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Pine Tree Society Blog

Cards for a cause

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Pine Tree Society’s holiday tradition begins each year in June when our Bath office is flooded with paintings depicting Maine’s beautiful winter landscape.

“In the 1960s, Pine Tree Society had the idea that a Maine-themed holiday card would be a perfect fundraiser,” said Noel Sullivan, president and CEO of Pine Tree Society. “More than fifty years later, that tradition is still going strong and, through the sales of these cards, we have raised more than $3 million dollars to supportChristmas Cards and transform the lives of Maine people with disabilities.” 

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

Our 2018 cards feature beautiful paintings by two celebrated Maine artists:  Richard Hasenfus of Georgetown and Marieluise Hutchinson of Cushing.

Hasenfus’s “Winter Lighthouse” and Hutchinson’s “The Perfect Snowman” capturholiday carde quintessential Maine winter scenes. These featured artists have both designed cards for Pine Tree Society before.  In fact, Richard Hasenfus’s first card design was in 1969 and that painting entitled “Peaceful Harbor” was instrumental in setting this annual fundraising tradition on a course for success.

Cards are available in two formats, folding and postcards, and each purchase has a very important purpose: to help Maine people with disabilities lead richer, more socially connected lives. 

Holiday cards can be ordered online or by calling 207-443-3341

Adaptive Water Sports Camp sailed into Pine Tree Camp this weekend

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The Adaptive Outdoor Education Center and Pine Tree Camp collaborated this weekend to bring all people with varying abilities a weekend full of adaptive water sports, beach fun, and a memorable camp experience.

water sportsBruce Albiston, founder of the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center and former Pine Tree Society board member, said this was their biggest group yet.

 “Three years ago was our first year and we only had 16 people,” Albiston shared. “This year we had people on a waitlist!”

Campers of this weekend’s Adaptive Water Sports Camp enjoyed paddleboards, kayaks and canoes, and pontoon boat rides. This year was the first waterskiing was available.water sports

“We never have trouble finding volunteers. We just continue to grow,” Albiston added.

There were smiles all along the shores of North Pond for the two day, three night weekend. One camper exclaimed, “It’s incredible. The volunteers lift me in and out of my wheelchair just so I can kayak. I can’t wait for next summer!”

To learn more about the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center and the programs they offer visit their website.

Pine Tree Camp offers our fully accessible facilities for retreats, meetings, conferences and special programming. Learn more here.

New art and a Maine retrospective at Pine Tree Society in Bath

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On Friday, September 21, Pine Tree Society will open its doors for the Bath Art Walk to unveil two new paintings created by Maine artists Richard Hasenfus of Georgetown and Marieluise Hutchinson of Cushing.  Hasenfus’s “Winter Lighthouse” and Hutchinson’s “The Perfect Snowman” were painted for Pine Tree Society’s 2018 holiday card series.

Also on view will be over 60 paintings representing “A Maine Retrospective: The Art of Pine Tree holiday cardSociety’s Holiday Cards.”  This extensive collection dates back to the early 1960s, covering a span of more than 50 years. 

“In the 1960s, Pine Tree Society had the idea that a Maine-themed holiday card would be a perfect fundraiser,” said Noel Sullivan, president and CEO of Pine Tree Society. “More than fifty years later, that tradition is still going strong and we have acquired an extensive collection of quintessential Maine art.”

The art featured in this show has raised more that $3 million dollars to support and trChristmas Cardsansform the lives of Maine people with disabilities. One hundred percent of proceeds from annual holiday card sales support Pine Tree Society’s programs. 

The paintings showcase a variety of mediums and styles and are a visual time capsule of Maine in the winter, from country scenes to woods and fields to the rockbound coast and iconic lighthouses.

Featured artists Richard Hasenfus and Marieluise Hutchinson have both designed cards for Pine Tree Society before.  Richard Hasenfus’s first card design was in 1969 and that painting, “Peaceful Harbor,” will be on display.

If You Go:

Friday, September 21

4:00 – 7:00pm

Pine Tree Society

149 Front St., Bath

Refreshments will be served

 

2018 holiday cards can be ordered online here.

“I’m going to big school”

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Sandbox“I’m going to big school” are words Karen McClure-Richard and her team at Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center work all year for a child to be able to say with confidence.

“When they say those words, they’re showing their maturity and their age and their readiness to move on,” said Karen.

In August, the Early Learning Center celebrated the end of the school year with 16 children graduating to kindergarten. 

The Early Learning Center provides educational programming for young children with special needs. The staff has a common goal for all the students: to foster a love of learning to set a strong foundation for the future.

“Kids enroll with us at age three or four so we have a year or two together before it’s time for them to transition to kindergarten.”

For Rachel, the Early Learning Center provides a structure for her five-year-old son Silas.  “He always does better when goes to class,” she said.  “They do things I don’t know how to do with him and have given me the tools I need at home to help Silas communicate.”

When Silas first came to The Early Learning Center he was three years old and non-verbal.

“When he was able to say ‘I love you momma’ that was the best thing that ever happened.”

