Dreams, #67

[Unidentified voice]:

program and yeah, when you hear the words brain surgery, you get very, very scared. But then you have to put your faith in something at some point. And these doctors were so wonderful and human and these men sat us down and opened their practices and their hearts and their minds to us and we were able to put our faith in that.

Vicki Doudera:

We do everything at Habitat hold the mortgage, we qualify the families, we we build the houses, we help the families succeed, we fundraise, we have events. It's a huge gamut of things, so it's a fun place to volunteer as well.

Steven Kelly:

Part of that from day one, we really started building the community of not only just connecting with businesses that were clients and finding out more about what they do and delving deeper, but also we really wanted to be connected to the communities that we were working in on a larger scale.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

This is Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 67, Dreams, airing for the first time on December 23, 2012 on WLOB and WPEI Radio Portland, Maine. What are your wishes and dreams? This week we feature Maine dreamers and dream makers who remind us that dreams really can come true and and show us how we might help with community wish granting this holiday season. Today our conversations take place with Tom Pico, Executive Director of Make a Wish Maine and the Fournier Wish Family, Mid Coast Habitat for Humanity President Vicki Dudera and Associate Publisher of Maine Magazine and Maine Home Design, Steve Kelly. We know that for many of you this has become a challenging time of year given recent events in Connecticut. And we certainly don't mean to minimize what happened in Connecticut with a show called Dreams, as we know that dreams have been shattered in families in that region. Instead, what we hope to do is put forth the knowledge that there are good people in this world, there is hope and and there are ways that you can contribute and make other people's dreams come true. We join you in mourning the people who are lost in the school shooting. And we join you in helping to make change so that things like this can't happen again. But we also urge you to take solace in the fact that there are people in this world who want to make it a better place and want to make dreams come true. We hope you enjoy our conversations with Tom Pico of Make a Wish Maine, the Fournier Wish Family, Mid Coast Habitat for Humanity President Vicki Dudera, and associate publisher of Maine Magazine and Maine Home Design, Steve Kelly. One of the most important things we can do during the holiday season is, is to think about those around us and how we might make them happy. And it doesn't take much. In fact, sometimes all it takes is not presence, but your presence. If you're having difficulty coming up with a gift for someone in your life, be it an older person or a child, keep in mind that really the best gift you can offer is the gift of yourself. As we look to greet a new year, please consider giving yourself or a loved one the gift of renewal by visiting me at the Body Architect. For more information, go to doctor Org. The Dr. Lisa Radio RM podcast really enjoys bringing people in of different ages and different personality sorts and having some fun with things that can be really kind of serious. Today we have in the studio with us Tom Pico, who is the executive director of the Make a Wish foundation here in Maine, and also Alicia and Julia Fournier, who I guess are considered what wish families. I know, Alicia, you're a wish kid, so you're a wish family. And I've already had a lot of fun kind of talking with you this morning. I'm so happy that you're here to tell us a little bit about Make a Wish.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you so much for having us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, Tom, I know that I have a lot to talk about with Alicia because she came in special today and is out of school for a little bit of time. But I'm going to start with you because I want people to know what is the Make a Wish Foundation?

Tom Peaco:

Yeah, Make a Wish. Our mission is to grant wishes to Maine children with life threatening medical conditions. And our focus really is not on the illness, but about creating hope, strength and joy for these kids all over Maine that are battling a life threatening condition. And so the power a Make a Wish experience is really pretty impactful and long term, lifelong.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, let's go back to Alicia. Alicia, tell me what happened in your life that made it necessary for you to be a Make a Wish kid, because not everybody gets to be a make a Wish kid, I guess.

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, when I was three, I was diagnosed with epilepsy, which is an illness that makes you have seizures. And it's really hard when it's really hard because I had to get out of school a lot and go to the nurses. But when I was nine, I got my make a Wish.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So epilepsy. Yeah, that is a really hard thing, and especially when you're starting from when you're really small. So you were in school and you were having seizures, and you were trying to deal with this on a regular basis? Yeah, yeah. And I think that I heard from somebody somewhere that you actually had some pretty significant hospitalizations and surgeries. And you've seen a lot of doctors in your short 13 years of life, right?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, I had two brain surgeries.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And these brain surgeries weren't just any brain surgeries. They were, like, pretty. Pretty good size.

