Issue 6: Spring 2018

From the Desk of the Executive Director:

RCAM Service Area: Buckfield, Canton, Greene, Hartford, Leeds, Litchfield, Livermore, Monmouth, Sabattus,

Sumner, Turner, Wales, and Wayne and pilot program in Livermore Falls.

RCAM’s Mission Is: To reach out to people of rural Maine who

are in need and to assist them to help themselves.

RCAM’s Purpose Is: To work with people to meet their needs for

safe, adequate shelter, clothing, food and basic well being in a manner that maintains

or improves their self worth and dignity.

Calendar of Events 2018

81 Church Hill Road, Leeds, ME 04263 – (207) 524-5095 – E-Mail: Newsletter@RCAM.net - Website: www.RCAM.net

May 12, 2018 - Stamp Out Hunger Postal Mail Carriers’ Food Drive

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BRIDGING THE GAP: In the words of Nelson Mandela, in his now-famous 2005 speech on poverty, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.” According to our records, more than half of the individuals that call RCAM for assistance have at least one job. We are serving the working poor, the disabled poor, and the elderly poor. How, in this land of plenty, can so many people be living in poverty? Many of our neighbors are living paycheck to paycheck with only short-term stability. SNAP (food stamp) benefits have been slashed. One senior that we work with had her food stamps cut from $100/mo. (pitifully low to begin with) to $33/month. No one should have to decide between buying medicine and buying food. Regardless of our beliefs on how politicians should react to poverty, there can be no doubt that there is a significant part of our population that is not able to meet their most basic needs, in most cases through no fault of their own. RCAM addresses poverty in a manner that sustains or increases self-dignity. We

Established 1970

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offer to buy heating fuel so that a couple can stay warm, provide shelter for a homeless family or fix a leaky roof so that a senior can stay dry. They are small steps, but so important to each individual person that we touch. A recent recipient of RCAM services, a single mom who works a full-time minimum wage job, said it this way: “Life is still a struggle everyday but because of places like RCAM many moms and dads including myself know that if times are tough and you need help they may be able to help you so you can rest and not fear you're going to be cold or put out on the street”. We are all in this together. I hope that YOU can make a donation to RCAM by using the form on the back page of this newsletter. Giving feels good! Thank you.

Mary Beth Paquette, Executive Director

April 28, 2018 - 7th Annual Auction for Action Boofy Quimby Memorial Center, No. Turner

September 22, 2018 -Fall Fundraiser Boothby’s Orchards, Livermore

October to December - Holiday Project And Wreath Making Fun-Raiser

November 2018 - Empty Bowls Supper Litchfield (exact date and location TBD)

June 4, 2018 - Worm Compost Harvest

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RCAM is grateful for the support of our volunteers who make it possible for RCAM to assist members of the community with transportation, minor home repairs, the stacking of firewood, and so much more. Eleven drivers provide transportation to medical appointments for forty-seven clients. Volunteers regularly visit the office to provide support within the office. In December, students from Ms. Sealy’s class at Tripp Middle School made, stuffed and delivered gift bags to the residents at Spring Rock Park in Leeds. Hot cocoa, cookies and carols made a festive interlude for everyone. During February, two high school students generously stacked three cords of firewood in a client’s shed. It’s these day-to-day things that are so difficult for some individuals. Volunteers, lending a

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION

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helping hand, make a difference in so many lives. With spring and summer approaching, RCAM is seeking skilled carpenters, gardeners, and drivers. If you are retired and are looking for “a special something” to do, the answer is easy; volunteer your time and give back to your community. The time spent giving back to the community not only makes you feel valuable but can also lessen worry in another’s life.

Jody Robertson, Volunteer Coordinator

RCAM Volunteers are at it … Again!

Program Updates

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A stretch of sub-zero weather at the beginning of the heating season took a toll on Mainers and left many with little or no money for fuel. “I saved money all summer, so I was able to put fuel in my tank for the winter months. Now, it’s only January, and I’m already below ¼ of a tank”, a Litchfield resident said when he called for help. “I’m left with no other option.” A resident from Monmouth called exclaiming: “My furnace has been working nonstop just to keep some warmth in here, but every time I hear it click on, I cringe at the thought of running out of heating oil, and now, I’m almost out!” An elderly couple from Turner called the office, desperate for help. The husband explained that he had put money aside throughout the summer, and every month they would add it to their fuel account. “I had enough money to get us through the winter, until during the below zero days, our furnace broke down. Between the cost of parts for the furnace and the two days of labor, our account was quickly in the negative.” He

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Winter is coming to an end! Projects such as home heating system repairs and providing firewood, oil, and propane have kept us busy. These projects have also led to partnering with other organizations and businesses.

