The Boothbay region is reputed to be a "community that takes care of its own," and the Boothbay Region Community Resources group is an exemplary case and point.

The Reverend Sarah Foulger, of the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, and The Reverend Greta Russell, formerly of St. Columba's Episcopal Church, spearheaded the creation of the group in 2003.

Said Rev. Foulger, "We wanted to find ways for resource providers to communicate with one another better, as well as ways to make our limited resources go further to meet the needs of the community."

Foulger and Russell invited representatives of non-profit organizations, town leaders, Boothbay schools and Edgecomb Eddy School, and churches to attend a round table discussion at the Congregational Church.

"We didn't want to create a big formal structure so we founded an association of people who were already assisting people in need in our community," said member Kit Sherrill of Southport.

The resulting mission statement of Boothbay Region Community Resources: "To inform the citizens of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport and Edgecomb about the social services available that may offer help."

BRCR

meets once a month at the Congregational Church. At meetings members discreetly report on the cases they have had - clients are never referred to by name, only initials are used in the records kept by Sherrill for the group - services referred and/or assistance given.

The Boothbay Region Community Resources volunteer association includes representatives from the Knights of Columbus, Boothbay Harbor Methodist Church, Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Boothbay Baptist Church, Edgecomb Congregational Church, St. Columba's, the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, the Masons Seaside Lodge, St. Andrews Hospital & Healthcare, Edgecomb and Boothbay schools , Salvation Army, Southport Island Association and the four towns.

Foulger believes the variety of backgrounds that are brought to the table by these groups increases the odds that persons in need will find one among them that they will be comfortable reaching out to.

Social worker Tammy Blackman comes to the table via the hospital's affiliation, extending the reach and services within the community of BRCR to address the chronic issues that often impact outward need.

These issues, such as mental illness, unemployment and health problems, create an ongoing need within families. BRCR, through the social worker, can work with the family to help change their situation by directing them to existing resources that can help.

For example, if there is a family where a mental health issue exists that is impacting a recurring situation/need, the family member(s) will receive a referral(s) to appropriate resources.

"We did not form just to help with bills," said Foulger. "We are trying to dig beneath the surface to enable individuals and families to gain the insight, and the tools, to cope and bring about positive change in their lives."

BRCR member Marian Cadrette-Anderson, Boothbay's Code Enforcement Officer and general assistance director, concurred. "It is important to recognize that it's about much more than money. Often it is providing folks with the tools and resources they need to help themselves - which is ultimately what they want to do."

The Boothbay Region Community Resources group receives referrals through local clergy, town general assistance directors, and schools

In some cases, a need is so great that one resource alone cannot meet it, but, by working together and pooling resources, BRCR can provide what a family, individual, and/or elderly member of the community requires.

The towns on the peninsula do have general assistance funds set aside for residents within the specified state income guidelines. Often, however, an individual or family is just over the set guidelines, and this is where BRCR can help by combining efforts and resources to benefit a family's situation.

Foulger emphasizes that the entities all work cooperatively and network extensively, pooling their resources to meet a need.

Boothbay Region Community Resources has assisted residents of the Boothbay peninsula with everything from eyeglasses to gas money for a sick child's doctor appointment to food to heating assistance.

The latter has had this group in the spotlight this winter. BRCR has held fund-raisers to help those in need stay warm due to the high cost of fuel.

Other groups, including the Boothbay Region Elementary School (BRES) teacher Nancy Erkman's eighth-grade class who raised $110 by holding a Hat Day, have organized fund-raisers.

To date fund-raising events combined with generous individual, association and organization donations, between the months of January and mid-March, have raised $9,280 for fuel assistance.

"I think the level of need this winter has been sparked by the high cost of fuel and gas, and a slowed economy," Sherrill said. "Increased unemployment in town has left more people hurting out there than in past years."

Indeed, Cadrette-Anderson has observed an increase in the number of working families, including two-paycheck households, with two or more children, who are not earning enough to make ends meet.

Housing is an issue for many in the region. BRCR has referred several residents to the Davis Island apartments on Route 1, next to Midcoast Federal Credit Union.

Sherrill said that many of the residents BRCR has helped are "convinced that if there was housing available for lower income residents that was well-built, well-insulated, they wouldn't have many of the problems they have."

Enter Rebuilding Together, another local organization that BRCR refers folks to for repairs.