[Unidentified voice]:

They weren't your easy, average brain surgeries.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Julia, what was that like to have a child who had two fairly significant brain surgeries when she was really little?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, it actually was something that when I think about in hindsight, it blows my mind. But in the throes of the illness, when they're telling you they're going to help your child, you'd walk around the world and back and say, let's try it. Because her quality of life was deteriorating so quickly. And for six years, we were going to Boston to Children's Hospital, and we kind of exhausted all of our avenues there. And then we were lucky enough to find a team of doctors in New York City that had the exact opposite approach than what we were seeing in Boston. It was find the way, let's try this. Let's do that. And, yeah, when you hear the words brain surgery, you get very, very scared. But then you have to put your faith in something at some point. And these doctors were so wonderful and human, and we had seen a lot of doctors that we couldn't even relate to or even understand at times. And these men sat us down and opened their practices and their hearts and their minds to us, and we were able to put our faith in that. So in 2009, my husband and I had been on the donation side of Make a Wish through a very good friend of ours who had been on the board for a long time. And we came to the events and supported the cause for a very long time, even before we became a Wish family. So we saw that side of Make a Wish. And then when she was getting worse, the catalyst for me, I never wanted to believe my child would qualify for a wish. I had a hard time with that. And the catalyst for me was John Travolta's son. And that happened. And it threw me for such a loop that this is that kind of a disease. And I didn't want to admit that. So we went to make a wish, and I finally swallowed enough pride and said, can we do this? And then I'll never forget the day I got the call that said, she qualifies. And it was such a mixed emotion for me. I was so happy that she was going to get to have an experience, but also I was so sad that that was where we were at in life. But that was the last time I felt sad. Because what Make a Wish did for my family was they came in and we went through the interview process, and they took Alicia and they just had this wonderful conversation with her about, do you want to jump in and say,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

yeah, Alicia, you started smiling. You got all excited here. So what was it like to be.

[Unidentified voice]:

Do you remember what your wish granters asked you?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah, they asked me, if I could have any three wishes in the world, what would it be? And I said, first to meet Zac Efron, second to meet Ashley Tisdale, and third, to go snorkeling in Hawaii.

[Unidentified voice]:

And what got to happen pretty quickly after you got to make your wish, what happened?

[Unidentified voice]:

I got to meet Zac Efron.

[Unidentified voice]:

Wow.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

That's pretty impressive. I think that my 11 year old would be kind of jealous if she knew that.

[Unidentified voice]:

And this was back in the throes of High School Musical, and Alicia's a musical theater child, so this was so huge. And what they did for us, from the beginning of the process through the trip itself, literal red carpet to the airport, limousine service, backpacks for both my kids, of stuff to do on the plane, and the way we were treated everywhere we went. And what's interesting for us, and maybe a little bit unique, was we shared our wish with five other families in the world. Because what Zac Efron did was he brought six wish families to him in California and spent time, very much personal time with us, but also so more kids could get the experience, which was awesome. But when we got there, this family from Make a Wish, Maine, we had our T shirts and our folders and all of our stuff ready to go, and we were so well prepared. And we spoke to other wish families from even just within this country, and they were not so Much ready as we were. So I felt that our chapter here in Maine was even that much over and above, you know, local chapters elsewhere because we were so prepared and just. It was a testament to make a wish. Maine. We were very proud to be from Maine at that point. And the great thing for us was that wish. We came home, we resumed our lives, and three months later, she was having her first brain surgery. So we were in NYU Medical center for weeks. And that picture of her and Zac Efron sat not on her bedside table, but on her tray that draped across her body for the entire time was Alicia and Zac Efron. And those were really, really dark days. So she would not only have that memory to carry her through those dark days, but every nurse under the age of 50 who walked in that room said, alic, is that Zac Efron? And she got to retell this experience over and over and over again. So it sort of snowballed. What do you want to say?

[Unidentified voice]:

When I was meeting Zac Efron, he got a phone call, and he. He picked it up, and he was like, hold on. And it was Ashley Tisdale, and he put her on speaker, and all the kids were like, it's Sharpay. And it was so cool. So technically, my second wish was half granted.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Wow. You got a wish. Enough.

[Unidentified voice]:

You planned for that, right, Tom?

Tom Peaco:

That's right.

Steven Kelly:

That's right.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well. So, Alicia, how old were you when you went through the brain surgery?

[Unidentified voice]:

I was 10.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You were 10? So were you in five? Fifth grade. Yeah. Fifth grade. That's kind of an interesting time anyway, just to be in fifth grade. And you're at the Breakwater School.

[Unidentified voice]:

Mm, not at the time. She was in Scarborough in public school at the time.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

At the time. Okay, how did your friends. When you told them that you were gonna go meet Zac Efron, how did your friends respond?

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, when I came back to school from my trip to la, my picture was on this big TV of me and Zac Efron, and all the kids were, like, looking at it, and they saw me, and they came running towards me, and they were like, alicia, what was it like? What was it like to meet Zac Efron? Tell me, tell me, tell me.

[Unidentified voice]:

We actually didn't tell her class before we went, just because it happened very quickly. Celebrity greetings sometimes happen that way. It's a different type of a wish because you're at the mercy of others, pretty much, which is what we were told. But wonderfully, ours came very quickly, so we didn't really know what to expect. And we were prepared for that. Sometimes celebrity greetings aren't awesome and sometimes they are, and sometimes they get autographs and sometimes they don't. And so we were very prepared for either direction of that. But it ended up being, of course, amazing. And I just didn't want kids to a not believe her because 10 year olds would probably be like, whatever. So I said, you know, we'll just wait till we get back and then we'll share this with everybody, which is her teacher. I sent the photo, I emailed it to her teacher, and she did have it plastered up there when she came back to school. But what was cool was Make a Wish, went to the school school prior to us leaving, and her teacher and her principal were able to write her personal notes about going to get her wish granted. So the school was in the know. It just her peers, not so much.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And so did that change? Because I think because I have a daughter who's 11 and I think that if she was in school and she was having seizures and she was always having to go to the doctor and always having to go to the hospital, that might make her feel kind of different. Did this kind of help a little bit in that whole thing? So maybe you didn't feel quite as different. Maybe you felt different in a special way.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes, that helped a lot, actually.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And did it help you feel a little bit stronger as you were having to go through the surgery and another visit to a hospital?