The Early Learning Center team has helped Silas discover ways he can communicate his emotions instead of getting frustrated when he’s trying to share what he wants.

“Two things have worked out amazingly well at home,” continued Rachel.  “If it gets too complicated for him to say what he wants, we have created a way for him to point to images that convey things like happy, sad or hungry.  The other thing I’ve learned to do is to break my communication down in a way that’s simple for him to understand which makesSilas it much less likely for him to get frustrated.”

Silas has one more year before he’ll transition to kindergarten. 

“We work really hard to help each child understand that they’ve earned their rights to move on,” said Karen. “And we help their parents to do everything needed to help their child get ready for school.”

The Early Learning Center team creates visual storyboards unique to each student to show them what their new classroom and library will look and where they are going to play outside at their new school. The kids also learn what it’s like to ride a real school bus.

“We do a lot of prep work with the kids around behavior and emotion around change.  We’ve been their constant and now everything is changing.  Their case manager at Pine Tree Society helps them too and supports the family through this transition and will remain with many of these families for as long as the need is there.”

“I do all the things others do, I just do them differently.”

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When John W. Conner passed away in 2017 at the age of 86, there were two things really important in his life that his family wanted to pay tribute to:  the Shriners Hospitals for Children and Pine Tree Camp. 

“A lot of what he wanted to do, was able to do, and did do was because of Pine Tree Camp and Shriners Hospital,” his son John D. Conner recalled.

John W. Conner grew up on a farm in central Maine and was diagnosed with polio in 1935 during the Great Depression.  He spent much of his childhood away from his family at the Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts, only coming home for six weeks in the summer and two weeks at Christmas.  At Christmastime in 1944, he came home for good to be with his five brothers and sisters.

A year later, Pine Tree Camp was founded and became a place his doctors recommended he go each summer.  It was during one of those summers that he designed the iconic Pine Tree CampCamp Logo logo.  Since that time, John’s emblem has been a positive symbol for the thousands of campers who drive down the camp road each summer and have their lives forever changed.

“Pine Tree Camp is family for so many people,” John D. continued. “My father was away from home so much as a child that his family truly became those he spent so much of his life with at the Shriners Hospital and Pine Tree Camp.”

John W. spent many years travelling back and forth from Maine to Springfield for continued treatment for polio including three spinal fusions and extensive physical therapy.  Over time, he regained the use of his limbs and was able to lead a very active and full life.  He often said, “I do all the things others do, I just do them differently.”

John W. was an avid sportsman who loved the Maine outdoors.

“We never mastered being a Mainer quite like he did,” his son John D. fondly remembered.  “Dad loved to fish, especially fly fishing.  I can still hear him grumbling about any type of fishing except fly fishing.  He often carried me in to Kokadjo to fish the Roach Ponds for trout, the only fish that existed to him.”

“I imagine he first learned how to fish at Pine Tree Camp,” John’s sister Victoria said.  “The spirit our father had for fly fishing was undeniable.  Passing that along to his children and grandchildren brought him much joy.”

John D.’s three children spent many summers with their grandfather learning the art of fly fishing and how to be a Mainer.

“And Dad learning to duck as their flies tended to catch him more than the fish.  He never hesitated to hunt and be as much of an outdoorsman as he could. He trekked many of the Baxter State Park trails and climbed Mount Katahdin, something I hope to do with my children and sister in the future, in honor, memory, and for him.”

Victoria recalls how their father didn’t talk about his struggles with polio. 

“I remember going for walks with him, witnessing his limp, helping take his boots off in the winter — little things like that to help; but the disability never became a topic of conversation, because my Dad never viewed it as a disability.  I think his years at Pine Tree Camp contributed to that mentality of breaking through barriers and adopting a mentality of inclusiveness.”

When John W. was in his early 80s, Victoria brought him back to Pine Tree Camp so they could walk the grounds together, see what had changed and reminisce about the early days.  He was using crutches and it brought to mind an old photo of him when he was 10 years old standing with crutches on that very same lawn.  It is a memory that will stay with her forever.

“My Dad was very proud of his years at Pine Tree Camp.  My visits with him to the camp over various stages of our lives really demonstrated how much the camp did for him as a young man and the great impact it had on him his whole life.”

“She needed to trust somebody”

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“I didn’t like the path I was going down.  I wasn’t making good choices and I wanted a fresh life and people I could count on.”

Julie is 42 years old and lives with intellectual disabilities.  Since she decided to turn her life around, she’s never looked back.  That’s where Pine Tree Society’s Home and Community Support Programs came in to help her develop the life skills and confidence she needed to speak up for herself and make better choices.Individual and DSP

“I’ve grown a lot,” said Julie. “I hung out with a lot of people who were bad influences.  Working with Pine Tree Society has helped me with that. I’m not hanging with a bad group anymore and I’m making better choices.”

Julie struggles with reading, writing and math and worked hard to gain her independence.  In 2015, with support from Pine Tree Society, she obtained full guardianship over herself and became her own representative payee. 

