CHERRYFIELD, ME — Maine Seacoast Mission joins Housing Rehabilitation Program Manager Scott Shaw in saying “Thank you!” to Trinity Lutheran Church, Camp Hill, PA volunteers for their recent good work in Maine.
“They installed a new wheelchair ramp, installed windows and did some drywall and interior painting for an elderly woman’s Winter Harbor home,” said Scott Shaw.
Architect’s drawing of the Downeast Maine Tiny House.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2019
CONTACT: Sarah Nugent
Telephone No: 207-664-2424 Ext. 5944
Email – Sarah.nugent@downeastcommunitypartners.org
Downeast Maine Tiny House Project Unveiled
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Downeast Community Partners, in affiliation with Maine Seacoast Mission, Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, and the C.F. Adams Foundation held a press conference on Monday, June 10th at the Weald Bethel Community Center, Weald Bethel Lane, Cherryfield, ME to unveil the Downeast Tiny House Project.
The four entities have a long successful track record of working together to make family homes safe and warm in rural Downeast Maine. The Downeast Tiny House Project has the four groups building a brand new tiny house to be located in Cherryfield, Maine , for a formerly homeless US military veteran with a disability. The veteran, who has asked to remain anonymous, is also helping with financing the Project.
Maine Seacoast Mission Housing Rehabilitation Program Manager Scott Shaw said, “The prior work of these four groups is in housing rehabilitation. That is, selecting Downeast family homes needing roofing, siding, skirting, wheelchair accessibility, windows, doors, flooring, exterior and interior painting, so the families living in these homes will be safe and warm.
“With our housing rehabilitation, the families involved have skin in the game. That criteria is true of the Tiny House Project too. What’s new with building the Downeast Tiny House Project — it is a brand new home for a local military veteran,” Scott Shaw said.
The 560-square foot Tiny House, designed by Maine architect Jeri D.W. Spurling of Spurling Design in Islesford, ME, will be set on private property.
As of this writing, Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School students in Massachusetts, under supervision of Director of Technical Programs Russell P. Mangsen and Lead Carpentry Teacher Bill Italiano, are constructing the home. Once finished, the home will be trucked to Maine, placed on a foundation, and finished for occupancy.
“Assabet Valley and Maine Seacoast Mission have been discussing the possibility of constructing a tiny home for years, to enhance construction programs teaching and learning for grade 9 and 10 students preparing for off-campus construction projects in grades 11 and Grade 12,” said Director Russell Mangsen.
“We are extremely excited about this excellent student learning opportunity which will provide an energy-efficient home for a deserving individual in Cherryfield, Maine,” Director Mangsen said.
“DCP has had a program to serve homeless veterans, currently has a program to provide housing to veterans, and employs several veterans, so this project has a strong personal connection for us,” said Bobbi Harris, DCP Housing Director and 22 year retired Navy veteran.
The Project is also a pilot project for, perhaps, tiny houses for other military veterans and/or Downeast senior citizens.
The Downeast Maine Tiny House Project is made possible through the generous funding of the C.F. Adams Foundation.
The Downeast Maine Tiny House Project blog, managed by DCP’s Sue Unger, will serve throughout the Project as the information center for Project news. https://www.downeastmainetinyhouseproject.com
For more information on how your company can support this program, call Scott Shaw at the Maine Seacoast Mission at 207-546-5869.
Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School volunteers with Housing Rehabilitation Program Manager Scott Shaw
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Housing Rehabilitation Program Manager Scott Shaw sent this photo of “a new wheel chair ramp built by the Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School on the Community Center this past week/weekend!”
What a fantastic addition to the Weald Bethel Community Center, making it easier than ever for people relying on wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers — or who have difficulty using stairs — to get in-and-out of the Community Center and enjoy the events.
Thank you, Assabet School volunteers.
Learn how your support of the Mission’s Housing Rehabilitation Program helps many Downeast coast community people in so many ways.
Mr. & Mrs. Lee Watrous (Photo by Scott Shaw)
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Earlier this year, Lee Watrous and his volunteers almost single-highhandedly completed the final phase wing of the new Weald Bethel Community Center.
Mission Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager Scott Shaw worked closely with Mr. Watrous. So, Scott Shaw was surprised a few days ago when Mr. Watrous and his wife visited the Community Center unannounced and not “full of drywall and sawdust,” Scott said.
Here’s the rest of Scott’s message and photo
“Lee Watrous and his wife Gail came to visit and stayed at a local airBnB over the weekend. They also attended a Cherryfield Academy concert and went hiking.
“I told Lee I didn’t recognize him. He wasn’t full of drywall and sawdust! He cleaned up pretty good! I told him I wanted to post a good photo of them on Facebook while he was clean!”
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Lee Watrous and his construction wizards from Connecticut were instrumental in bringing the Mission’s new Weald Bethel Community Center to completion. Their volunteering and their skills are truly invaluable.
This photo, taken today in Downeast Maine, is of Lee Watrous’s crew not letting something like a steady rainfall keep them from making another family’s home safe and warm.
Learn more about the Mission Housing Rehabilitation Program
Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager Scott Shaw
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Maine Seacoast Mission’s Human Resource Generalist Ann Cox Halkett announces the promotion of Scott Shaw to the position of Downeast Campus Facilities and Housing Rehabilitation Manager, effective July 1, 2018.
For the past 15 years, based in Cherryfield, Maine, Mr. Shaw served as Downeast Campus Caretaker and Housing Rehabilitation Program Coordinator.
The Housing Rehabilitation program fixes or rebuilds twenty houses a year. From painting to insulated mobile home skirting to new roofs. The rehabilitation work is made possible by more than 350 volunteers from church and community groups across the U.S. who spend one or two weeks at the Weald Bethel Community Center and make a huge difference in these families’ lives.
“We are in awe of how Scott handles the hundreds of moving parts of the Housing program,” said Ann Cox Halkett.
At the June 1, 2018 Weald Bethel Community Center grand opening, the culmination of a 10 year dream, Mission Director of Service Programs Wendy Harrington said, “This wouldn’t have happened on the ground if it weren’t for Scott Shaw. Scott made this happen and he’s going to keep it happening.”
Shaw will continue overseeing the Housing Program, and he will also take on management of the newly expanded Downeast campus.
Learn more about the Housing Rehabilitation Program and Weald Bethel Community Center