[Unidentified voice]:

Yes, it was nice to be that kid as opposed to that kid who's always in the clinic or, you know, that kid who misses school for chunks at a time because she has to go be in the hospital. Or now she got to be the kid who met Zac Efron. And that was pretty awesome.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Here on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast, we've long recognized the link between health and wealth. Here to speak more on the topic is Tom Shepard of Shepherd Financial.

Tom Peaco:

My favorite movie to watch with my young children was Joseph and the Technicolor

Steven Kelly:

Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond.

Tom Peaco:

The music was great.

Steven Kelly:

The story was entertaining.

Tom Peaco:

It is the theme of economics that weaves its way through the story that

Steven Kelly:

continues to help me teach my kids

Tom Peaco:

to see the world as fair over time rather than at a particular instance. At Shepherd Financial, we use this notion to help manage money and teach kids about financial literacy. If I have a dream, it would be that our kids learn to read, write and do arithmetic so that they could master the fourth skill of rating

Steven Kelly:

and evaluating who they are, what they

Tom Peaco:

know, and why they are here. If you want to engage us in a conversation about your dreams or the dreams you have for your family, give us a call at Shepherd Financial, 8474032. Our wish is that we help you

Steven Kelly:

evolve with your money.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, let's talk to Tom a little bit because I know that he is, as the executive director of Make a Wish here in Maine, he's one of the ones who made it happen. So why is this an important thing for you to be doing in your own personal life? Why did you choose this as something that you decided to focus your job on?

Tom Peaco:

Well, I've been the executive director for 15 years and have loved every minute of it. I mean, as you can tell, the impact that Make a Wish has on people is life changing. And we do that in Maine. Once every five days on average, we're granting another wish. About 70 to 75 kids a year in Maine are receiving a wish from Make a Wish. So just sitting here listening to them and what you can't see on the radio is how Alicia's face changed from when mom was talking about the illness and the treatment to lighting up when we started talking about the wish that is Make a Wish and the picture on the tray on your hospital bed, that's Make a Wish. That's really what we're trying to do is to give that long lasting impact. So when times are tough, there's that positive thing to focus on. And that's when we talk about the power of a wish. That's really what we're talking about. This is so much more than a trip to California.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So it's not what you're offering isn't really just the physical aspect of here. Meet Zac Efron. Although that's important, I think that what you're putting out there is hope and normalcy or specialness, I guess.

Tom Peaco:

Right?

[Unidentified voice]:

Normalcy is important, especially Lisa, because Make a Wish involves the entire immediate family in the wish. So I Have another child who, when you have a sick child, other parts of your life and the dynamic of your family are drastically altered. So for our family of four to be able to go and do something together that was not in any way, shape or form related to a doctor or a hospital or. I'm sorry, honey. You have to stay home with your grandparents because we have to go back into the hospital with your sister. This was just a family of four doing something awesome together because of Make a Wish. And I've talked to other families who have that same experience. You get to just be a family on vacation with nothing else. I mean, yes, we always had the worry that she was going to have a seizure. Anxiety was a huge trigger for her. It was great that she was the last kid Zach saw because she had two seizures waiting for him to come over because she was so anxious. But it was okay. We were in very good company. And normalcy is a huge word when you have a sick child.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And Alicia, is it a brother or sister that you have?

[Unidentified voice]:

A sister.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And how old is she?

[Unidentified voice]:

She's 22.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

22. And how did she feel about meeting Zac Efron?

[Unidentified voice]:

I could tell she liked it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I can imagine he's pretty cute, especially for a 22 year old. Well, even for somebody.

[Unidentified voice]:

Well, she was 18 at the time and I think he was 20 or 21 or something. And that was a very positive experience for my older child, too.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So the whole family got to have their wish taken care of then, right? At the same time. Yeah.

[Unidentified voice]:

And he was. Can I just say, he was delightful and just so giving and open to these children. And we had a great time meeting other wish families from, I mean, as far as England and Canada and other parts of the United States. So it was one of the best experiences of all of our lives. And Make a Wish did that for us.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And isn't that also fairly important? Because I would imagine that if you're the. If you're again, the family or the child that is always dealing with something that's hard and difficult and different, then it's nice to hang out with other families and other children who have kind of the same experience.

[Unidentified voice]:

We say it's people who get it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes.