“I now live independently in my own apartment,” Julie continued. “I do my own laundry, buy my own groceries and pay my own bills.  I rely on myself to do things.”

“Her ability to speak up for herself now is just tremendous,” said Shelley Zielinski, director of Adult Support Services at Pine Tree Society. “She created a picture of what she wanted her life to look like, and we supported her along the way.  She still needs support, but it’s nowhere near the level when she first came to us.” 

Pine Tree Society’s Home and Community Support Programs are customized for each individual and are designed to meet a person’s needs at any point in their life.Individual and DSP

“We all have goals.  We all have places we want to be in our life and our career,” continued Zielinski.  “Our clients tell us what they envision for themselves and we do everything in our power to help them get there.  It’s different for every single person and the sky is the limit.” 

“Julie needed to trust somebody,” said Teresa Davis, Julie’s direct support professional at Pine Tree Society.  “And our relationship is built on trust.”

They talk a lot about choices and Julie knows that Teresa is there for her when she needs to work through a decision.  Together, Julie and Teresa have accomplished a lot.  From changing apartments when Julie didn’t feel comfortable in her neighborhood to setting goals to live healthier, they work together each step of the way.

“We stay focused on the importance of communication and talking through pros and cons before making a decision,” said Teresa.  “And when you make a mistake, you just need to stand up, brush off and begin again.  I’m going to be here for you no matter what.”

Pine Tree Camp is never boring

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In our lives when you spend time at a place long enough, you realize each place has its own distinct rhythm. Pine Tree Camp has always had a rhythm that you would never call normal. But it’s okay, normal is boring. Camp is a myriad of adjectives, but it’s never boring.

Coming to camp for over thirty years, the rhythms have changed dramatically, just as my life has. As a child, the early morning rhythms were usually hearing the campers who had Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy, who needed to be turned every two hours or less to prevent pain and bedsores.

Then, as I grew older and most, if not all those campers passed on, the rhythms would focus on college age experiences. The bell signifying the progress of a day at camp was complimented by the low hum of busses taking campers on trips around the state, usually to a restaurant – maybe a movie. Wherever it was, physical access was first priority.

So the rhythms shifted again and camp was a place to focus on lifelong friendships, to do activities one would maybe not have access to, or maybe not have access to as easily at camp.

The rhythms changed in other ways. As camp staff returned, you would see their kids grow to become staff members themselves, complimenting their experiences at camp with college degrees, often serving the same population of disabled people as teachers or therapists. With the rhythms of North Pond and lessons learned at Pine Tree Camp, impressed upon the soul for life.

Mike Reynolds

 

“I’d go back in a minute”

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“I’d go back in a minute,” Joan McDonough just turned 83, and that’s how she feels about Pine Tree Camp. “It was home to me almost every summer.”

She starting going in 1946, just one year after camp first opened, and went every year until 1951.

“I had curvature of the spine and had been in the hospital for two and half years wearing various braces to straighten me out.  I was home from the hospital for no more than two weeks before I went to camp.  It was great after being stuck in the hospital.”

Originally, Pine Tree Camp campers had polio, cerebral palsy, curvature of the spine like Joan, or had lost a limb during childhood.  Back at that time, campers went for the full summer.

“When I hit camp’s gate and came down over the hill, I knew I was home.  We were there for July and August and we had a good time.  We did everything.  And I made a lot of friends.”

In 1948, Joan had to have spinal surgery and was in a full body cast.

“I said ‘I can’t do that, because I can’t go to camp.’  And they said ‘Oh yes you can.’  And I went to camp in a full body cast.  I was in Cabin 11 that year. The day before I knew I was going home I walked down into the water all the way and got my cast soaking wringing wet.  Nobody gave me a hard time because they knew I was having it off the next day.” 

When she goes back to visit camp, it brings back so many good memories.

“A lot of things have changed.  Most of the cabins at the time I was there were on the right of the dining hall.  Now they’re on the left hand side closer to the water.  The dining hall has changed quite a bit, but the waterfront is just about the same.  They’ve done a lot to it and I’m so glad they do.  I give what I can.  More than willing to give what I can every year.  I’m having trouble with my back again now, but they can’t do any more for it.  I’m 83 and I guess I’ll make out all right.”

Camp Communicate making things possible

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14 years ago, Linda Bonnar, Director of Communication Pathways at Pine Tree Society, founded Camp Communicate, a retreat designed specifically for children who are non-verbal and who use computerized devices to communicate.

Being the Camp Communicateonly one in school who uses a computer to communicate can be isolating. At Camp Communicate, our campers are just one of the gang. They have the unique opportunity to spend time with other kids communicating with their devices in an accessible summer camp environment. This allows them to meet friends and be more comfortable and confident with their devices.

Camp Communicate is made possible by Pine Tree Camp and Pine Tree Society’s Communication Pathways team. Our Speech-Language Pathologists and Assistive Technology Practitioners have designed an amazing curriculum that encourages natural communication opportunities for our campers – as well as education and relaxation for their parents.