New Venture

Greetings from Eaton Mem. UMC in Livermore, Falls, Me. I am serving this church 1/4 time and UMEM 3/4 time now. We have a mission team from N. Kingstown, RI UMC at the church this week. They are working on the garage, church side entrance, parsonage porch, upstairs bedroom and various other small projects. 14 of us staying in the parsonage this week! 1 shower!!! Church folks have been coming by to visit and bring goodies. The team is so happy and doing great work. God is good all the time! All the time, God is good!!

Annual Conference

Greetings!

We are getting ready for conference and it sure is busy. We will be building handicap ramp modules at conference. Stop by and pound a few nails or saw some boards.
You will also have an opportunity to donate a board or two or three to this project. Both UMEM and Mechuwana are represented at this display that will be outside.

We also will be demonstrating how to make draft dodgers for your doors and windows. Residents who participated in UMEM's Warming Center this winter got to make these as well as rice bags for hot packs or cold packs. These are both practical, made out of materials that you might have on hand and low cost if you have to buy some materials. Come see how you can cut your heating cost next winter.

See you at Gordon College on Wednesday!

Blessings,
Kay

Financial update

Greetings,
Many thanks to those who responded to our plea for funds. We are still in a crisis, however, and we as asking that you spread the word in our behalf. We are continuing to battle disconnects and now are having to consider cutting staff hours even further --- back to 3 days/week for our fulltime staff. This will mean that we will also have to cut some services back as well. The need for our services is at an all time high so this will have an impact on the folks in our service area. As the school year ends,families will be looking to us for more food for their kids who will not be able to get free or reduced cost meals at school. Usually we are able to "bump" up on some items that we give out, but we may not be able to do that and we may have to cut hours the food cupboard is open which will make a further hardship for families in need of food.
Please keep this ministry in your prayers and search your heart and your checkbook to see if you can reach out in support of this vital mission.

Blessings,
Kay

Financial Crisis

Greetings,

As the title hints, UMEM is in a financial crisis. Late winter and spring are usually a difficult time financially for UMEM, but with the global issues of earthquakes, volcano eruptions, etc. donations this year have nearly dried up. We depend on our supporters to help up maintain this vital ministry that has been working with the people of western Maine for more than 40 years.

I have sent out emergency emails to some of our supporters. Others will be contacted by mail or phone to let them know about our situation. Please pray for us and do whatever you can to assist this United Methodist mission.

Full-time staff have cut their hours --- some to 32 hrs, some to 24hrs and some to half time. Part-time staff have been cut back or are not working at this time. Bills for heat, lights, phone, etc. are 60 days overdue and we had a disconnect this week from Central Maine Power that we paid so that we can keep offering services to the community.

I do not like to give out bad news, but the reality of our situation is dire and we need your help. Please consider how you can assist us in continuing this important ministry of the United Methodist Church.

Blessings,
Kay

Celebrate!

I just realized that we got through the winter without frozen water at UMEM in Salem. This has been an ongoing issue each winter for the past several years. We can celebrate that the relatively mild winter was kind to us and let us have water and working bathrooms all winter. I know that the Salem staff are glad that they do not have to lug water to work every day.
So, we celebrate the seemingly minor things even as we celebrate God's greatest gift to us, his Son, a loving sacrifice for us. On this Maundy Thursday we hear the story of Jesus in the garden and the events leading up to the crucifixion. On this glorious Easter morning, remember to celebrate. "Christ the Lord is risen today!"

FROST HEAVES

Cleaning my office is not a favorite thing, but today I found an old copy of Moose Musing, our old newsletter. The piece on frost heaves seems especially appropriate for now, so I will "reprint" it for you.
2001 - "As I was driving on Rt. 27 between Augusta and Farmington last week, my van was attacked by several frost heaves. It is my belief that ravenous frost heaves come out of hibernation each spring and prey on unsuspecting drivers and their hapless vehicles. Luckily no lasting damage was done, but the shake up did get me to thinking....
Driving over frost heaves is a lot like living in this area. We all know what happens when our car hits a frost heave; sometimes we are air-borne, but at the very least we are shaken up. When we hit a frost heave in our life --- a lay off, an illness, a car repair, the furnace quits, or some other unexpected calamity --- we are thrown off balance and have a hard time gaining control again.
It is that lack of control that is so frightening. When our car hits a frost heave, we clench the wheel and fight for control. When our life hits a frost heave, we cannot always find a way to regain control. We feel as if we are careening from crisis to crisis --- totally out of control.
For more than thirty years(forty now) the United Methodist Economic Ministry has been assisting people to regain control of their lives. When the frost heaves of life strike, the UMEM reaches out to help. Fire victims, domestic abuse victims, unemployed, handicapped, elderly and children all know that at UMEM we will listen and that we care. They know that we will help them regain control of their lives.
None of this would be possible without the support of caring individuals, congregations and mission groups. "
Frost heaves are still with us --- are you still with us? We need your support to continue our mission. Send us your donation: UMEM 1458 Salem Rd, Salem Twnship, ME. 04983
Blessings, Kay Webb, Executive Director

