Living Innovations gives back to the community
DOVER-FOXCROFT — A dozen people served by Living Innovations, an organization providing support to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities to have a good life at home and in the community, along with accompanying staff, have been busy with community service projects in several area towns.
“They volunteer at the Center Theatre,” said Living Innovations Community Living Coordinator Holly Anderson at the 8 Moosehead Lane Suite 107 office (the first floor of the former Moosehead Manufacturing building). “They clean, they do some of the outside landscaping and then they sweep the parking lot. Inside they wash the windows and they clean all the seatings inside the movie theater.”
COMMUNITY SERVICE — Dalton Clark wipes the Center Theatre door as part of the Living Innovations Community Connections program. The people served by the organization carry out community service projects in several towns across the region.
Anderson said the people involved in the Community Connection program — who spend about 90 percent of their time out and about — will also head up East Street from the Center Theatre to clean The Commons, inside and out.
She said the people involved are served by staff on a one-to-one basis — Living Innovations is looking to hire more to work with Anderson and fellow Community Living Coordinator Amber Merrill — and the group is split up “so there’s not many in one area, especially in time of COVID, and they get a lot accomplished.”
Living Innovations will mark two years at its Dover-Foxcroft location next month and those benefiting from the organization volunteer on the grounds by taking care of flowers and more. Anderson said one participant loves to mow and he takes pride in sweeping the parking lot to keep it looking nice.
GIVING BACK — Shawn Donlon is all smiles giving back with the Living Innovations Community Connections program.
Living Innovations participants also volunteer at the former Milo Ecumenical Food Cupboard, now known as Dyer’s Hope House. Before the coronavirus pandemic, they helped out at the Piscataquis Regional Food Cupboard in Dover-Foxcroft.
Recently Friends of Community Fitness in Guilford began receiving assistance from Living Innovations. “They cleaned the equipment, they washed the windows and where it was nice last week they have been doing a lot of landscaping,” Anderson said.
“The town of Guilford has now reached out to us and asked us if we would be willing to help out doing the outside work for the library and do all the planting and stuff around town,” she said. Anderson said participants will be helping to plant a pink ribbon of flowers at the cemetery in Guilford.
Living Innovations Program Manager Charlie Vail said community service is also performed on the trails at the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Law Farm. “They are responsible for keeping the trails clean out there, and they do a section behind the Bear’s Den, clearing the sticks and all the debris and garbage.”
Sometimes people will clean up trash around town with garbage bags in hand.
GROUP PROJECT — From left, Living Innovations with green thumbs individual Tiffany Young and staff Mackenzie Mazzeo, Nadia Neptune and Kayla McInnis.
“They have something to do every day,” Anderson said. She said in addition to the service projects, they are getting ready for an Autism Walk as they will proceed through town in matching T-shirts to raise awareness.
“Anything we do in the community is strictly volunteer,” Anderson said. She said the Center Theatre has given movie passes as a thank you.
“Even during COVID I’m very proud of our staff and individuals for the way they have continued to follow through with some of the things that we have said that we would help out with,” Anderson said.
“We were really starting to grow it and then COVID hit, so it’s been really hard to find much new or even some of the things we were doing,” Vail said, mentioning a St. Albans animal shelter as a former volunteer site.
He said during the pandemic help has been given by picking up groceries for some of the people living on the upper floors of the Moosehead building, and taking out the trash for tenants.
Since coming to the building in May 2019, Living Innovations volunteers and residents have gotten to know one another. Anderson said the tenants have a craft fair planned for Saturday, May 1, and some people in the Living Innovations program will help raise funds for their participation in the Special Olympics.
“That’s a craft fair that people in this building were already going to put on, so they will be selling their things, but Living Innovations is going to be there selling for Special Olympics — real community integration there,” Vail said.
“It’s nice because a lot of our individuals, now they know everybody here in the building and this building has been so welcoming,” Anderson said. She explained one tenant mentioned being a bit leary two years but now he says it is a blessing to have Living Innovations there.
“It’s good for the people we support,” Vail said, saying not everyone has experience interacting with people with intellectual disabilities. “It’s really nice seeing everybody in this building just loving our people.”
“It’s been amazing watching our group grow along with the tenants in this building,” Anderson added. She said residents will give their bottles and cans to Living Innovations, to benefit their Special Olympic participation.
“The service we are providing is community support, Mainecare-funded community support and community integration,” Vail said “So when we participate in a craft fair with these ladies who are already having a craft fair, that’s real integration in the community.”
Anderson mentioned one person she worked with in years past was nonverbal and now engages in conversation. “Just watching that growth is a very rewarding feeling,” she said.