letter to the editor

For the love of community

Mon, 02/20/2017 - 3:00pm

Dear Editor:

The Boothbay peninsula prides itself with the knowledge that when a call goes out for help the community rises up!

A recent call for support went out to local non-profits from Vice President of Operations Melissa Neel, Boothbay Harbor Country Club. The need: Rocktide Inn, recently purchased by Paul and Giselaine Coulombe, had approximately 92 rooms of hotel furniture that needed new homes soon and preferably in the community.

Representatives from Boothbay Region Community Resources Council, Boothbay Region Food Pantry, Boothbay Harbor Rotary, Rebuilding Together and The Community Center met with Melissa to explore a means of distribution to residents on the Boothbay peninsula. A plan was executed, the bells tolled for volunteer help through the non-profit circuit and the most amazing people with volunteer hearts responded.

On Friday, Feb. 15, volunteers selected needed household items for shut-ins and volunteer truck drivers delivered.

Saturday, Feb. 16, the public invited to shop free for linens, lamps, pillows ,beds, desks, chairs, bureaus and so much more. Volunteers at each station assisted folks while volunteer truck drivers waited patiently for neighbors without proper transportation to make choices of large items to be loaded onto trucks and delivered to their homes.

Without the support of the folks from the local nonprofits, Big Al and two employees, Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, House of Pizza, our Boothbay Harbor Police Department, Chief Bob Hasch, Officers Larry Brown and Doug Snyder, Maureen Smith, Jim Power, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Dept., and Rocktide Inn maintenance crew, this very generous gift from the Coulombe family would have been difficult to carry out.

Hundreds came and thousands of household items are now in Boothbay region homes.

A very special thank you to Russ Armstrong, director of maintenance, BHCC, Melissa Neel, BHCC vice president of operations, and most especially to Paul and Giselaine Coulombe for their very generous hearts and care to our community.

Sue Burge

President, BRCRC