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Spirit of Pine Tree Society Honoree Marie Preston’s Spirit Lives On

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On Wed., July 20, Pine Tree Society honored the 2016 recipients of the Spirit of Pine Tree Society award.  The profile below is the story of posthumous honoree Marie Preston.  Learn more about the other honorees: Priority Learning of South Portland and Dave Johnson, owner of Kennebec Electric of Waterville.

Marie Preston was the second Executive Director of Pine Tree Society – or Easter Seals as it was known — and was instrumental in establishing Pine Tree Camp in 1945.

Her son, Jim Preston, was eight years old at the time and recalls that it was after the war that his mother became executive director.

Newspaper articles from the time reveal Mrs. Marie I. Preston as a tireless advocate for people with disabilities.  From spearheading conferences to leading fundraising efforts to running Pine Tree Camp and the Hyde Home in Bath, the Lewiston Daily Sun and Evening Journal made frequent mention of her efforts and accomplishments.

She achieved much before she died in December 1956 at the age of 56.

She opened Pine Tree Camp.  She opened the Hyde Home.  She was instrumental in the passage of Maine legislation providing for education of children with disabilities through the Department of Health and Welfare.  Just a year before her death she completed plans for an adult rehabilitation program and workshop at Hyde Home.

When asked what spurred her passion, Jim is sure it was her personal experience with polio that drove her.

“When she was five she had polio. She couldn’t walk and was wheeled around in a baby carriage until she was cured at age eight.  After that, she was physically all right but I’m sure it impacted her.”

When Pine Tree Camp first opened Jim describes it as typical of the time.  There was a main lodge where everyone came together for dining and there were individual cabins in the surrounding woods.

He and his father, Burton Preston, worked together to get ten cabins ready for the first year.

“We planted a big victory garden and grew all the vegetables to feed the campers and counselors.  Originally, the campers had polio and cerebral palsy and there were some who had lost a limb in farm accidents.”

Jim spent five summers there with his mother.  His father died when he was nine.

“I always loved camp.  I have many memories of the kids and of working at the camp as a family.”

He has particularly fond memories of the early years when there were just 15 to 20 small cabins.  “We’d all have dinner together every night and after dinner people would sit around and visit.”

He recalls how it was always a big deal to put the docks in at the start of the summer and that everybody helped out.

“I’ve always been gratified by the experience,” he said.

Mrs. Marie I. Preston instilled the spirit of Pine Tree Camp in her son and in all of us who carry on her legacy today.

Thanks to her, thousands of people of all ages have been gratified by their experience at Pine Tree Camp.

Spirit of Pine Tree Society honoree, Dave Johnson gave back to a place that transformed his daughter’s life

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On Wed., July 20, Pine Tree Society honored the 2016 recipients of the Spirit of Pine Tree Society award. The profile below is the story of honoree Dave Johnson, owner of Kennebec Electric in Waterville. Learn more about the other honorees: Priority Learning of South Portland and Marie Preston.

“Freedom. The ability to do any activity you want. Freedom from pity. Freedom from being looked down upon.”

That’s how Carol Brunjes Weaver describes Pine Tree Camp.

Carol is David Johnson’s daughter and she began attending Pine Tree Camp when she was eight-years-old. “Pine Tree Camp restored my faith in myself.”

“What Pine Tree Camp did for Carol was amazing to me,” said David. “She came back from Pine Tree Camp a totally different person and, from that time on, she excelled.”

Carol was born with cerebral palsy.

“Coming out of second grade, I was broken. I’d just turned eight. I had a horrible second grade teacher who didn’t think someone with a disability of any kind should be in her class. That summer I went to camp and it healed me. People just treated me normal.”

For David, the spirit of Pine Tree Society is what Pine Tree Camp does for kids. “What it does for kids’ confidence levels is amazing.”

David is the owner of Kennebec Electric in Waterville. Thirty years ago he was hired to work on an electrical job at Pine Tree Society’s office in Bath. He had never heard of the organization before and when he asked what they did, he knew camp would be a perfect fit for Carol, but he didn’t think their family could afford to send her.

When he learned that no camper had ever been turned away due to their ability to pay, there was nothing that could hold them back from giving it a try and they decided to enroll her. She attended camp for the next 10 years before going to college and becoming a math teacher.

“I will always be grateful for what Pine Tree did for Carol.”