[Unidentified voice]:

You know, some people, there's a lot of people that come in and out of your lives that are very empathetic, I guess, to what you go through. But then you meet these families who get it and it's a different. It's very, very different.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think one of the things that I'm struck by is that I. Tom, when you and I were talking, you said, you know, it's not just about the families who have a child who's terminally ill, who isn't going to make it. It really is about children like Alicia who have long lives ahead of them and that they're going to benefit from this on an ongoing basis, as are their families.

Tom Peaco:

Yeah. The impact is really whether ultimately the child doesn't survive or does survive. The impact on the child and the family are really lifelong. And I think we hear so often from families and more from the medical community in recent years, too, about how they really believe that this Make a Wish experience is a of part of extending the child's life because of shifting that focus to a more positive thing. So it's really amazing the impact that this organization has on families.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Alicia, I told you before we went on the air that this is our special Christmas pre Christmas show. And I have a feeling that you really like Christmas.

[Unidentified voice]:

Yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So if you were thinking about Christmas and what you could tell people, people as they were getting ready for the holidays about what they might be able to do to help make a wish,

[Unidentified voice]:

what would you say?

[Unidentified voice]:

Money. Donate money.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Alicia, you're the best. I love watching you and you're trying to figure this out, and I think you're so right. I think people could absolutely donate money to the Make a Wish foundation here in Maine. So who? Tom, how do people find out about Make a Wish?

Tom Peaco:

Well, lots of different ways. Our office is in Portland, right in the time and temperature building. So if you're in town, feel free to stop in and see us. But you can find us online@maine.wish.org we're very active on Facebook. If you go onto Facebook and type make a Wish main into the search, you'll find us. And we're posting there several times a week about wishes that are happening and things that are going on with the organization. So that's a great way to keep in touch. You can contribute right online@maine.wish.org or call our office in Portland at 221-2306.

[Unidentified voice]:

There's a pretty cute kid singing on the hold Music.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Yes, exactly.

Tom Peaco:

Yes. If you get put on hold when you call our office, you'll hear Alicia singing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So, Alicia, what would you say to other kids that are facing hard things in their lives, like the kind of hard things that you faced?

[Unidentified voice]:

Definitely stay strong, don't give up and smile.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Very good. And I am so lucky to have benefited from your beautiful smile this morning. And thank you so much. For coming in and talking to us and getting out of a little bit of school. I've learned a lot. So I've had my education for this morning. And I appreciate talking with you, Alicia, and also Julie Fournier, the Make a

[Unidentified voice]:

Wish Family, thank you so much for having us. And can I just say one more thing again, just the wonderful impact of Make a Wish when you go to their events, mostly the volunteers. I have met so many other wish parents who are now volunteers at Make A Wish. It's something you never want to stop being involved in once you've been touched by them. My husband is now serving on the board. Proudly. We help with as many events as we possibly can, and it's something that we never want. The only thing we would want is to see Make a Wish go out of business because it wouldn't be needed anymore. But aside from that, we're never going to stop helping them because of what they did for our family.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Well, these are very important words coming from a mom who's been in the trenches and really knows what this is all about from both sides, good and bad. So thank you for coming in and spending time with me this morning. And also thank you to Tom Pico, the executive director of the Make A Wish foundation here in Maine.

Tom Peaco:

Thank you for having us.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you, Lisa.

[Unidentified voice]:

Thank you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast mission, we like to recognize that health goes beyond simply taking care of oneself and exercising and eating well, but also taking care of one's community. And today we have with us Vicki Dudera, who is the president of Midcoast Habitat for Humanity and I'm a big fan of Habitat for Humanity. I definitely think that what you're doing and Habitat for Humanity in the Mid coast is doing is helping take care of your community. So thank you for being here and spending time with us.

Vicki Doudera:

It's my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I should back up and ask how did you get involved? I know that you are an author and you also have your own business. You're a realtor.

Vicki Doudera:

Yes, that's right. I work for Camden Real Estate Company

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

and somehow up the coast a bit. Yes. And we love Camden. Actually. We, as part of our work with Maine Magazine, we spend time with Cellar Door and we've been to Vinfest.

Vicki Doudera:

I know, I've seen you up there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

All these great things that go up in the Mid coast area. So we're happy to have you come down and spend time with us in Portland. How did you decide that doing Mid Coast Habitat would be yet another thing to add to your list of things that are important to your life?

