WTH BWB Happy Thanksgiving

November 28, 2025

Greetings everyone,

November 21, 2025

One grant application for Opioid Settlement Funds has been completed and submitted, this one to the

Penobscot County Commission. We’re also applying to the City of Bangor for the same amount.

We’re also applying to another foundation for money specifically for our adaptive equipment program.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is coming up. It’s one of my favorite meals that my wife makes.

We’ve been married for just over 40 years and like I tell people, I have never had a bad meal. Her

Thanksgiving turkey is always incredibly delicious. She cooks the stuffing outside of the bird and with

the bird, it’s apples and oranges cut up to add flavor and keep the meat nice and juicy.

A number of years ago, we had a meal around Thanksgiving time with my late half-brother, Greg, his

girlfriend and her Mother. Her Mom made a Turkey Tetrazzini dinner and it has to have been the

driest turkey I’ve ever had, to the point I whispered to Robin asking her to assure me were still having

our OWN turkey dinner. Thankfully we were and we did.

Thanksgiving Evening, November 27, 2025

Ahhh! Thanksgiving dinner was INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS as always. Ghirardelli baking cocoa to

make a chocolate crème pie was exceptionally good.

We’re gathering the trustees for the Annual Meeting next month and I’m looking forward to it for many

reasons, including meeting Dennis Wint in person, our mentor from SCORE (Service Corps Of

Retired Executives). It’s been wonderful working with him as we strive to become more structured

and organized as we started out small and have grown to the point where we need to be more

focused.

One of the things I’ve been proposing to the Board of Trustees is a volunteer recruitment and

orientation meeting in the spring. I was originally looking at the possibility of the venue being at the

former Clif Eames Learning Center on Maine Avenue that was part of the former Bangor Savings

Bank campus before BSB moved everything downtown to the Bangor waterfront. OHI owns the

building now and despite contacting them, I haven’t heard back. The building has a lecture hall with

an inclined floor and computer stations.

The other day though an even more sensible location would be the Richard Dyke Center For Family

Business at Husson University. I lucked out a few months ago, wanting to meet the new President at

the school. She in fact called me as a donor of furniture, specifically from a guest room they rarely

use. Years ago, we had more contacts with Husson and the New England School of Communications.

A reception in the spring would allow time to promote and plan for the event and give us a better

chance of getting a good turnout. Also being in the spring, we wouldn’t have to worry about

snowstorms and cancellations.

What we need to focus on is building the number of trustees and volunteers for the different

committees we have and need to keep moving to meet the ever-increasing demand.

We had a listening session back in the October meeting and the one this month, Dennis Wint was the

“listener” and he’s done a great job keeping us on track. One of the things he pointed out which I

never really thought of, was that we don’t need to focus as much on the distribution of furniture and

other items but rather the SERVICE we provide to people that makes things easier for people starting

over.

November 28, 2025

Having two more grants to work on, one due on Monday at 12:00 Noon, this will likely be my shortest

of blogs.

Hope you all had a great holiday with family and friends.

Sincerely yours,

Christopher Olsen

Founder and Board President