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.
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.
Insulating interior walls of the ‘Final Phase’ of Weald Bethel Community Center construction.
CHERRYFIELD, Me — The Final Phase construction on the Weald Bethel Community Center is on target for completion by June 1. To better accommodate the skilled, hardworking, volunteer groups who travel here to help, the addition will house 49 volunteers, complete with bathrooms, showers, commercial kitchen. The new space can also be utilized for other Mission programs for students, families, and seniors.
Housing Rehabilitation Program Coordinator Scott Shaw especially cited Lee Watrous (CT) and his work crew, Cumberland Congregational Church (ME), Ascension Lutheran Church (PA), and Assabet Valley Vocational School (MA) for contributing time, materials, and resources to ensure the Final Phase is completed on time.
Fox 22/WVII-TV reporter Jack Hilton interviews Mission Housing Rehabilitation Program Coordinator Scott Shaw on the program’s successful 2017 season, with the help of great volunteers.
CHERRYFIELD, Me — Mission Housing Rehabilitation Program Coordinator Scott Shaw recently outlined for President Scott Planting, and the Mission Board of Directors, a summary of the Program’s 2017 season.
Scott Shaw said this year’s “very successful season” involved 15 Volunteer Crews totaling 214 volunteers, who worked on 20 homes and three non-profit local community outreach facilities.
This was the first time the Mission offered online applications for Volunteer Crews, and also other online applications for people wanting help making their homes safe and warm.
Paper applications were also kept available for Volunteer Crews and potential customers.
The online application, “certainly was easier for the volunteer leaders,” said Mr. Shaw. “We received a few (online applications} from homeowners/clients,” but, as a group, this year they preferred the paper applications.
Here is a list of the homeowners and non-profits helped this season:
-Cleaned out attics and basements for weatherization 2
-Community Non-Profit projects 3
With completion of the Cherryfield Campus’s Weald Bethel Community Center expansion expected — to provide Volunteer Crews better living facilities during their stay in Maine — Scott Shaw said, “We have roughly 175 volunteers already booked for just three weeks in June 2018.”