Here Comes Summer !

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stayed up all night so that he was able to restart the furnace every time it kicked off so that his wife would stay warm! Once their furnace was fixed, there was no money left for fuel. RCAM has helped heat more than 50 homes this season. Many of the callers have been new clients to RCAM. They have a lot of pride and don’t like to ask for help, but they were left with no other

choice. RCAM has partnered with General Assistance from several towns in our service area to help with the cost of heating fuel. We were also able to connect clients to other resources and provide useful information.

Family Shelter Report We are happy to announce that since last spring, RCAM has successfully moved twenty-five individuals into permanent housing. In addition, RCAM has significantly brought down the average length of stay at the Family Shelter from 92 days last spring to 51 days at this time. We will continue to help move families out of

homelessness and into permanent, stable housing.

Crystal Hatch, Homelessness Prevention Coordinator

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RCAM’s Housing Services summer season is on its way. This summer we will be building access/egress ramps, replacing old doors and windows, and helping our clients to be ready when winter comes around again. Speaking of volunteers, our Volunteer Coordinator, Jody Robertson, works closely with Housing Services to ensure success of not only projects but also volunteer success. While following all local and state protocols, our projects are carefully matched to the age and skill level of the individual volunteers. This is how to have fun and get things done. So, hats off to Jody and her volunteers. We cannot do the things we do at RCAM without you!

Laura Zimmerman, Housing Services Coordinator

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RCAM Gardening Services is a hunger prevention program working to eliminate hunger and improve nutrition by helping individuals and families experiencing financial hardship grow and preserve their own food. We provide seeds, seedlings, tilling, information, and site visits to support successful food production. For example, a family of four moved back to the RCAM service area last summer with the promise of a job for dad. The job fell through leaving the family without income. They needed to grow enough food to sustain them until they could buy food. The kids came with their parents to choose what they wanted to grow and were looking forward to sowing and harvesting their own vegetables. The 2018 growing season will soon be upon us. Seeds have been ordered, delivered to RCAM and sorted into individual packages for distribution to gardeners. Seedlings are also being grown for distribution in May and June. Sign-up and informational flyers will be delivered to our town offices, food pantries, and also distributed through the Backpack Program in schools during April. Hopefully, this will increase the number of families utilizing this program. For more information, call Ellen at 524-5095.

Ellen Eldridge, Hunger Prevention Coordinator

More of RCAM’s History – 50th Anniversary in 2020

Gardening with RCAM

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We pick up the history of RCAM in 2000. It was more than a new year. It was a new decade, a new century, and Y2K predicting the End of the World. Happily, Y2K turned out to be pretty much a non-event, but there was plenty happening at RCAM as we entered this new era. In 2000, RCAM celebrated its 30th Anniversary and was ready to move ahead. The following year, the Board of Directors approved the acquisition of the Nason property on Church Hill Road. Originally next to the Grange, a carriage shed was moved to the Nason property and was converted by Nason Electric to house trucks, equipment and a business office. In 2001, after months of work by both local and out-of-state volunteers, RCAM expanded into the current office space. 2002 would be a big year for RCAM. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation accepted Sue Patneaude’s grant proposal and agreed to fund RCAM’s Faith In Action [FIA] program. The RWJ Foundation funds more than 1,700 projects across the country. These projects brought together coalitions of congregations, social services and other organizations to engage volunteers providing services to the frail, elderly and homebound. Sue Gill directed the program at RCAM by organizing volunteers in outreach services to elderly residents. It included transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, monitoring home repair needs, and health and safety factors. Volunteers visited shut-ins, playing games and reading with them as well as helping to complete applications, forms and letters. At the end of the grant’s funding, the FIA program became the RCAM Seniors Program, which continues to function today and currently has 11 drivers providing transportation to 47 clients to ensure that they get to their medical appointments. In the summer of 2002, eleven work groups put new roofs