Vicki Doudera:

Yeah, well, it was about six years ago and like so many things in life that kind of end up, you look back and you say, wow, that was a momentous thing that happened. It happened purely by accident. My middle son, Nathan was going on a trip with our high school and he was going to Tutwiler, Mississippi, the Delta area, to work on a Habitat project. And at the very last minute, one of the female chaperones canceled. So the director called me and asked if I wanted to go. And, and I said, you know, this is something I've always wanted to try, just like what you were saying. And I went down there and I just loved it. Of course, Nathan kind of avoided me for the first five days, but I just loved it. I love the hands on mission of Habitat. I love that it's not a free program. You know, that's a misconception that a lot of people have. They think people are getting a free house, but it's not. People are chosen very carefully based on their, you know, ability to repay and their need and their willingness to partner and give sweat equity. So it's definitely not a free house. And, you know, it's just people that really need a hand up, not a handout. So anyway, I went down to Mississippi and sweated and worked and learned how to vinyl side, actually, and came back and I thought, this is something I really want to get involved in. My own local Habitat was a group that had done good work over the years, but they were tired, they needed to grow. I tried to volunteer there and kind of got no, you know, no response. And then I went on a trip with Maine, a group of Maine realtors down to Mobile, Alabama. And when I came back from that, there was another Habitat trip. I said, I'm infiltrating. So anyway, I did. I got on the board and they asked me to become president. And in the four years I've been president and we've kind of turned it around, which has been great.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So now, as somebody who is involved in home ownership and bringing people to own their own homes, has there been a. Is there a specific thing about getting people who wouldn't normally be able to own their own homes? That has appealed to you?

Vicki Doudera:

Oh, definitely. Because, I mean, I think next to having food, I mean, having a home is so basic.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And.

Vicki Doudera:

And it's definitely, you know, a big part of our American dream when we think about it. And it goes just beyond the whole concept of shelter. I mean, I think we're kind of seeing now, you know, right now in the aftermath of Sandy, and certainly we did with Katrina. I mean, you know, how important emergency housing is. But housing goes so beyond just the sort of, you know, the nurturing, safe place we all think of. But it's a place where, you know, children can dream and grow, where they can excel in school. There have been studies after studies of, you know, how much better children do when they have a safe, healthy place to live. And it's, you know, it just really spoke to me. And yeah, it's. It's interesting that, you know, I happen to be in real estate, too, which is about, you know, matching people up with their perfect dream home or property. But Habitat is. It's really special. And when you get involved sort of beyond the building, and you get involved maybe in your local affiliate, you see that we do everything at Habitat, from soup to nuts. I mean, we hold the mortgage, we qualify the families, we build the houses, we help the families succeed, we fundraise, we have events. It's a huge gamut of things. So it's a fun place to volunteer as well.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How does this fit in? This is digressing a little bit, but it always interests me because, like most Mainers, you have several different jobs, and that's including being a mother. But how does this fit in with the job that you do, your work as a writer? Well,

Vicki Doudera:

it's interesting because, I mean, that's kind of a surprising thing, too. I've always been a writer. I went into real estate 10 years ago because. Because I sort of missed the people connection. And writing is very isolating. I was writing for magazines. I had written a book called Moving to Maine, which is still doing pretty well, that down east published. But I was lonely, and I thought, I want to be part of a team again. I want to be kind of in a group. And I figured, okay, I kind of leave writing, you know, go by the wayside. The day I'm sitting in the real estate class, which I took down here in Portland, and the instructor started talking about all the things that can go wrong. Real estate transaction. I thought this would make a great mystery series. So here I am writing a murder mystery series. But I don't know, somehow it all connects I think personally I like to be, I like to volunteer. I always have. I love my work as a real estate agent and then I like my quiet time when I'm producing these books. And I have three out right now and the fourth one comes out in April and I'm working on the fifth one. So I'm kind of on a deadline. But I like the, I kind of like that balance and the, the ying and the yang of it. That. Okay, now I'm going and I'm giving volunteer time and you get so much out of that. But now I'm going to be quiet and work on the books. And now I'm out there with my big people hat on and showing people home.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So walk me through the process. If I'm a potential homeowner and I'm in the mid coast area and I'm thinking, you know, I can't really afford a home on my own, but I would like to have one.

Vicki Doudera:

Sure.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What would I do?

Vicki Doudera:

Well, this would hold true for really a Habitat affiliate anywhere. And here in Maine we're lucky enough we have 10 affiliates. We recently started a Habitat for Humanity of Maine. So we're all getting together, you know, on a monthly basis and you know, doing some group things and things like that. But there are, you know, 10 active affiliates throughout the state. And what you would do if you wanted to become a partner family is you'd probably go on the website of the affiliate, you check and see if you qualify. And again, you know, it's based on need, your ability to repay and it's a no interest loan, but there are payments and then your willingness to partner with us. So we at Midcoast Habitat have a two step application. You fill out the first half and then after that's reviewed the second half and then you would meet with our family selection committee, they would go and see where you're living now and assess the need. And you know, a lot of these folks, they're in apartments or they're in, you know, mobile homes. And they're just the woman that we just turned over the house to, she had, oh my gosh, incredible mold rodents. And then they're paying probably at least twice what they will pay on a mortgage to own a home. So if that helps with the process. But, and then once you get, if you were approved and we call you and you know, say that you're selected, then you would start to actually come and work on the project yourself and you can get your family involved and, and it takes us probably about six or seven Months, eight months to build a house. And I think here in Portland you do them a little bit faster, but you know, and then we, then we get you in there.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So you said 400 hours.