When he learned that Pine Tree Society was building two new cabins as part of its Master Plan for Capital Improvements, he jumped at the chance the help out and offered to wire the buildings for free.

“It’s my way of giving back for what they did for her.”

When asked to describe her father, Carol said, “He is generous to a fault. We were talking the other day and he said he tries to do a good thing for someone every day.”

She and her dad were very close when she was young and they grew apart when she was a teenager.

“Pine Tree Camp brought up back together. It’s something we have in common. It means a lot to me that he puts so much into something that means so much to me.”

David is very humbled by the Spirit of Pine Tree Award.

“Pine Tree Society is one of the greatest organizations in the state of Maine. I love and appreciate them and this award makes me feel grateful and honored at the same time.”

Spirit of Pine Tree Society Honoree Priority Learning grateful for Pine Tree Society

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On Wednesday, July 20, Pine Tree Society honored the 2016 recipients of the Spirit of Pine Tree Society award. The profile below is the story of honoree Priority Learning. Learn more about the other honorees: Dave Johnson, owner of Kennebec Electric in Waterville and Marie Preston.

Priority Learning is an organizational development consulting firm that helps organizations fulfill their mission by training their staff in how to lead.

Their motto is “We believe in the potential of all people.”

Pine Tree Society’s motto is “Discovering abilities together.”

Together, Priority Learning and Pine Tree Society have made a commitment to discovering and developing the potential of Pine Tree Society’s leaders and rising stars so they have the tools they need to bring a greater impact to the lives of Maine people.

“We have a philosophy that says we should be giving back,” said Priority Learning’s founder Ralph Twombley. “I can’t think of a better cause than Pine Tree Society.”

Ralph and his wife Lorraine founded Priority Learning to train, coach, and mentor managers and leaders. They recognize that non-profits like Pine Tree Society lack the resources to provide high level, dynamic learning for their staff, so they stepped up to offer their services in-kind.

“We each have a work of passion,” Twombley continued. “It’s just a different passion. Our passion is to grow leaders. Leadership is a real craft to be learned and what we do every day is build leaders.”

Twombley says that the team at Priority Learning is “actually more grateful for Pine Tree Society than they are for us. Their leaders bring passion, energy and strength of spirit that adds a tremendous value to the entire group.”

For Twombley, Pine Tree Society is a great example of doing the right things for the right reasons.

“They honor us by simply being there. They remind us that there is more to life than dollars and cents. That there are bigger goals.”

When asked what he thinks drives the staff at Pine Tree Society, he doesn’t hesitate for a moment.

“Their energy of spirit is THE fuel.”

Without it, they could not do what they do.

It is that energy of spirit combined with the generosity of Priority Learning that is helping Pine Tree Society’s staff carry forward the organization’s mission of discovering abilities together.

Pine Tree Camp Featured on 207

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Rob Nesbitt from WCSH6 visited Pine Tree Camp and the story was featured on a segment of 207. The segment struck a cord with viewers and quickly reached over 12,000 views.  To read the story and watch the segment, click here.

 

 

Pine Tree Society to exhibit at Aroostook County Autism Conference

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Pine Tree Society will be exhibiting at the Aroostook County Autism Conference, being held on October 7, 2016 at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. The conference is hosted by the Aroostook Autism Support Group and will feature speakers on topics including Education Rights for Students with Disabilities, Coexisting Conditions, and Med Management.

Registration is now open.  Please follow the link below to sign up:

http://www.aroostookautismsupportgroup.org/october-conference.html

It Was Awe Inspiring: 202 “Paddle for a Purpose” on the Kennebec

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The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the waters were calm as 202 paddlers set out from Evergreens Campground in Solon for a seven-mile kayak trip down the Kennebec to North Anson.

They were paddling for a purpose.

Their goal was to raise $60,000 for the 20th Annual Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp.

One of those paddlers was Louann Barnes. Each year, her “West Front Market Team” raises enough money to send one child to camp.  “This year we raised enough money to send two kids to camp.  Next year, we already have 16 peopled signed up for our team and have set a goal to send three kids to camp.”

All proceeds from the Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp directly support the Campership Fund, and are a critical part of the Camp’s open door tuition policy. Since 1945, Pine Tree Camp has welcomed all who could benefit, regardless of their ability to pay.

“Pine Tree’s heart is into it just like ours when we paddle. They fill our hearts and make us feel good. When you feel good, it motivates.”

Team captains like Louann recruited energetic, committed paddlers who traveled from as far away as Connecticut.