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and replaced skirting on trailers, built wheelchair ramps, painted, cleared brush, fixed plumbing, and worked on many other projects. Mary Elwell from Turner was hired as a part-time Housing Administrator, joining Keith Driscoll, Project Supervisor, in carrying out the many summer projects. Mary also served as Loan Administrator overseeing the Revolving Loan Fund [RLF] program. Started in the 80’s, the RLF was in full swing by 1988 when it was considered to be a model for a State Wide Revolving Loan Fund. The RLF was funded by a variety of State, Federal, and local resources. Loans, not grants, were to be used for home energy, safety, and improvements. The terms of the loans varied from up to 7 years for selective rehab of homes to 30 years for new construction. Recipients had to demonstrate that they met the criteria for need. Unfortunately, by 2010, new compliance laws made it costly for RLF, and there was little capacity for oversight of the program. There were fewer requests for these loans, and the Board began considering alternate uses of the remaining funds, finding current community needs to be more appropriate use for them. The RLF committee worked to resolve the few outstanding loans, encouraging repayment of some and, based on the recommendation of the auditor, writing off two or three, and the Revolving Loan Fund was discontinued. Talk began in earnest in 2002 about building a Transitional Unit beside the Family Shelter in Leeds. It opened in 2004. The T-unit is available to one family for up to two years. This family most often is one that has stayed at our homeless shelter and needs additional time to seek employment and all that is needed to sustain independence. In 2003, RCAM’s partnership with Maine’s Migrant Health Outreach Program ended when it came entirely under the auspices of Maine Migrant Health Program. This program

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Good-bye and thank you to G. Mike Ladd from Wayne, who has been an active member of our Board of Directors since 2008. You have probably seen him with a guitar in front of him. Not only is he an extremely talented singer/songwriter, he is generous with his time. Mike has performed for years at our fundraisers and we thank him! In addition to representing Wayne on our Board, Mike has

played a key role in planning and in the financial fitness of RCAM. He always asks the right questions and has been instrumental in thinking long-term about RCAM’s

successfully meeting the needs of our clientele. Our best to you, Mike!

Welcome to Board members who have joined us since last spring ~ Bekah Hawley from Sabattus, Robin Upton-Sukeforth from Litchfield, Joyce Pratt from Leeds, and Robert English from Wales!

RCAM Board of Directors

Is It Time For a Name Change?

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Recently, RCAM’s Board raised the question of whether to change the name of the organization from Rural Community Action Ministry. Through the years there are occasions when the term “Ministry” has confused some who thought that the organization is church related, when in reality the organization is secular with no connection to a church or religion. “Ministry” was in the chosen name in part because RCAM was founded in 1970 by an ecumenical group of ministers from fifteen area churches. “Ministry” is also used to denote an agency, department or organization. The founders were cognizant that the word ministry’s roots are from the Latin, ministerium, meaning “service”. As a verb, to minister, means to attend to the needs of (someone), care for, look after, help, or assist. We all know that this is RCAM’s purpose: to tend to, to care for, to look after and assist our most vulnerable citizens in our 13-town service area. Affiliation with a church has never been a criterion in assessing a person’s need. Why then, consider changing the name? RCAM’s current and past Executive Directors have found that the word “Ministry” sometimes causes confusion among foundations to which they have applied for a grant. The potential funders see “Ministry” and if their grant guidelines don’t allow religious groups to apply believe that RCAM’s application is not eligible. For these grants, the writer must spend extra time and effort to ensure that it is clear that RCAM does not have a religious affiliation and is, indeed, eligible for the sought after grant. The flip side of this is, of course, some groups are interested in funding and supporting RCAM precisely because of the word Ministry. We have benefitted from the word Ministry over the

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years. The Robert Wood Johnson Faith In Action grant, which funded our elderly outreach services for years, for instance, most likely would not have been received if there had not been what was at least perceived as a link to the church. What do you think? The RCAM Board is developing a brief survey to gather thoughts and ideas regarding the possible name change. Your thoughts, whether by email newsletter@rcam.net, by US mail (81 Church Hill Road, Leeds, ME 04263), by phone (207-524-5095) or by survey, are welcomed and appreciated.

