More than 60 Auxiliary members attended this year's Spring Brunch March 21, an annual event gifted to the Auxiliary by St. Andrews Village for the many contributions made throughout the year to the Village and its residents.

Auxilians turned out in record numbers this year to bid farewell to outgoing St. Andrews Thrift Store manager, Penny Thumith, and to welcome Carol McCarthy who has graciously agreed to lead the successful funding venture into the future.

Penny has been credited with raising over $1.5 million dollars during her 17-year tenure as the unpaid director of operations at the store that is run completely through volunteer efforts and with the generous donations of goods from the community. Penny thanked her volunteers who she said strongly contribute to the store running “like clockwork.” Penny was presented with a bucket of items she could enjoy in retirement, which included garden gloves and a bottle of champagne.

Carole McCarthy, introduced by president Irene Gerny as “a little dynamite,” was presented with a basket that could barely contain the pair of overly large but fashionable high heeled shoes she will be expected to fill - that basket also came with champagne! Carole acknowledged Penny's outstanding job and said she hopes to “fill those shoes” with the help and continuing dedication of the volunteers.

Linda Redman, scholarship chair, introduced the group to Fred Baez who is a recent recipient of an Auxiliary scholarship for Ostomy Management certification (www.woundsource.com › Blogs › Diana Gallagher's blog). Baez, originally from the Dominican Republic where his father is a doctor, worked in New Hampshire for several years before joining LincolnHealth Home Health and Hospice. Baez talked about this being the best program for which he has ever worked and is looking forward to the opportunity to gain more skills to assist patients in need of this specialized care.

Brunch was then served by Amy Ronan, director of dining services, and her dedicated staff, and an amazing meal it was! Seafood chowder, fresh greens, chicken crepes, poached salmon with a dill sauce, shrimp cocktail, brie with a fruit chutney, deviled eggs, an array of baked goods and fruit salad. Topping it off was a tri-level dessert sporting a gooey chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a raspberry for good measure.

As the meal wound down, guest speaker Sue Burge, recent past president of the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council (BRCRC), took the microphone to describe the work of her organization which, with 100 volunteers and eight programs gave the community 6,000 hours of much needed services in 2017. Partnering with LincolnHealth, BRCRC also has two paid community navigators who work out of office space on the St Andrews campus to offer hope and support to individuals facing difficult life circumstances.

Through the efforts of BRCRC, 24 other local organizations interface and collaborate on assisting, through monetary help and other resources, a population largely made up of two income, seasonally employed families. Heat, food, clothing, financial guidance and addiction services are some of the many areas that are addressed by this dynamic organization that coordinates resources through partnerships and associations with groups such as the YMCA, LincolnHealth, local educators, police and sheriff departments, local businesses including Hannaford, clubs and associations like Rotary, Lions, Southport Island Association, eye and dental service providers and local churches, to name a few.

BRCRC's programs include the Community Navigator (CNP)that will help those in need access a wide variety of resources including emergency assistance; the Woodchucks, a dedicated group of men who chop, haul, store and then deliver wood throughout the winter to families needing heat; Fuel and Utilities Assistance; Food for Thought which delivers nutrition rich food to cover weekend meals for children in the homes of struggling families; a free Clothing Closet; Set for Success, a program that enlists wide community support to ensure all students in the region start school with all they need to be successful; Addiction Outreach, a cooperative effort between BRCRC's Holly Stover and local police - a new program which has already positively touched over 130 lives; and the Higher Education Initiative which funds a $25 contribution to a NextGen college savings plan, administered by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) for every eligible student in the Boothbay region to help encourage families to plan for higher education for their children.

In this time of political chaos and economic uncertainty, Sue Burge is bringing a message of hope and enthusiastic assurance that our community is on the right track. Of the work being done on the Boothbay peninsula to improve the quality of life for all she said, “We are unique and we are a model that others are watching.” When people ask “how do you do it?” Ms. Burge replies, “We care!”

Ending on that high note, president Irene Gerny thanked our social chair Carol Lingard for organizing the event, St. Andrews Village staff for hosting the Auxiliary membership, and our presenter, Sue Burge.

The St. Andrews Auxiliary welcomes new members and volunteers who want to work within the St. Andrews medical facilities or at the St. Andrews Thrift Store. Contact Patty Colhoun at pccolhoun@gmail.com to join the auxiliary; Carol McCarthy at crmccarthy20@hotmail.com to volunteer in the thrift store or Leslie Cook if you would like to volunteer at the Village or on the LincolnHealth St. Andrews campus.