March 12,2010

Hi again,

Our financial report today is a little scary. We have several outstanding bills and just under $500 in the checking account. We have been is worse shape and have gotten through, but I have to wonder if this reflects the earthquake relief work. Up until this point, our donations have been pretty steady, but they have recently dropped off. Please keep our mission in your prayers and if you have not contributed to UMEM lately, please consider doing it now. Spring is often a time when donations drop off, but it is a time when we need to gear up our summer program and of course that takes money.

The Union, Me. church is visiting UMEM in Salem tomorrow and will lend a few hands with work on site. We are excited because they will be able to use our newly renovated community room. We are anxious to have their comments on our winter's work in there.

I am going to Hampden, Me. tomorrow to do a UMEM presentation to the Greater Bangor UM Churches Cluster. I am looking forward to seeing old friends in Northern Dist. and to meeting new folks. The other presenter is Sister Lucy of h.o.m.e., Inc. I was their business manager for two years back in 78-80. Wow, that was a looong time ago. Wonder if Sister Lucy will remember me!

Till later,
Kay

UM Foundation Dinner

Hi again,

I spoke about UMEM at the UM Foundation Dinner last evening. This group was so welcoming and excited about the work we do in western Maine. I met some wonderful people who were just learning about us as well as some old friends. UMEM received a $2,000 grant from the foundation in 2009 that we used to establish the craft/warming center. The support from the foundation has allowed us to realize our dream of helping local crafters with the production, marketing and sales of their crafts. We are still in the beginning stages, but we have generated some excitement and local folks are coming in to check us out.

The warming center will be open tomorrow from 10-3 with Doris Stone as our hostess. We will be teaching crafters to work with wire to make pins, suncatchers, etc. Next week we may get out the sewing machines, who knows!

Till next time,
Kay

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW

What a LOT of snow we got! Sugarloaf (just north of us) got 4 ft. Staff had two days off for storm days and then struggled their way to work on Saturday. Crystal Cook (Operations Manager) did a 360 and a half and went into a snowbank. No one hurt, no damage, just one of the frustrations of winter driving. Since it was still snowing and they had only one person come to the food cupboard and no one to the Thrift Shop, we decided to close at noon so staff could get home safely. Bunny made it back to Rangely with her husband --- normally an hour's trip, but took MUCH longer on Saturday. Next week will be busy as folks try to dig out and get their lives back on track. We expect a very busy week at the Food Cupboard. Don't forget that we always need personal care products: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc. We are also in need of good used or new blankets and bedding for fire victims.

Warming Up

Feb. 26, 2010 This week's warming center was not very busy due to the weather. Those who braved the slush and snow enjoyed a mac & cheese lunch with the rest of the staff. We made needle felted pin cushions and embellished them with beads from our stash. Next week we will make wire angels that can be used as pins or hung in the window or be used as gift ties. While cleaning up after our fun time, staff members Crystal, Yvonne and Wayne made more fire starters. Nobody got burned with the hot wax and we have a new supply of fire starters for the furnace. UMEM has been closed for the last two days due to the winter storm that has closed schools and agencies in the area. Our rule is that if the school is closed, UMEM is closed. So, staff should be rarin' to go tomorrow! Till next time, Kay