Vicki Doudera:

400 hours of sweat equity. Yes. For a family, for an individual person.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And so what does that look like? Is that spread over the six months or what types of things do you hope people will be engaged in?

Vicki Doudera:

Yeah, well, it's the particular homeowner who is getting the house this time, Krista. She works full time and doesn't have a whole lot of childcare, so she's mainly been coming on the weekends and she's enlisted the help of some of her family to help with those hours. But they were in there framing and they've been insulating, they've painted the walls and so everything that's involved in building a house the family can chip right in on and do so.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Do you have a lower age limit for kids who want to help out in the families?

Vicki Doudera:

Yeah. By national standards, national rules, children under 16 cannot participate. So you know, we do have actually, you know, there are youth programs. We do a thing called Nickels for Nails where the kids fundraise and some of them write, you know, letters in support of, you know, home ownership and ending poverty, housing and things like that. But because it's a job site, you need to be 16 and over.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How do people get involved in volunteering and what types of things are available for volunteer opportunities in Mid coast and all over the state?

Vicki Doudera:

Sure. Well, it's very easy to volunteer and you can either go to your own affiliates website if you know what that is. Whether it's Midcoast Habitat or Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland or Seven Rivers, which is Bath and Port Brunswick. You can either go to that site or you can go on the national Habitat for Humanity website, go on the volunteer segment and you can put in your zip code and they'll tell you the affiliate that's closest to you, that's one way. But another thing you can do that we've done, that's a lot of fun is a couple years ago we went down to visit my in laws in Florida, and we knew we were going to be there for a few days, and I said, let's volunteer. We contacted the affiliate right there outside of Sarasota, Florida, and went and volunteered a day, our whole family. It was really fun. And of course, they were all fascinated with me coming from Maine and knowing that I'm involved in Habitat up here. And they said, what do you do? What do you do when it's cold? Well, we keep on building. But anyway, that's a really fun thing to do. And then there are also trips abroad that you can do with Habitat International and really all over the world. Habitat is building homes.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So as a volunteer, do they. Do you go in and they assign you, okay, here's some sheetrock, here's a hammer and some nails. I mean, I've never been on a site myself, so what would that look like?

Vicki Doudera:

It's a great question. And of course, there's building. There's other ways to volunteer. Too many habitats have restores where they sell new and used building materials, appliances, things like that. You can volunteer in the restore. You could volunteer on a committee, but if you want to physically go and get your hands dirty and pick up a hammer and build, you know, basically you just show up. You just kind of show up with a willing spirit and, you know, just be ready to kind of accept what they tell you to do. And there's always a construction supervisor, you know, who will teach you what to do. And, you know, they have the materials there. You can bring your own hammer if you want, your own work gloves and your own, your own. But they have all the materials on site. And, you know, you just kind of have that spirit of, okay, I'm ready to pitch in and help and. And you'd be surprised what you can, what you can do. I can see you really doing some great work on a house,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

I must say. My dad taught me how to use a hammer when I was quite young. I don't have that skill called upon often, but I'm sure that I could bring it up out again. Yes. What type of impact do you think that this is having or do you know that this is having either locally or nationally? This Habitat's been around for how many years now?

Vicki Doudera:

Jeepers. Started by Millard Fuller. And I'm thinking, I'm thinking it was the 60s or 70s, but I'm not exactly sure. But Mid Coast Habitat was started in 1990. So we're coming up on our pretty quick, on our 25th anniversary. You know, the impact it has on communities. Well, certainly in, you know, in the towns where we build, we're, you know, we're getting residents to become taxpayers. They're becoming people who have a vested, you know, interest in their community. It has an effect in when you get people there on the side and you can get churches involved or you get groups of women involved, or you get high school groups involved. There is that great kind of team bonding and team spirit and it's a very hopeful, fun thing to do, way to volunteer. So I think it has that impact too. I mean, we're definitely chipping away at a huge problem, but it is making a difference. And again, when I think that, that there's 24 families now who are living in homes that weren't before, I mean, I know that's making a difference. And Habitat also is going to weatherization programs and we are just launching that in the Mid coast this year. We've just done two homes and our goal is going to be to do 50 over the year. But Maine's got the oldest housing stock in the country. So you have some low income people who maybe own their home, but their home isn't safe, it isn't warm, their energy bills are sky high. So what we're doing is we're looking for families who need assistance in that way and going in and using volunteers and donated materials, weatherizing, insulating and things like that to make their homes tighter. And I know that's happening here in Portland too. And that's going to have a bigger, even bigger impact because, you know, you can touch so many more people doing that kind of thing.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

How has being part, how has having been a part of Habitat and the president of Midcoast Habitat, how has this changed you personally?

