Mission Promotes Scott Shaw to Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager

Mission Promotes Scott Shaw to Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager

Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager Scott Shaw

CHERRYFIELD, ME — Maine Seacoast Mission’s Human Resource Generalist Ann Cox Halkett announces the promotion of Scott Shaw to the position of Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager, effective July 1, 2018.

For the past 15 years, based in Cherryfield, Maine, Mr. Shaw served as Downeast Campus Caretaker and Housing Rehabilitation Program Coordinator.

The Housing Rehabilitation program fixes or rebuilds twenty houses a year. From painting to insulated mobile home skirting to new roofs. The rehabilitation work is made possible by more than 350 volunteers from church and community groups across the U.S. who spend one or two weeks at the Weald Bethel Community Center and make a huge difference in these families’ lives.

“We are in awe of how Scott handles the hundreds of moving parts of the Housing program,” said Ann Cox Halkett.

At the June 1, 2018 Weald Bethel Community Center grand opening, the culmination of a 10 year dream, Mission Director of Service Programs Wendy Harrington said, “This wouldn’t have happened on the ground if it weren’t for Scott Shaw. Scott made this happen and he’s going to keep it happening.”

Shaw will continue overseeing the Housing Program, and he will also take on management of the newly expanded Downeast campus.

Learn more about the Housing Rehabilitation Program and Weald Bethel Community Center 

 

Maine Island Elder Care Homes: Ahead of Their Time

Maine Island Elder Care Homes: Ahead of Their Time

Southern Harbor House, Elder Care home, North Haven, ME

BAR HARBOR, ME — Southern Harbor House on North Haven is a new assisted living facility among a network of eleven Maine island communities. Elder care workers from these communities meet each year to discuss challenges, resources, and to make action plans at an Elder Care Conference hosted by the Mission’s Island Health Director Sharon Daley, RN.

Director Sharon Daley attended Southern Harbor House’s “Opening Event,” Saturday, July 7. In a later phone conversation, Daley said Southern Harbor House “makes four islands with these small, wonderful elder care homes.” Daley’s home island, Islesboro, has an elder care home. So do Vinalhaven and Chebeague.

“It’s really the way care should be given,” Daley said, who also credits The Genesis Community Loan Fund, Brunswick, ME for its “huge help.”

Southern Harbor House Administrator Lindsey Beverage is a member of the Elder Care Conference network. She was a community Outreach Worker “with a dream of building [an elder care facility] on North Haven,” said Daley.

At the “Opening Event,” “Lindsey recognized the Mission’s Elder Care Conference and the connections she made there. The knowledge and support of other Conference administrators was such a help in navigating Southern Harbor House through to completion,” Daley said.

“The North Haven community pulled together to make this home possible. Somebody donated the building and land; raised the money. Lindsey pointed out that some people gave $25.00; some gave $250,000 — and all of it was important,” said Daley.

“But really,” Daley added, “the islands pulled together and helped with all of this. That’s a story in itself.”

Sharon said Islesboro’s elder care home, Boardman Cottage, developed much the same as Southern Harbor House, with ”all the volunteerism. People landscaping, cleaning-up, painting — all of that.”

Sharon remembers first reading about Vinalhaven’s Ivan Calderwood Homestead assisted living home around 2001.

“The Sunbeam was on Vinalhaven. I walked to the home, asked if I could look around. They said, ‘Somebody else from Islesboro just asked us for information about how we started, our policy books and all. We copied everything. Could you take it to them?’”

That “somebody else from Islesboro” and Sharon “had our first meeting, got others involved, formed a Board, and that’s how [Boardman Cottage] got started,” Daley said.

Today the network of elder care home administrators is quite effective. Sharon said, between Elder Care Conferences they “have monthly phone calls. Two or three times a year we meet in Augusta with State people involved in licensing and regulations. Island elder care homes got a 15-percent MaineCare increase when we proved it costs more to run an elder care home on an island,” she said.

“There’s just so much good about the island elder care homes,” Daley continued. “You get a great feeling when you walk into them. They are homes.

“Staff are often taking care of their own grandmothers,” said Daley. “They’re trained and licensed to give medications, diabetic care, oxygen therapy — the training they need. It makes great year-round employment for staff, and it’s rewarding care.

“Sometimes it’s really hard. We lost three residents in a short period of time. Staff and residents — they’re like family,” said Sharon.

Our conversation ending, Sharon added, “It’s wonderful for people not to have to leave the islands. It’s not only good for them, but also their family members. One visitor comes to visit somebody, they end up visiting everybody — because they know everybody.”

“I think the islands are ahead of their time in providing this kind of care,” Sharon finished.

Learn more about the Mission’s Island Health activities.

EdGE: Experiential, Creative, Thought-Provoking Activities

EdGE: Experiential, Creative, Thought-Provoking Activities

CHERRYFIELD, ME — This photo of EdGE kids in Cherryfield was taken in the spring of 2018. EdGE offers after-school programs in six elementary schools in Washington County—Milbridge, Cherryfield, Harrington, Addison, Jonesport-Beals, and Machias.

EdGE after-school programs include an opportunity for each student to choose from a variety of experiential, creative, and thought-provoking activities. Each program includes a snack, homework help and tutoring with certified teachers. Any given afternoon may find students biking on a nature trail, experimenting with pasta sauces, programming robots, or sculpting with papier mache.

Learn more about EdGE.

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