, now SMHC, for 25 years moving my way up the ranks from Switchboard & Admitting to the Marketing assistant, coordinator, specialist, manager and ultimately working in Development.
I joined Rotary at 28 when my boss suggested in my annual review that I get involved. Joe stopped by the office one day and I asked him about Rotary. He invited me to a meeting and gladly sponsored me. This is where I learned the true value of giving back. Rotarians immediately involved me and back then we had a lot of family-oriented, hands-on projects so my kids were able to participate. I was on the Board of Directors for 10 years holding every position except Treasurer (which is good for the club since Business Finance was the only class I ever received a “C” grade). I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Rollie Eon for being persistent and asking me three years in a row to be President before I finally conceded. I didn’t realize it was going to be the same year my son graduated and I would be back in college but it truly was my best year in Rotary.
I then met Jeremy Ray through Rotary. He asked me to be on the hiring committee for a Community Outreach & Development position at the School. Long story short, he asked me to have lunch one day when he learned I was job searching. Here’s your warning - Jeremy is the most skilled negotiator I have ever encountered but, also, if you are on a hiring committee and then you need to go through the interview process, it is 10 times harder and includes a laptop, writing a plan of what you would do in three very different scenarios in 10 minutes or less, and then presenting it to a jury of your peers.
So, you are probably thinking mid-life crisis. Extreme stability for 25 years and in a one-year time span I had graduated college, had a new job, got divorced, bought a new car, completely renovated my house and the kids were off to college. But, I was 42; my Mom died at 43. For me, it was a wake-up call that life is too short to not be truly happy.
My current job grew to include oversight of the Biddeford Education Foundation and duties for Dayton School (so technically Denis Elie is also my boss now). My next goal is to start classes this fall for a Master’s Degree in Education Psychology with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. So it is likely I will start analyzing all of you out of habit--sorry in advance.
Other committees, boards, and recognitions include: Tri-Community Little League Secretary, Saco Junior Trojans Cheerleading Fundraising Chair, Girl Scout Troop 236 Leader, Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union Vice President, Northeast Credit Union Marketing Chair, SMHC Auxiliary Board, CHCC’S Project Alliance Board, United Way Campaign Committee, Rotarian of the Year, Paul Harris Fellow, and the award I am proudest of - the Goodwin Outstanding Service Award.
So, that’s it. I did write this but I am guessing none of you will see it and if some of you see it you won’t read it anyway. There I feel better.
We finally voted on a slate officers at last week’s meeting. One of the highlights was that Alicia G was nominated for a director’s position on the Board and she accepted. I am proud to announce that we have a slate officers for the 2019/2020 Rotary Year. The list is as follows:
President: Fausto Pifferrer
President Elect: Don Pilon
Vice President: open
Treasurer: Sue Gajewski
Secretary: Julie Villemaire
Past President / Board Joe Moreshead
Directors:
Heather Gendron
Conrad Welzel
CJ Cote Dubois
Alicia Girard
Haley Thompson
Thank you to all, especially the folks who have stepped up to assume stewardship of our great club. We still need a Vice President though. It is my goal to have someone in the role before my term ends this summer. The strength of our club is us, it is us who determines the future of this club. Think about serving for a year, think about your commitment to service- maybe this is a way of achieving your own personal goals developing leadership skills, communication skills, building a network of friends and peers all while stewarding a great organization and getting a firsthand view of how important this club is to our local community, statewide, nationwide and global communities as well. It all starts here in the Biddeford Saco Rotary Club.
Our Club is in first place of 10 Rotary Clubs who participate in this program!
Total Raised: $2,496.40
Containers CLYNKed: 45,372
Energy: Saved enough energy to light 63.4 lightbulbs—24 hours a day—for a year.
Emissions: Saved the emissions equivalent of driving a car 11,999 miles.
Volume: Diverted enough containers to fill 460.4 lobster traps.
Fill up those green bags. If you need more bags and/or labels, just let Julie Villemaire know and she can hook you up…no charge!
Simple fill with returnables and drop off at any Hannaford.
Alternately, if you already have a CLYNK account of your own, you can designate you funds as a donation. Hit the Donate button and search for Rotary and you'll find our account.
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