This week's update

Hi all, we are still looking for blankets and bedding as well as personal care products, so don't forget us when you go shopping. The dollar stores are usually good places for personal care products. The warming center was fun this week. There were dart games, some went shopping in the Thrift store and then we had American Chop Suey for lunch with pie for dessert. In the morning we made draft dodgers and everyone got to take one home. We used a garbage bag, duct tape, and two lengths of pipe insulation. They were fun to make, not expensive and fit under the door nicely. We have more materials so we can make them again for those who were not with us this week. In the afternoon we made fire starters using old candles that we melted in an old crock pot. We used small muffin pans and the small paper liners. First we put in shredded cedar pet bedding and then we filled them with wax. As they were cooling, we put some more cedar shavings in the top so they will light well. Everybody got to take some home. Next week we will be teaching needle felting --- all materials will be provided (even band aids!) so come and have some fun with us and learn a new craft. See you later.........Kay

Current Needs at UMEM

It is the season of house fires here in western Maine where many people are heating their homes with wood. Sometimes folks have to "make-do" with stove installations that are less than desirable from a safety perspective. There was a mobile home fire caused by a woodstove that was installed in the center of the home and the chimney was just a pipe through the wall. The family was away at work, but they lost everything including their much loved pets. That is only one example, but I could go on and on. At UMEM our "stash" of items for fire victims has gotten really slim. We are asking that you might share any of the following items with us: blankets, pillows and bedding, towels, washcloths, personal care products (shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, combs, nail clippers, lotion, dental floss, flaatware, toasters, dinnerware sets for four, pots and pans, etc. New or gently used items, please. We just need to be able to meet some basic needs while fire victims start to put their lives back together. Of course we can always use monetary donations to support staff time and to purchase those things that are needed to run our prograns. Bless all our churches and individuals who assist us in our mission to walk with the people of western Maine. till later.....Kay

Warming Center Feb. 3, 2010

Greetings again! I love it when I need to do more than one post at a time! At the Warming Center yesterday we made rice bags out of men's sport socks. We filled them with rice and tied them at intervals. These can be heated in a microwave and used as a neck warmer, wrapped around a sore arm, wrist, etc. or used as a foot warmer in bed at night. But I get ahead of myself! The day at the Warming Center started with coffee and snacks. I saw folks putting puzzles together and all were involved in a Bingo game at one time. There was much discussion and laughter and a dart game developed as well. Our hostess, Doris Stone served a soup lunch prepared by one of the folks who came back for their second week at the Warming Center. Good soup, good conversation, fun, creativity, and a sense of community were the highlight of the day.
While the Warming Center was humming along, the rest of the staff were busy with their regular work. We had fire victims come in for assistance with personal care products, clothing and bedding. We had a volunteer/client in crisis that involved several staff who were able to offer support, love and care. The situation is not resolved, but everyone is working to help the client develop a plan and a strategy that will lead to solutions. Pray for this part of our mission here in western Maine.

Congratulations to Crystal Cook

Greetings! Last Thursday night we attended the United Way of the Tri-Valley annual meeting, dinner and campaign celebration. As a part of this gathering, many awards were given and I am so pleased to be able to report that our own Crystal Cook (Operations Manager) was given the Community Impact award. This is only the second year of this award which is given to a person in Franklin County, Maine who has "gone above and beyond in impacting the residents of Greater Franklin County". Crystal was presented with a placque and much applause by those attending. We at UMEM know that the celebrating was heard across the connection and in heaven. Crystal is truly our very own angel and we are so fortunate that she came to us to be a part of our ministry to the residents of this isolated and challenged area. God bless you, Crystal!

January Doings

Whew, what a rainstorm we had yesterday! Looks as if we are getting our Jan. thaw. At UMEM we are celebrating that Bunny Moore (Salem Thrift Shop Manager) will be back at work today after having surgery. Welcome back, Bunny!! This is the week we will be opening our Warming Center as part of the Franklin County Energy Resource Team effort to help residents conserve heating fuel. We will be open 10-3 each Wednesday through the end of March for folks to come in and spend the day. They can turn the heat down in their home and stay warm near our wood furnace. We have painted the area and done some general "sprucing-up" and put in comfortable chairs, a carpet, tables and chairs and new lighting. We will have coffee, etc. in the morning and will serve a soup and sandwich lunch and have snacks available all day. There will be games, puzzles, books, magazines, craft materials, a sewing area and opportunities to do projects. This week we will be packing health kits for Haiti. The community is a buzzin' so we hope to have a good time on Wednesday.

till next time... Kay