Vicki Doudera:

Well, I would say next to having my children and writing books, which is a pretty gratifying thing, but I would say that, you know, working with Midcoast Habitat, the people that have gotten involved, the partner families, it's been one of the most gratifying things I think I'll ever do and I really love it. And there's just something about it again that I think, you know, I was always involved in a lot of things in the Mid coast that I enjoyed doing. But boy, when I got on that work site, it just spoke to me and I just thought this is it. And my first couple years as president before we hired our wonderful executive director, Tia Anderson. But before that it was tricky and it was tough and there were times I felt like, can I really do this? And I felt like giving up, but I kept coming back to it's too important. It's too important to let it die. And I think that's, you know, that's what it is. It's just, but it's just very if we can end poverty, housing and homelessness in this country, in this state, in the world, I mean, it's a huge challenge, but we're chipping away at it and how great that would be if everybody had a home.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Vicki, what's the best way for people to learn about Mid Coast Habitat for Humanity?

Vicki Doudera:

Well, I think probably online is the best way. We've got a website and all the other affiliates and main do also, so just click in or if you can't remember the names of the different affiliates, just go on Habitat International, put in your zip code and it'll show you the affiliate nearest you.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We've been speaking with Vicki Dudera, who is an author and real estate agent and mother and also president of the Midcoast Habitat for Humanity. And you're clearly a very busy woman. So I appreciate your taking the time to come down here and sit with me and talk about this organization, which I can tell you're very passionate about.

Vicki Doudera:

I appreciate it. Thank you very much for having me.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We have the good Fortune at the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast of being sponsored by Maine Magazine. And in fact, our studio is in the office of Maine Magazine. So we really build on this great energy and community that has been created by Maine Magazine, Maine Home Design and all of the Eat Main Art Main and I think other guides that are out there. But I don't have to have all that information because I have Steve Kelly with me. He is the associate publisher of Maine Magazine and Maine Home Design, and he's going to talk to us about the community that is being built by these publications and also maybe even give me the spectrum of publications that are incorporated under this broad umbrella of Maine Media.

Steven Kelly:

Sure. Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate being here. In 2007 is when the magazines really got off the ground, our Maine Home Design got off the ground. And then 2009, ME magazine came along and we expanded some guides, Eat Main Art Maine Home Main as well as we have two annual events, the Kenny Monk Port Festival and the Maine Home Design Home Show, Cayman Port and then in Rockland, amongst other events and other involvement in the community. And part of that from day one, really started building the community. And that was really through early sponsorships of not only just connecting with businesses that were clients and finding out more about what they do and delving deeper, but also we really wanted to be connected to the communities that we were working in on a larger scale. And that really started, we started fairly early on in 2007. That summer we became a sponsor, as our first sponsorship ever was of the Ogunquit Playhouse. And we've been a sponsor since. And as a media sponsor, it's more of a traditional sponsorship for us, where we provide them some visibility in the magazine and sponsor a particular show each year. But that can always be different. We learned also very quickly that we do things differently in how we would work with different organizations. Sometimes it would be something as what is traditionally a media trade, and then it would also get customized and deeper. And as the years have gone on, we've really worked to have a stronger and deeper connection with all these organizations. And that's everything from the arts, the Ogunquid Playhouse, Portland Museum of Art, CMCA to Maine Cancer foundation, center for Grieving Children, a number of other organizations and Share Our Strength. Our involvement with Share Our Strength is unique as well. They are an organization working to end childhood hunger, if you're unaware of what they do, and strictly volunteer organization. And they do wonderful work to do, do that in the State of Maine. A lot of dollars are here in Maine to help end childhood hunger, and they support a number of organizations that work to end childhood hunger, whether it's the Good Shepherd Food bank or other people and organizations they're tied in with. And they are the beneficiary of the Kennewang Port Festival. So we each year have donated a substantial amount of money to share our strengths, to work to end childhood hunger.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

What I'm always struck by is if Maine magazine, Maine Home Design, is sponsoring, and I'm putting this in little parentheses that people on air can't see, but sponsoring a show or an event or an organization, you're oftentimes there. You're actually there not only representing the magazine, but also wanting to be part of that group in that community.

Steven Kelly:

Absolutely. That's been a big part of it. The publisher, Kevin Thomas, had always talked about not only. Not just simply offering immediate sponsorship, and I think that's something that he's driven really well throughout our company, is that we want to be connected and involved. So a lot of our staff go, and we get to know these organizations a lot better and deeper and get to have a better relationship and understand really what they do and the work that they do so that we can talk more about it in the community. Community that we actually work in with, you know, the various businesses we work with.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So along with the ads that often appear in Maine magazine, Maine Home Designs, whether it's for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust or whether it's for the Portland Museum of Art, you also often will send a photographer to these events. And then people who go to these events, they show up on Facebook and faces Maine, and it's become, I think, a pretty popular way to promote these organizations.

Steven Kelly:

Yes, absolutely. We found that not only going to the event, but also sending a photographer and having people's images on Facebook or sometimes in the magazine, depending on which event it is, we're sponsoring and editorial pages that we have to do to utilize that space. It's been a fun component to be able to bring not only the people who are involved with. With the event, but people who are attending and kind of create a larger community that way. And I'm glad you brought up Facebook. We use social media quite a bit in our organization, and we also utilize that as a way to talk more about the event so people see more about the event, understand the event, and hopefully we'll go to it and support the organization. Ultimately, is what we're hoping people will do is, you know, see, ILAP has the Salisoire every year for Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project and helping that cause. You know, people will see the event look like a lot of fun. Maybe they'll go, maybe they'll learn more about ilap, and maybe they'll consider being a member. And I just think that's a really wonderful way of connecting that aspect of the community.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Why has it been so important for the magazines to get behind these community organizations?

