Welcome To Housing’s Bi-Weekly Blog-October 3, 2025 (sort of)
Better Late Than Never
Greetings!
Here’s an idea… Let’s call this the “333 BWB.” No? Okay…
I have to smile as much as I love writing and ALWAYS have…(I was the kid in your English Class in grade school that LOVED writing assignments, much to the bewilderment of you and most of the class) but I won’t kid myself, I KNOW there aren’t many if ANY readers of my bi-weekly diatribe. If I was smart, I would get a prize of some sort and offer it to someone who contacts me after I plant an “Easter” egg among the many words.
Things have been busy to say the least. For me, people don’t always realize that I don’t draw a salary from starting and overseeing Welcome To Housing (WTH). When I went to Darling’s Kia on Friday to leave off a thank you letter and framed Certificate of Appreciation as they collected donations and gave out ice cream treats. One of the salesmen I sought out the first time I visited is a very dear soul named Jeff Ridley as we worked together for a number of years at Prudential Real Estate. Like me, Jeff is pretty laid back and easygoing, which in the real estate market isn’t always popular among designated brokers like the one we used to work for.
What raised the issue though of perception was when the sales manager asked me “How long have you been with Welcome To Housing?” It was a great question, but it made me realize he thought I was an employee of the program and not a volunteer. In other words, WTH is my hobby not my career. We had a great conversation though about the possibility of having the Ice Cream For A Cause Truck at an event in the future. WTH would love that but as I expressed to Trustees on the Fundraising Committee, we would like to arrange for the truck to be at an event with a “captive audience.” By that I mean at some sort of event that we either organize or more likely are affiliated with. That would make more sense than just setting up at some random location and “hoping for the best.”
There are several different car “families” in the area, from the Darling’s (whose history goes back prior to automobiles), the Quirks and the Varneys. All of which are very much involved in serving people in the community, above and beyond just selling vehicles.
We also talked about common connections like Bob Jonah who I’ve known since my years with the March of Dimes as Bob used to manage the Ames Department Store up in Dover-Foxcroft and has now worked for Darling’s used car division in Bangor for quite a few years.
One of the salesmen that my wife Robin and I worked with a lot, (who sadly passed away in 2009) Cliff Runnells we found out a while back was good friends with Janet “Jan” Doucette, one of our long-time volunteers and Board of Trustees member.
I guess what I’m driving at is the importance on relationships and connections, which when you’re talking about a nonprofit with a shoestring budget…like that of WTH. We served 1,807 people and 903 households for all of 2024 (Jan 1 to Dec 31) for $25,000. Environmentally we saved an estimated 46.8 tons of furniture, household goods, adaptive equipment, knick-knacks and paddywhacks from going into the landfill prematurely.
Another relationship is with a common friend to Craig Saunders, the Trustee that heads up the Fundraising Committee and me. Craig works for Machias Savings Bank and the common friend recently retired from the bank, Todd Christiansen. I’ve known Todd from the late 1980s when he managed Gay’s Shop ‘n Save in Machias and Calais. I will never forget when I was out in Calais for two days for a very successful Jail & Bail event and instead of going back to my motel room after the first of the two days, Todd invited me to come out to a cookout and softball game his employees were having. It was an absolute joy and one of the reasons I always have enjoyed working with people for nonprofits. This State has a strong sense of community and being able to have the freedom of being semi-retired I get to enjoy it even more.
This biweekly will be shorter than normal as I’m already several days past the day I would normally have it due, by the original goal.
I’ve been a licensed REALTOR ® since October of 2004 and I’ve renewed my license for a couple more years as license cycles are done two years at a time and within that time you have to take 21 hours of continuing education and of those 21 hours, there is 3 hours of what’s called the Core Course and then 3 hours of a course focused on the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. Along with attorneys and physicians, real estate agents who are part of the National Association of REALTORS® are required to live and work by that Code.
Years ago, I would take the required courses asap and often times I would get many more hours than required, I remember one two-year cycle I ended up with close to 40 hours of continuing education. This last cycle, I’ve already taken the two required courses and completed the rest of the hours within a couple of weeks of renewing my license as I took the classes online.
Well before too long I will be retiring after 22 years as a real estate agent and will be able to do more with Welcome To Housing. The reason I bring this up is that between my real estate work and doing broker price opinions which are my career gigs, they have to take priority over the volunteer work, including overseeing this nonprofit. Hence the tardiness of the BWB (Bi-Weekly Blog).
Today is Monday the 6th of October, just a matter of 3 days prior to the 14th anniversary of Welcome To Housing Home Goods Bank, Incorporated. YES, that’s the FULL formal name that we’re registered under with the Internal Revenue Service as well as the State of Maine. I will never forget one conversation with the State of Maine Financial folks so we could include the term “Bank” in our names.
