Putting the finishing details on a log dollhouse has kept a couple of inmates at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset busy as the Dec. 17 date to raffle their creation off to raise funds for Lincoln County seniors approaches.
The first-of-its-kind venture for the jail gives the inmates a chance to give back and at the same gives them a good feeling in making the dollhouse.
“We’re trying to give them a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes that goes a long way, and they love to give back,” said Naomi Bonang, jail industries supervisor. “A lot of them have not had many successes, and there are things they haven’t been able to do.”
As they planned the dollhouse fundraiser, the inmates decided they wanted to help out senior citizens who might have a hard time during the cold weather.
“We were thinking of how everyone is dealing with heating this winter, and a number of people said senior citizens are in need,” Bonang said. “It’s a segment of our society that sometimes gets over-looked.”
The male inmate who started the project has made cabinets in the past but never has made anything like the dollhouse with such intricate detail, including a sunburst for the door and elaborate stone fireplace. Bonang said he had no blueprint, only a simple drawing to go by.
“I looked at the sunburst over the door, and it was just amazing,” she said. “He’s done a phenomenal job.” The dollhouse will be the last woodworking piece he does before he leaves the jail this year.
Helping him with the endeavor, Vince Abbott has been making small pieces of furniture. The pair used scrapes left over from other projects to make the finished product, which if purchased in a store or made to order, would cost an estimated $1000 or more for the two-story model.
“It’s a sight to behold,” Bonang said. “We’re pretty excited about it.”
Besides the furniture making, the crochet class, which is a recent addition to the industries program Bonang initiated three years ago, has been making small rugs to go in the dollhouse.
The proceeds from the dollhouse raffle will go to Senior Spectrum in Damariscotta and Bath for senior citizens who are residents of Sagadahoc and Lincoln County.
“I told them I’d like to have this focus on those two counties because that’s where we (jail) are,” she said. Both counties instituted the jail and share operational costs.
The last chance to buy raffle tickets for the dollhouse will be at Shaw’s in Bath Dec. 13 between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. People can view the dollhouse on the jail’s website.
“We’re trying to raise as much money as we can,” Bonang said.
The inmates have been involved in other things as well in the industries program at the jail. For instance, in the spring, Bonang plans to conduct an organic gardening project to raise vegetables that will provide area food banks and soup kitchens with fresh produce.
Other plans include making wood components for Morris Yachts in Trenton. “It’s a pretty exciting project,” Bonang said.
Currently people interested in purchasing handcrafted gifts for Christmas can buy wooden items inmates have made from oak, cherry, and curly maple on display in the lobby of the jail.
