Pine Tree Society

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Pine Tree Society holiday card artist featured by Courier Publications

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One of the artists of this year’s Pine Tree Society holiday cards, Marieluise Hutchinson of Cushing, was recently featured by Courier Publications.  Read the full news story at this link.

Her paintings have been featured on our holiday cards seven times.  This year, we went back to our archives to offer a special, limited edition rerelease of a customer favorite featuring her 2008 painting of a favorite winter scene in Wiscasset Village.

“I call my work traditional realistic rural new England,” Hutchinson said. “I love farmhouses with connected buildings and barns and village scenes with groups of houses. Wiscasset is an iconic Maine town that we all drive through and it grabs me every time I see vistas like that.”

Her paintings of winter scenes are widely known and collected.

“Winter scenes are my favorite things to paint,” she continued.  “I like the warmth.  Even though it’s cold, it’s a warm scene.  You can only imagine what’s going on inside the house with a wood stove going, a cat curled up on the rug, a pie on the counter and a pot roast in the oven.”

Hutchinson is proud to paint what she loves to benefit worthy causes and it means a lot that her work can help Pine Tree Society fulfill it’s mission to serve Maine people with disabilities.

“Pine Tree Society does so much for adults and children alike and it’s an honor to use what I can do to help people.”

One hundred percent of proceeds from annual holiday card sales support Pine Tree Society’s programs.

Holiday cards can be ordered online at this link or by calling 207-386-5915 or emailing us at store@pinetreesociety.org.

 

 

Elsmere BBQ fundraising night for Pine Tree Society

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Do good while dining out!

On Tuesday, November 5, head to Elsmere BBQ in South Portland and enjoy a great meal and help Pine Tree Society at the same time.

From 4-9 p.m., Pine Tree Society will receive 8% of all food sales, including take out.

Location:
Elsmere BBQ
448 Cottage Road, South Portland

Our team will be there and we look forward to saying hello and enjoying a great meal with you

 

 

 

Innovative new program combines low sensory with high tech

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There’s no doubt that making the leap from high school to adulthood is a challenging time. For young adults with disabilities, the process can mean moving from the security of the school environment to the unknown. In the end, young people with disabilities experience significant isolation and a disconnect from the community.

At the same time, teenagers with disabilities have the same questions most new graduates do when they first get out of high school – Where do I go next? What do I do? How will I make connections outside of the school environment? What kind of skills do I need to get and keep a job? – but the barriers to meeting their goals are often greater.

“Getting that start on adult life can be a difficult transition, and that’s where our new program comes in,” said Shelley Zielinski, director of adult support services at Pine Tree Society.

Pine Tree Society has designed a new kind of Community Support program specifically for young adults who are transitioning from high school.

This innovative program is called 368 and is named after its address at 368 Minot Avenue in Auburn. The small group setting allows for meaningful social connection and the focus on prevocational skill building, career exploration and career planning is supported through volunteerism that provides a foundation for networking and building relationships in the community that can lead to job or educational opportunities down the road.

“We start by asking what people are interested in and by learning what each person’s strengths are,” said Shelley. “People who are in the program are engaged because they are actively creating the program with us based on what their interests are.”

One area of interest for many clients is sports and recreation, which has led to participation in Special Olympics.

“Often, people who come into this program were involved with Special Olympics in high school. After high school that gets lost because they don’t continue to have that opportunity,” said Shelley. “This program brings in a recreational piece that focuses on Special Olympics training and competition to further enhance wellness, build self-confidence and a feeling of team and community.”

By participating in activities like Special Olympics, the participants are also working to build communication and social thinking, critical skills especially for those who are working toward meaningful employment.

“We know how important communication and social thinking are for the people we serve, so we have pulled in the expertise of our Speech Language and Assistive Technology team at Pine Tree Society,” said Shelley. “The outcome is a fun, engaging program that is helping to build skills that can have a transformational impact.”