Donations are also in the form

of gift cards to Hannaford and Rite Aid, items which members of the BRCR board have given families and individuals.

These gift cards and donation checks are dropped off at the town office in Boothbay, the designated drop point for donations, or mailed to the town office (P.O. Box 106, Boothbay, ME 04537).

Sherrill said that there has been an increase in "shows of generosity" between neighbor and neighbor.

He cited an example of an elderly woman who had been having difficulty paying for heat this year, but donated what little money she had for another person she heard was in the same situation.

In addition to contributing what they can, recipients of BRCR assistance express their appreciation by volunteering at fund-raising events.

And civic groups such as the Barter's Island and Southport Island Associations, and many others donate regularly to BRCR.

Cadrette-Anderson said the generosity of the residents of the region was overwhelming during the holiday season when everything from books to bikes was donated/purchased.

Board members are acutely aware of how difficult it is for many to ask for help due to Yankee spirit or because it can be downright embarrassing; and perceived by some, including the person(s) in need as an admission of failure, but in reality, is not.

This sensitivity is demonstrated by board members who have gone to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry to pick up a three-to-four day supply of food or popped a gift card(s) into someone's mailbox.

Sherrill acts as the official record keeper and records the previous month's statistics at each of the BRCR monthly meetings.

At the March meeting, the following statistics were reported that represent the time period of November 2007 through the end of February 2008.

The amount of funds expended for heating assistance, for 77 households, was $17,825. An additional $25,915 was used toward rent, food, electricity, prescriptions and clothing for 42 households.

The Congregational Church's secretary, Debi Babcock, is also the Human Service secretary for the Salvation Army on the peninsula.

"Heating assistance was very costly this year," said Babcock. "Every 100-gallon delivery was $300 or more. There were also a lot of people who had adjustable rate mortgages that found themselves unable to pay. We would sit down with them and say, `We can help you this month, but what will you do next month?"

Sherrill, Cadrette-Anderson and Foulger all admitted that there are residents who have not received help from BRCR.

Some situations involve people who do not try to help themselves, who may, for example, continue to abuse substances - a behavior that only serves to reinforce a continuing pattern of need.

Remember the mission statement, "…to inform residents of resources to help …"

"They have to be held accountable," Sherrill said.

www.BoothbayRegionCommunityResources.org contains an extensive listing of social services in the following categories:

Food and clothing, child and youth services, health and mental health, violence and abuse, transportation, housing and utilities, addiction resources and the elderly.

The education/jobs and financial counseling categories, to date, lack entries because no known non-profit agencies address these issues.

The BRCR Web site is linked to the state's 2-1-1 referral service that was created in July 2006. The United Way organizations in Maine partnered with Ingraham and the state to make the Maine 2-1-1 service possible.

Trained personnel answer 2-1-1 calls and draw from some 13,000 resources to help respond to the needs statewide.

Others utilize the Web site: www.211Maine.org

BRCR's contact information and Web site are also on the United Way of Midcoast Maine's (www.uwmcm.org) list of commonly requested community services.

Despite inclusion on these Web sites, BRCR is still not widely known on the peninsula. Some have suggested that they deliberately stay "under the radar."

Cadrette-Anderson said that the perceived low profile was kept to respect confidentiality.

"If you draw too much attention to yourself, you can scare away some folks," said Cadrette-Anderson. "We take seriously the confidential nature of those who approach us, that trust us enough to share what they need with us. That is an important trust that we maintain."

Responds Foulger, "We are not in this for the publicity and recognition it could give us; we are just quietly setting about helping to meet the needs of the community."

It is clear that the groups that comprise BRCR have gone far beyond being an information resource if you look at what they have provided for members of our region and their families: heating assistance (wood, oil, propane, electricity), clothing, food, temporary housing, housing, pharmacy bills, transportation, and fuel.

Members of the BRCR board also help residents complete applications for housing, LIHEAP, food stamps, and MaineCare.

"All of this assistance has been made possible because it is a community effort with everyone working together to help those in need," said Cadrette-Anderson.

For referrals or help, bear in mind that calls to the participating area churches from Friday afternoon through the rest of the weekend may not be answered until Monday because the offices are closed.

For more information, referrals or information, contact Marian Cadrette-Anderson at 633-2192 or Kit Sherrill at 633-0672 and/or visit www.BoothbayRegionCommunityResources. org.