When Peggy Pinkham asked Laura Honey to be the spokesperson for the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service’s fundraising campaign, Honey said she asked: “Why me?”

Pinkham countered with: “Why not you?”

And with that two of the region’s well-loved leaders joined forces to assist the local emergency healthcare service.

Honey is familiar with healthcare issues, its local transition and was a member of the St. Andrews Hospital board back in the days when St. Andrews was still a standalone hospital. Honey said she thinks many in the area may not realize the ambulance service is no longer an on-call volunteer service but has developed into a 24/7 operation staffed by emergency professionals.

“The couple of times we’ve had to call the ambulance here, I called and they came right away. I had a great sense of comfort, if I called, they would be here,” Honey said. “I feel it’s very important that people realize that this is something we have to have here, especially when we don’t have a full-time hospital anymore.”

Since the closing of St. Andrews Hospital, BRAS has been transforming the services they provide, while simultaneously working to improve administrative efficiencies and transform its board. They have been doing this with a small staff and a significant loss of income that previously came from transfers out of St. Andrews Hospital.

“The structure of the board is changing, i.e., its responsibilities and duties. Based on this change, the role and responsibilities of staff will change,” Pinkham wrote in an email. “The work I am assisting in is not what one would call the day-to-day work of BRAS — emergent transports, their paramedicine program, etc. — but those functions that support their core business.”

During BRAS’ transformation, it has received a lot of support from the community, but also a little heat from the Boothbay Harbor budget committee. The ambulance service receives subsidies from Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Southport, based on population and call volume.

“We have gotten a challenge from the town to reduce our need for town subsidy. Our goal this year is to raise $150,000, which is a pretty aggressive number but the community has always been supportive,” BRAS Operations Manager Scott Lash said. Lash said money raised will go toward replacing an ambulance and reducing the subsidy request to local towns.

Honey said she was troubled by some of the concerns raised about the ambulance service’s subsidy request in Boothbay Harbor. “It seems like so many people nitpick and look for the negative instead of the positive and the bigger picture does not get appreciated.”

“I would guess there is limited knowledge from our communities about what it takes to operate this service, the regulations, billing, collections, human resource function requirements, etc., etc., etc. — the list is vast. It is like any other business that has to meet all the requirements of a larger nonprofit but with fewer people — it’s a challenge,” Pinkham wrote.

Honey and Pinkham are volunteering their time to this fundraising effort and are partnering with Jessica LaBonte, who is putting together the foundation for an annual fund drive, and Jen Orchard, who is assisting with some business functions.

Honey will be sending a letter to every family on the peninsula this summer asking for their support. Like her husband, the late Rep. Ken Honey, she said she will give her personal attention and signature to every request. Lash said other volunteers have stepped forward to assist with the mailing, as well.

In addition to local fundraising, Lash said the ambulance has received several grants to support its operations and special projects.

Since 2012, the ambulance service has been awarded over $250,000 in grants, including over $170,000 from the Doree Taylor Foundation and $40,000 from the Schacknow Foundation, Lash said.

Among the projects funded by these grants are advanced levels of emergency care training for EMTs, a simulation training lab and critical care equipment, public automatic external defibrillators for the region, a local community paramedicine program and an upgraded radio system.

Lash said the St. Andrews Auxiliary’s recent donation of $25,000 allowed the ambulance to retire the note on its last ambulance purchase and a new grant from LincolnHealth will fund community paramedicine visits at $21/call.

Lash said BRAS will continue to look to grants to support and expand its capabilities.

Local residents can expect a donation request letter from Honey this summer. Like the local ambulance service she represents, she hopes residents will respond promptly.