Steve Soucy’s “Team Maine and Connecticut Water” had 21 members and 17 paddlers.

“I’m not sure that our employees knew what to expect,” Steve explained. He’d done the paddle many times before with his wife. “I’d described the event to everyone but I could tell they were still surprised by the number of paddlers and volunteers and how many campers with adaptive kayak equipment were there. It was awe inspiring.”

For Steve, it was a great feeling to have everyone together enjoying the outdoors with co-workers and their families.

“It brought everybody together. Everybody was so happy and loved learning about the Camp’s open door policy. We are already planning to do it again next year. It’s the perfect event because it really is for all ages and abilities.”

The smooth operations of the paddle were supported by a team of volunteers who ensured that all aspects of the event ran efficiently – from registration and logistics to water safety to the post-paddle celebratory barbecue.

Tara Nau Burdett was one of those volunteers. She, her husband, and her brother, Aaron, volunteered to help with water safety.  “I’ve been wanting to participate for years, and now that we have, I know that we’ll do it every year.  It’s a fantastic event.”

They joined volunteers from the Maine Warden Service to be sure paddlers were safe and following the route.

Aaron has been a Camper since 1979 so this paddle has special meaning for her family.

“It was wonderful to see the community out together with the same goal of raising money for campers.”

Camp Communicate in the News

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Camp Communicate welcomed campers who “talk” with touchscreens from around Maine and beyond during the week of June 28 – July 2, 2016.

Camp Communicate is an innovative retreat designed specifically for non-verbal children who use computerized devices to communicate. The children enjoy a unique opportunity to spend time with other augmentative communicators in an accessible summer camp environment. During their stay, they learn new skills, meet new friends and become more comfortable and confident in their communication abilities, all while enjoying traditional summer camp activities such as art and crafts, drama and swimming. Their family members also attend camp to enjoy a week of networking, enrichment activities, and respite time on the beautiful 285 acre campus on North Pond.

Camp Communicate caught the attention of the local media.  Reporters from WLBZ2/WCSH6 and WABI TV5 spent time with campers and their families and shared their stories. Here are the reports:

WLBZ2/WCSH6

WABI TV5

 

Pine Tree Society Expands to Lewiston-Auburn

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This winter, Pine Tree Society expanded its programming to Auburn through the acquisition of Pathways, Inc.

“It is in our Strategic Plan to develop satellite locations and Lewiston-Auburn rose to the top as an underserved area where we could have immediate impact,” said Noel Sullivan, President & CEO. “Pathways had programs in place for young children, adults and seniors that we were able to begin working with versus starting from scratch.”

For Shelley Zielinski, Adult Services Supervisor, this acquisition has already made a difference in the community. “For many, the perception of Pathways was that it was a work program when, in fact, the programming includes early learning, community support, case management and so much more. Pine Tree Society has helped with all of that.”

Karen McClure-Richard, Director of The Early Learning Center, agrees. “The support and excitement is there.”

The Early Learning Center provides early intervention and special education programming for children ages three through six.

“It’s important to identify the needs of children as early as possible. It helps so much with their success,” continued McClure-Richard. “Our program identifies what each child needs to be successful in school. When a child transitions to kindergarten, we already understand what they need to succeed and we develop a plan for the school so they can utilize all the things we have learned about how that particular child learns.”

 

Pine Tree Camp retreat offers experience for young adults with autism

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A camp experience for young men and young women between the ages of 16 and 21 who have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Offered in partnership between the Autism Transition Program and Pine Tree Camp staff, the retreat programming is designed to promote social connections, social skills and self discovery in a beautiful natural environment.

Pine Tree Camp offers 285 fully accessible acres with staff who have experience and expertise designing and offering programming for people of all abilities and all ages.

Through participation in fun-filled seasonal, nature-based and self-exploration activities including hikes, dream book creation, outdoor games, team building activities, and, of course, making s’mores around the campfire, participants will:

  • Experience personal development as they participate in new activities and meet new friends
  • Increase social skills as they connect with peers in a new environment
  • Experience motivation through group interactions and friendship building
  • Be provided an opportunity to explore interests and develop a vision for the future

The retreat also offers a respite opportunity to parents/caregivers, whether they choose to participate at Pine Tree Camp or return to their home. A parent/caregiver may attend with the individual, but caregiver participation is not necessary. For those who stay, we will offer opportunities to connect, network and enjoy plenty of respite and relaxation.