WTH BWB - January 9, 2026
WTH BWB
January 9, 2026
Greetings Everyone! It’s January 3, 2026.
Welcome to the New Year.
When I was a kid in Jersey, we talked about the year 2000. I remember thinking, “Oh God, I will be almost 40!”
I gave up on making New Year’s resolutions years ago but for Welcome To Housing, we’re poised to meet the goal of adding a couple more trustees to our board.
We’re extremely fortunate to have Lisa Maxcy joining us from Community Health and Counseling Services and Martin Somers who recently retired from the Old Town Housing Authority. Martin and Lisa joined the monthly Fundraising Committee and Martin is looking into resources so we might be able to get Wi-Fi at the Warehouse.
He was also helpful in a big way recently when the temperature dropped below what the heat pumps can cover, the plumbing froze up. That’s the not-so-fun part of my position as Founder. Things like that are like a little dark cloud over my head. Martin stopped by 333 and thawed the plumbing. It’s all PEX but it can still cause expensive problems.
The other little dark cloud that followed me for several years was trying to figure out how to get more money to cover the cost of a solar array, not realizing until recently we could get an effective system with the money we already had in the bank.
The one that is still sort of hovering above me is the fact that the warehouse’s wrap-around porch needs some serious attention. For a couple of years now, I have been hoping that the carpentry program from Mountainview Correctional Center would take it on as they had been interested in doing the work. Martin is checking with the City of Old Town to find out who’s coming onboard as the new Economic and Community Development Director. E.J. Roach, who was in that position for a long time, recently retired. We’re hoping to see if there’s still funds available for façade improvements from the City.
333 Main as I like to call it, is an 1820s house. Neighboring Orono was part of Stillwater Plantation in 1806, so the Warehouse was in Orono before Old Town became a town in 1840 and then Old Town became a city in 1891.
January 9, 2026
Once again, we had some gentlemen come and help from the Wellspring Men’s House this week. SammiJo the Warehouse Manager is doing a great job cleaning out a lot of the cultch that’s collected at the warehouse over the years and in February, the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity will be coming on a Saturday and helping clear out the large, second floor area we call the “barn.”
Like the gentlemen we borrow from the Wellspring program, they’re always hard working, polite and I have NEVER heard any whining or complaining. In fact, it seems to be a wonderful trait that people come to us as volunteers easier than any other volunteer or “paid gig” I have done. In other words, volunteers come to us inquiring how they can help, unlike some other gigs I’ve done where it’s like chasing people down and throwing a net over them.
I also know that not being a licensed real estate agent anymore is a blessing when it comes to getting things done for Welcome To Housing.
So, we’re looking at getting about 15 members of SigEp as they call themselves.
One of the big projects apart from the solar array going up and generating power, is finding a group to help us rehab the front wraparound porch of 333 Main Street. The porch is not original to the 1820s era house, but it sure does look nice when it’s not suffering from deferred maintenance. For two years we’ve been communicating with the folks at the Mountainview Correctional Center and their carpentry program, but nothing has ever come of it after the first estimate we were given. Perhaps I will reach out to the Masons again, the carpenters we had come from several area Lodges that refurbished our entry ramp and railing and built a completely new set of stairs on the side door at the back of the building.
We’re still in need of more volunteers for committees. So far, the most active committee is the
Fundraising Advisory Committee headed by Craig Saunders.
Responsibilities
1. Develop fundraising strategies and plans.
2. Monitor execution of fundraising plans, including performance against plans, cost effectiveness, and compliance with legal and ethical standards.
3. Facilitate active individual director participation in fundraising, including director interactions with existing and potential government, foundation, corporate and individual donors, attendance at events and personal giving. Note: director personal giving includes in-kind work, as WTH is a 100% volunteer run organization.
4. Solicit individual board members for their annual gift.
5. Engage directly with existing and potential donors.
6. Educate the Board, as necessary, about fundraising skills and practices.
Other committees include the Governance Committee:
Responsibilities:
The Governance Committee Members will introduce the Welcome To Housing program to community members and agencies and be available to answer any questions that may arise.
To increase the number of members serving on the Board of Trustees.
Receive information and direction from the Founder/Director, and Board of Trustees of possible candidates for additional new Board Members.
Reach out to community members and agencies in regard to interest in serving.
Outreach and Public Engagement:
Responsibilities:
1). Increase the number of speaking engagements, tabling events, and supply drive events to one community activity in each category listed per month.
2). Increase and expand WTH’s presence in the community beyond the Greater Bangor area.
3). Promote Welcome to Housing’s Mission, Vision, and Values through its community
activities.
4). Partner with other Committees for Open House events and volunteer recruitment
5). Build enduring strategic partnerships in the community
Volunteer Development Committee:
Responsibilities:
1). Create an inclusive and comprehensive Volunteer training program and host a Volunteer training at least monthly.
2). Partner with other committees to attract and retain new volunteers who have a specific interest in or experience with Fundraising, Marketing, Outreach, etc.
3). Revise the Volunteer Handbook as necessary and contribute to each edition of the “333” Newsletter.
4). Plan at least four large-scale volunteer events annually (for example: Volunteer Appreciation events, large cleaning/organizing projects).
Finance and Fiscal Performance Committee:
Responsibilities:
1). Develop monitoring of WTH finances and annual budget.
2). Ensure financial decisions and actions are conscious of cost effectiveness, and compliance with legal and ethical standards.
3). Engage directly with the Board and any other volunteers involved with the financial affairs of WTH.
4). Educate the Board, as necessary, about the finances and budget goals of WTH
Integrated Marketing and Communications Committee: (Headed by Joe Lawlor)
Responsibilities:
Maintain the Welcome To Housing (WTH) website
Allow for online solicitation
Allow for location of WTH facility
Allow for public visibility of volunteers
Allow for testimonials of benefactors
Allow site to be used as a tool for grant reference
Allow for 99.9% “up” rate of website
Create and maintain email marketing program
Create and maintain a blog with contributions from WTH board members and volunteers
Maintain relationships with local marketing and advertising entities to promote WTH
Maintain a database of donors / potential donors which can be used for both marketing and solicitations
Maintain a database of volunteers which can be used for both marketing and solicitations
Create, maintain, and distribute survey material
Getting onto the “radar” of more resources like businesses, organizations, student groups, etc. is really important as people don’t give to organizations, they’re not familiar with. We’ve been around for over 14 years now, but we still run into people that don’t understand what WTH does or for that matter what “Furniture Banks” do.
As per usual, every so often I kid myself. I signed up to do a one-on-one introduction to coaching session on how to develop a Ted X talk, thinking my passion for what we do would be great to pull together in a presentation. On the day I was supposed to meet with the coach (today at 2:00pm) but less than an hour before, I Googled reviews and one gave me 6,800 good reasons to cancel.
As I mentioned before, I am looking forward to this spring and seeing the 24 solar panels going up on the roof.
If any of the Committees are of interest to you in terms of serving or just wanting to learn more, please reach out to me directly at welcometohousing@gmail.com or call/text me at (207) 745-1287.
Sincerely Yours,
Christopher K. Olsen
Founder and Board of Trustees President