The team has also worked to integrate technology into the program as a method to communicate and engage. iPads and specialized apps are used for skill building, playing games and learning how to create a resume and apply for a job online.

Discover more and contact us at this link.

Behind the scenes at Pine Tree Camp barn raising

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Reporters at Newscenter Maine and the Morning Sentinel take you behind the scenes to meet the team of volunteers who came together for a traditional barn raising at Pine Tree Camp.

Read the Morning Sentinel story here.

Watch the Newscenter Maine report here.

Pine Tree Camp stands alone in terms of barrier-free access to nature and nature-based recreation for Maine people with disabilities.  Expanding access to learning about farm animals and how food is grown opens up exciting new possibilities for campers and this new barn makes that possible.

Noel Sullivan, president and CEO of Pine Tree Society, said “This barn is a gateway to a whole new world for Maine people with disabilities.  This addition to our campus gives us the chance to expand our programming around farm animals and gardening in ways we would not be able to do otherwise.”

The entire project was funded through the Burger-Roy Family Charitable Trust along with donations and support from local partners including:  Higgins Construction who has done all of the site work, Kavestone Construction who oversaw the building of the structure, Mainely Trusses who donated the building trusses, TLG Concrete who poured the slab and Mattingly Products who donated the concrete mix.  CMP Employee Volunteers participated in the traditional barn raising.

 

Barn Raising Will Expand Programming at Pine Tree Camp

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Innovation with old-fashioned roots: Pine Tree Camp barn raising expands programming for Maine kids with disabilities

Thanks to the Burger-Roy Family Charitable Trust and Campbell’s True Value, on Saturday, September 28, Pine Tree Camp will become home to a brand new barn, built through a traditional barn raising with a group of volunteers.

Brent Burger is the co-owner of Campbell’s True Value and has given a hand in designing the structure and envisioning the community coming together for an old-fashioned mini-barn raising.

“Raising a barn is easily accomplished with teamwork,” Burger said.  “And teamwork is what Pine Tree Camp is all about.  Traditional barn raisings create a time to come together as a community, to help achieve something bigger than ourselves, and that’s the kind of community we’d like to see more often.   It’s the coming together for a purpose that can make an event like this so special.”

Pine Tree Camp stands alone in terms of barrier-free access to nature and nature-based recreation for Maine people with disabilities.  Expanding access to learning about farm animals and how food is grown opens up exciting new possibilities for campers.

“It’s much more than just a barn,” said Noel Sullivan, president and CEO of Pine Tree Society.  “Brent Burger has helped us reimagine what a barn at Pine Tree Camp can accomplish. It’s a proud symbol of our community and a gateway to a whole new world for Maine people with disabilities.  This addition to our campus gives us the chance to expand our programming around farm animals and gardening in ways we would not be able to do otherwise.”

“People with disabilities need nature as much as people who do not have disabilities,” said Dawn Willard-Robinson, director of Pine Tree Camp.  “The reality is, they simply aren’t as able to access the outdoors in their everyday life. Whether it’s learning how to feed and care for animals or getting their hands dirty in the garden, our campers will now have even more opportunities to connect with nature in unique and meaningful ways that impact their lives all year-round.”

The entire project is being funded through the Burger-Roy Family Charitable Trust along with donations and support from local partners including:  Higgins Construction who has done all of the site work, Kavestone Construction who will oversee the building of the structure, Mainely Trusses who donated the building trusses, TLG Concrete who poured the slab and Mattingly Products who donated the concrete mix.  CMP Employee Volunteers will participate in the barn raising.

Paddle for Pine Tree camp team highlighted by local newspaper

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A local newspaper highlighted the Maine and Connecticut Water team from the Bath Savings Institution Paddle for Pine Tree Camp! The story is a great reminder of the important role our donors and supporters play in our success. Thank you to Maine Water for being part of the Pine Tree Camp family! We could not do what we do without your support.

Read the story here.