People in Lincoln County are cold and hungry, volunteers at nonprofit groups are staggering under the avalanche of need and Waldoboro town officials are working to find a way to help all concerned.
On Nov. 20, the Waldoboro Board of Selectmen met with members of the Community Housing Improvement Project (C.H.I.P.) Inc. in an effort to better serve the town and greater community.
In a workshop session at the beginning of the meeting, selectmen and C.H.I.P. members agreed to work with one another to help the many people in need of assistance.
Town manager William Post said at the beginning of the workshop that the Board is working to establish a Philbrook Fund policy. The Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Philbrook Fund was accepted by selectmen from both Damariscotta and Waldoboro in 1960. Selectmen have recently decided to establish a policy for the use of this fund as it only states that it is to be used to help the “worthy poor”.
The challenge posed to the town in assisting low income citizens is maintaining the budget and not exceeding the limits of funding available. The Board has recently been looking into using a portion of money from the Philbrook Fund for emergency heating assistance.
“I’ve been to a lot of those homes, and believe me, these are the people we want to be helping,” said C.H.I.P. coordinator Janice Mellyn.
Sitting by Mellyn were C.H.I.P. members Lisa Flemming-Ives, Mary Stevens, Al O’Donnell and C.H.I.P. president Jo Cragin. Having explained their goal regarding the Philbrook Fund, the Board asked the group members to explain the efforts of the non-profit in the community.
Cragin said that their organization has provided thousands of dollars and many volunteer work hours in Waldoboro and around Lincoln County. The faith-based organization founded by Ruth Ives 24 years ago gathered church members together to help people in their homes to be safe, warm and dry.
Cragin said that the organization spent $62,000 in Lincoln County, $25,000 of which went to Waldoboro families. She said that they provide a one-time emergency heating assistance boost to families in the amount of $250. They also do small home repairs on a year-round basis, she said.
Earlier in September, the organization held a “Community Cares Day” where over 100 volunteers helped to winterize homes. Cragin said volunteers weather-proofed 12 homes in Lincoln County that day, seven of which were in Waldoboro.
The organization weatherizes homes in a continuing effort to keep residents warm. She said that work has also involved roof repair, painting and interior floor repair. The organization’s volunteers and carpenters replace siding and further insulate homes.
Mellyn described an unnamed C.H.I.P. client who had reluctantly called for help. She said that the woman who called didn’t want to bother the non-profit for assistance, but was unable to do the work herself.
Mellyn said that the woman’s husband had Lou Gehrig’s disease. She couldn’t work a full time job, because she had to care for her husband. Mellyn said that the floorboards of the woman’s home had deteriorated and she could see into her basement. The house was cold as a result and she couldn’t do the repairs herself, Mellyn said.
“There are a lot of extenuating circumstances, particularly in this economy,” Mellyn said.
She said that of the many calls their organization receives (including 77 recent phone calls asking for heat assistance), there are a lot of newly poor citizens. These are people who are working and have suddenly become swamped by the high cost of living or who have experienced some sort of trauma.
In addition to teachers who are among the newly poor, Mellyn said that many of these people work in fields that involve helping others, such as in the health and human services.
Asked by selectman Bob Butler what the average age for C.H.I.P. clients were, Mellyn said that the organization helps a lot of elderly people. She said that they also help single mothers.
Restricted by guidelines and a fixed budget, the selectmen wanted to know how C.H.I.P. members determined who would receive help. Waldoboro General Assistance Administrator Darryl McKenney explained how general assistance operates. Applications must be filled out and criteria such as income and expenses must be calculated.
People who seek help beyond general assistance must appeal to the Board of Selectmen. McKenney refers these applicants to the Board who then meets with applicants in private session.
McKenney said that it is difficult to react to applications as quickly as the non-profit group, because of the process. The Board of Selectmen meets twice per month. Applications take time to process, Post said.
Board members concurred that the funds at their disposal are restricted and that funding has to be monitored so that it doesn’t dry up.
“Compared with the money you are handling, the Philbrook Fund is small,” said selectman Theodore Wooster.
Post added that they want to establish a policy for the fund to make sure it is spent carefully and to respect the intentions of its benefactors.
“We feel a real responsibility toward those people who have donated money to make sure that it is spent wisely,” Cragin said, affirming that the group makes sure the people who receive their assistance truly are in need. “We get a little money from a lot of people and we feel very responsible.”
The Board and C.H.I.P members have the challenge of helping a large population in need of assistance. Somewhat tied by the bounds of their limitations, they agreed to work with each other to best help the community.
“I think it is really critical for us to have a policy,” Board chair Clinton Collamore said, adding that their members change and new ideas often come into play.
Post asked C.H.I.P. members to maintain communication with town officials and keep them apprized of what is happening in the community.
“We do make the decisions, but we represent the people when we make those decisions,” said selectman John Blamey.