There’s a requirement with the State to get the approval and to ensure that as a furniture bank, a food bank, a gray squirrel’s nut bank… You have to promise NOT to mess with loans, and other sorts of things affiliated with lending institutions.
The gentleman with the State Financial Whatever was fairly stoic on the phone… Think of Joe Friday from the original show Dragnet.
If you’re old enough to remember, when you would open an account at a bank, they would sometimes give you a TOASTER as a thank you or incentive. YES… I know it sounds odd… YES…THAT kind of toaster. Pop in your bread or Pop-Tart and a few minutes later, all toasted, warm and yummy!
So, as we closed out the conversation I couldn’t resist: “Well…umm…sometimes we DO give out toasters…but they’re USED.”
His “walls” came down, and he laughed. It’s fun using humor to connect with people.
I remember when I realized I wanted to get a hold of Birdie Googins… You know the funny lady who used to do the ads for Marden’s? I KNEW her humor would be perfect, and she donated her time as did Gene (God rest his soul) Hardin, also known as J.J. West on 95.7 WWMJ to produce two timeless public service announcements or WTH.
By timeless, they can run forever or as long as we’re around. They promoted the mission with humor and shared the web address.
I told Robin, my beloved, that I wanted Birdie (no puns intended) to do the PSAs because everyone knew her and even if you didn’t her humor was engaging and doing two versions would help reach more people and not having one seen over and over and over again was a plus.
NOW, I would have LOVED to do a serious one about the program with someone like Roma Downey, but God help me, when she comes on TV to do a public service message, I need to cover my ears and avert my eyes, while I shout to Robin, “Hide the checkbook.”
Why? Because people like Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel) are my Kryptonite. Between her outward appearance, my knowledge of how she really DOES help in real life and that soft Irish accent…Well, you get it.
To me, for a soul to be truly beautiful, there has to be a strong presence of “compassion.”
Two charities ads that also get to me are for the Shriner’s Hospital with the kids as spokespeople and the other are the families in Danny Thomas’ St Jude’s Children’s Hospital that’s now in the hand of the star of “That Girl,” Marlo Thomas…Another beautiful and compassionate soul who knows the importance to using their “celebrity” status to help others.
There is a lot of other things going on, including the ongoing struggle to get more volunteers on the committees that serve with the Board of Trustees. They include:
Governance, which works on bringing in new board members as well as volunteers to help with the following committees:
Community Outreach and Public Engagement Committee
Volunteer Development Committee
Fundraising Advisory Committee
Integrated Marketing Communications Website/Outbound Marketing
Finance and Fiscal Performance Committee
If you have any questions or might be interested in becoming involved in the behind-the-scenes committees, please contact me by calling or texting (207) 745-1287 or via email at: welcometohousing@gmail.com
And finally for this edition of the 333 BWB…
I received a call from a VERY complimentary and bubbly lady earlier today. She opened up The Community Closet 207 in Ellsworth, right on Water Street. Apparently, she heard a lot of nice things about yours truly and had a couple working with an attorney trying to get the last details in place so they could have custody of two of their children.
Having worked for Bette (pronounced like Bette Midler’s first name, not like Bette Davis) who is a legend to me for her and her late, great husband’s work as foster and adoptive parents, I understand some of the things required.
Whether it’s someone moving into a sober living home like the many houses overseen by yet another hero of mine, Scott Pardy… parents of children in adoptive, foster or kinship care (people raising other people’s children, usually but not always, by a relative) or in this case a biological parent or parents bringing home their children… It’s REQUIRED that they have a REAL and COMPLETE bed. Meaning a mattress, box spring (or if there is a platform frame, no box spring needed) AND a frame. No mattresses on the floor, pull-out sofa beds, sleeping bags…
Like that really BAD Dad joke…
A man sharing with a therapist…
“I keep having a recurring series of dreams… One night, I dream I’m a Wigwam… Next night, I dream I’m a Tipi. What do you think it means Doc?”
Smiling the therapist responds, “Isn’t it apparent? Obviously, you’re just TWO tents!”
But the icing on that cake from the Founder of the Community Closet 207 was in the conversation and compliments from the couple working to get custody of the two kids.
Due to the distance of where they lived, the immediacy of their need, and the fact we have grant funds for such things, I went online on my smarty-pants phone and ordered a pair of twin mattresses to be delivered by Walmart to the Community Closet 207!
And don’t forget to go online to any or all of our social media platforms and wish us a “Happy 14th Anniversary…
We’re on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Twitter/X, and YouTube.
Love, peace and share that gift you have of COMPASSION!
Your Founder and Board President
Christopher “Please Lord, No More Dad Jokes” Olsen