Geoff Miller, Chairman of RCAM Board of Directors

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supported outreach and Spanish translation services for health related needs and issues to the large Hispanic population in the RCAM service area. That same year, RCAM’s Rural Youth Services was suspended. Although, attempts were made to revive the program in later years, none were successful. In 2004, there was a change in leadership when Gilbert Ward became Executive Director of RCAM. There was also a gradual transition from having separate programs with their own advisory committees (Outreach, FIA, Gardening, Housing, etc.) to a more holistic approach. Often, when a staff member went to a person’s home to see about making the dwelling safe, they found that the person had no car and was unable to get to doctors appointments. A call for gardening assistance might reveal the need for a wheel chair ramp. Homelessness Prevention became the focus including the Shelter and

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Housing Services programs. In 2007, RCAM started building a workshop/storage building behind the office and in 2008 the lease on the Tri-Corner Building was relinquished. No longer would it be necessary to drive twelve miles round trip to pick up supplies or work on a project. 2008 marked the passing of Rev. Carl Geores, without whose faith, dedication, compassion, and incredible energy, RCAM would not exist. In 2009, through a grant from Maine State Housing Authority, RCAM purchased the Nason house, adjacent to the office, to be renovated as a residence for homeless and at risk seniors. This was a long process. In 2013 the Gilbert A. Ward Senior Residence opened, offering four private rooms with baths a communal living room and kitchen for five residents aged fifty-five and older. This property also provided space for a large vegetable

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garden, which today provides abundant vegetables not only for the residents but also for local food pantry consumers. In 2012 RCAM received the “2012 Spirit of America Foundation Tribute” for outstanding community service. Spirit of America is a public charity that was established to encourage and promote volunteerism. United Way of Tri-Valley and Androscoggin County began sending volunteers to RCAM for the United Way Day of Caring. Individuals and employees from local businesses volunteer on the “Day of Caring” to help people and agencies in their communities, and at RCAM, with gardening, painting, and cleaning. Entering the second decade of the century, RCAM continues its commitment to easing the lives of our less fortunate neighbors.

Pam Bell, RCAM News Co-Editor

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Saturday, April 28, 2018 doors at Boofy Quimby Memorial Center on Route 219 in North Turner will open a 4:30 p.m. for the 2018 RCAM

Auction for Action for a Silent Auction, a generous and delicious BBQ fare for sale (similar to last year), live entertainment by Stan Davis and his protégé Chase Stewart (both from Wayne), door prizes and more. A Live Auction, with Auctioneer Ed Wheaton, will begin at 6:00 p.m. to provide an exciting evening for all. A special “Thank You” to our loyal sponsors – Androscoggin Bank, Otis Federal Credit Union, Monmouth Credit Union and J.S. McCarthy Printers – whose support has made this annual event possible. Generous donations from local businesses

and friends of RCAM will provide a bountiful auction. Pictures of all donations can be found in the “2018 RCAM Auction” Album on RCAM Facebook page, under the Photo menu. Be sure to LIKE us and SHARE this RCAM event with your family and friends. Hope to see you on April 28th at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Center on Route 219 in North Turner. Support RCAM. Bid high and bid often!

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Fundraising is all about getting the community involved and supporting a cause. Proceeds from all our fundraising events support homelessness and hunger prevention in the RCAM service area. Empty Bowls Suppers are held across the country in the fall to raise hunger awareness while providing a simple meal of soups, salad and desserts. RCAM’s third Empty Bowls Supper was held in Livermore and raised over $1,350. The 2018 supper will be in Litchfield in November. Location and exact date are to be determined. Last December, Rural Community Action Ministry hosted a Fused Glass fundraiser with twenty-two participants. Beautiful pendants, magnets, earrings, and sun-catchers (some to be

Quoting from recent studies by the University of Exeter in the UK, "volunteers rated their levels of depression as lower and their levels of well-being and life satisfaction as higher than non-volunteers".

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featured in the April 28th Auction for Action) were created by layering pieces of glass then fired in a kiln. Lynn Curran-Sargent, a local artesian from Random Pottery in Harrison, provided all materials, instruction and firing. This event was such a success that RCAM is considering hosting another fused glass event in the fall. In February, Jock Robie of Mainely Worm Bins of Gorham, facilitated a Worm Composting Fundraiser. This event was educational, fun, and each of the thirteen participants took home a bin, bedding, 200 red worms and everything needed to begin their own worm farms. The first harvesting of castings to enhance our gardens will be on June 4th. Thanks to all participants in RCAM fundraising events, we are able to help the most vulnerable among us. An “Elder Volunteer” said: When cabin fever sets into this old house and these old bones, I am reminded of something an old professor said to me…no matter how crazy the world appears, if you are not part of the solution, you could be part of the problem.

7th Annual Auction for Action

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Rural Community Action Ministry 81 Church Hill Road Leeds, ME 04263 Online: www.RCAM.net Email: newsletter@RCAM.net Phone: (207) 524-5095 Address Correction Service Requested