Steven Kelly:

That's the community we work and live in. I mean, it's kind of just being in Maine, you know, it's. I think a lot of us feel that way from who we are as people and our life here and kind of the. I hate to say it just the Maine way, but you know, that you feel like you should be giving back and being connected. And I think it's a really important part of what we do, you know,

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

And I think there are a lot of people from the magazines, from Brand Company, which is also under the Maine Media Collective, that are from Maine or have very strong ties to Maine. So you're not just here. Let me talk about this state. You actually believe in what you're putting out there?

Steven Kelly:

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. You know, with Brand Company, it's our marketing arm of the company, and we really work with a number of small businesses and large businesses to help their brand resonate and be as authentic to who they are as possible, which is ultimately trying to be as authentic to the state they live in and work in and the people that surround them and what their product is and everything, and really trying to tie all that together. So, yeah.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You're originally from Kennebunk or Kenny Bunkport?

Steven Kelly:

I'm from Kenny Bunk.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Kenny Bunk. I always get them confused, although my grandmother lives in that area. I should probably straighten that out in my head eventually. But has working with Maine Magazine and Maine Home Design enabled you to do what a lot of people are said to not do, which is stay within the state that you were raised in and then raise your own son here?

Tom Peaco:

Yes.

Steven Kelly:

Yeah. I feel very fortunate for that. I know a lot of people are challenged to be able to work and live in the state of Maine. And we hear from a lot of our subscribers of them coming back to Maine sometime. And I can't wait to get back. And I visit all the time, and someday I'm going to move there. I have to just figure out this work thing or whatnot. And I feel very fortunate to be able to have a good place to work, that's a good environment and a good job and be able to raise my son and have our family here as opposed to going somewhere else. But also wasn't really an option for me when I spent a lot of time. I think a lot of people in their 20s do, leaving and coming back, leaving and coming back, leaving and coming back. And then eventually I came back to visit and I just stopped and said, like, why do I keep leaving? And eventually sunk in this great place that is Maine. And I decided to stay. I met my wife, we got married, we stayed here, we have a son and we didn't want to leave. And both of us, my wife grew up in Richmond, Maine, and I grew up in Kennebunk. Although I'm not originally from Maine, I spent my life here and I just didn't have any interest in ever living anywhere else after that.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So the magazines have enabled you and your wife Jocelyn and your son Oscar to actually live your own dream, but they're also helping other people within Maine pursue a dream of a better life, it sounds like.

Steven Kelly:

Yeah, I think that's an accurate thing to say.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

So the magazines have also enabled people who are parts of these organizations too go forward with their dreams as well. The Immigrant Legal Assistance Program. They'll be on our upcoming show, the Portland Museum of Art, the cmca, a lot of people throughout Maine who actually depend upon these organizations for either livelihood or assistance in some way or inspiration. Maine Magazine, Maine Home Design are actually helping with that greater cause.

Steven Kelly:

Yeah, we feel very lucky and fortunate to be able to tie into all that and be welcomed in the community in that respect.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

We have been speaking with Steve Kelly, the associate publisher of Maine Magazine and Mame Home Design and also firmly a part of the Maine Media Collective, which also includes the guides Home Main, Eat Main, Art Main and the brand company. We've been very fortunate to spend time with you today, Steve. Thank you.

Steven Kelly:

Well, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

You have been listening to the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and podcast show number 67 Dreams. Our guests have included Tom Pico, executive director of Make a Wish Maine and the Fournier Wish Family, Mid Coast Habitat for Humanity President Vicki Dudera and associate publisher at Maine Magazine and Maine Home Design, Steve Kelly. For more information on our guests, visit doctor.

[Unidentified voice]:

Org.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

The Dr. Lisa Radio Hour and Podcast is downloadable for free on itunes. For a preview of each week's shows, sign up for our E Newsletter and like our Dr. Lisa Facebook page, you can also follow me on Twitter and Pinterest drlisa and read my take on health and well being on The Bountiful Blog bountifulpath.com We love to hear from you, so please let us know what you think of our show and if you have suggestions for future shows. Also let our sponsors know that you have heard about them here. Tom Shepard of Shepherd Financial, Beth Schisler of CBAGS, Dr. John Herzog of Orthopedic Specialists, Marcy Booth of Booth, ME and Mike LePage and Beth Franklin of Re Max Heritage are personal friends of mine. I'm privileged that they enable me to bring the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour to you each week. This is Dr. Lisa Belisle hoping that our show will inspire the dreams in your day. Thank you for letting us be a part of your world. May you have a bountiful life.

Dr. Lisa Belisle:

Sam. Sa.