non profit work
Supporting Maine's Aging Adults and Veterans
A message from Diane...
Greetings! In 2023, I'll once again cycle to raise funds for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing serving the communities of Windham, Raymond and Standish, Maine. The Fuller Center repairs and improves homes for aging adults and veterans, allowing them to age safely in place in the homes they love.
First up in my fundraising effort is the Tour de Florida Bike Adventure in mid-January. I'll be riding nearly 400 miles from Sarasota to Key West. This event will be followed by the East Coast Bike Adventure, in which I'll once again hit the road to participate in the first of four segments of a 13-state summer journey taking riders from Tybee Island to Portland, Maine. My ride in Segment #1 will begin in Tybee Island, GA on May 26th and end in Wilmington, NC on June 4th.
What do volunteers with the Fuller Center for Housing do? One of last year's very special local projects assisted John and Linda Gregoire of Windham, Maine. John and Linda's life changed when he was diagnosed with ALS 16 years ago. Today, John is confined to a motorized wheelchair. Sebago lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing volunteers built a farmer's porch allowing John to get fresh air and providing a safe exit from the home if needed. Scroll down this page to read more about John and Linda's journey.
Donations are vital to the success of these efforts. For the projects we do, it is not a hand-out but a hand-up. Each homeowner we help pays a portion of the cost of materials over time. In this way, they are "paying it forward." Fuller Center has a serious commitment to efficiency and is a 4-GuideStar Platinum Participant, the charity evaluator's highest certification.
You can learn more about all of the planned fundraising rides around the country by visiting Fuller Center Bike Adventure. Please keep all our riders in your prayers as we embark on our 2023 journeys. Your love, encouragement, and donations are greatly appreciated!
a very special project
Fourteen years ago, John and Linda were living happy and productive lives, coaching their children’s’ sports teams and building a successful start-up business. But all that changed abruptly when John was diagnosed with ALS, a shocking and devastating diagnosis that he and Linda have borne with incredible bravery and determination.
John is now completely physically disabled and lives 24/7 in a wheelchair. He is nonverbal but can communicate through a computer tablet. His wife, Linda, is his full-time caretaker. The two of them spend all of their time in the living room because he cannot access the upstairs bedrooms. Linda sleeps every night on the couch so that he is never left alone.
Getting outside is a lengthy and painful process for John, involving multiple maneuvers and a wheelchair lift in the garage. Because it is so hard for him to be moved, he does not leave the house at all except for necessary appointments. Even worse, the house does not have a second exit that he can access, and he would be in grave danger in the event of a fire or other emergency.
We were able to meet our goal to raise enough money to:
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build a second exit from the home so that in the event of a fire John could be removed from the home; and
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build an attached deck so that John and Linda could safely get outside for a breath of fresh air and some sunshine.
This project involved months of design, planning, budgeting, support from suppliers, contractors, and volunteers, and significant fundraising. Through the generosity of donors and the labor of volunteers, the work was completed in 2022.
Sincere thanks to all those who generously donated and/or volunteered. Together, we made it happen!
Diane Dunton Bruni, Board President
Windham residents, John and Linda.
To learn more, get involved or to donate to the work of the Sebago Lakes Regional Fuller Center for Housing, give us a call at 207-387-0855 or email sebagofullerhousinginfo@gmail.com.
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