Windham woman assists in Hurricane Helene recovery effort in North Carolina

By Masha Yurkevich

While many of us may be thinking about taking a vacation, Diane Dunton Bruni decided to visit the area of Black Mountain, North Carolina with a team of 16 other people as part of the Fuller Center for Housing Disaster Rebuilders.

Diane Dunton Bruni of Windham, in orange, spent one week
in North Carolina with the Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders
to help residents there recover from Hurricane Helene. She
was part of a group of 16 other volunteers who worked on
rebuilding homes for families there to move back into.
SUBMITTED PHOTO     

She returned with stories of people being trapped in basements, breaking holes in attics to climb on roofs and trying to stop water rushing in. Every week teams from around the country are giving hope to the most vulnerable by rebuilding their homes.

This part of the organization reaches out to areas hit by natural disasters and started when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region.

“Although I have been part of many cycling rides raising funds for the Fuller Center for Housing, this is the first time I spent a week with the Disaster Recovery Team,” says Dunton Bruni. “A cycling friend of mine, Nancy Fish, pulled together a team from her church along with fellow cyclists to work in the area of Black Mountain. This area was hit so hard by Hurricane Helene. Three days of rain and then 12 inches more when the hurricane hit causing mudslides, raging creaks overflowing their banks and ultimately a loss of at least 100 lives.”

Dunton Bruni was in North Carolina from April 12 through April 18 and was in a team that worked to rebuild three homes.

“I learned how to insulate a home, replace particle board and install vinyl siding. I met the homeowners and prayed with them,” she says. “I met the young leaders - ours were James, Caleb, and Jacob - who were only in their 20s and had five or six houses they were managing. This is under the direction of Tony and Aaron who head up the efforts in the area.”

The Fuller Center for Housing Disaster Rebuilders are working on 22 homes in the area.

“These are the most vulnerable people who do not have the resources to rebuild,” says Dunton Bruni. “I painted, insulated a home, reframed windows and put up siding. Other than painting, I had never done the other tasks before, and I am not sure I want to do insulation again,” she said.

The team was up by 6 a.m. each day, having breakfast and then sharing a devotion and information about their worksite.

“We were split up and at the worksites by 8 in the morning,” says Dunton Bruni. “It was hard work, but we met the families whose homes were so badly damaged. We listened to their stories, and we gave them hope. One family crawled to their roof and stood on it as they watched their car port and cars swept away. Their home was completely damaged inside. The second home was again completely damaged; the owner tried to stop the raging waters flooding into her home to no avail. The third home was a man who lived in the basement and his sons lived above. When the waters came rushing in, the man was trapped; his sons had to break a window to get him out.”

A street that the Fuller Center Disaster Recovery teams are working on is one in which every home was damaged.

“Markings for safety or lives lost are still on the doors,” says Dunton Bruni. “A car sits on the street full of mud. A hole is seen where a family broke through the attic. The waters rose to the eaves in this neighborhood.”

During her time in North Carolina, the team and Dunton Bruni were close to finishing two homes for families to move back into and started work on three others.

While the tasks were difficult, Dunton Bruni says that hearing the stories and seeing the tragedy of the area was more difficult.

“They need more help,” she says. “Teams have been coming every week since September and there is still so much work.”

Even through all the tragedy and disaster, Dunton Bruni still kept a positive view.

“The area is beautiful,” she says. “Flowers are blooming, and the mountains remind me of our mountains. The people were amazing and the team I worked with connected deeply in God's work we were doing to serve others.”

Disaster can hit at anytime and anywhere, says Dunton Bruni.

“We cannot forget the people who need us,” she says. “They are survivors, but they need our help. They need hope.”

As Board Chair and President of the Sebago Lake Region Fuller Center for Housing, Dunton Bruni says that she is committed to keep serving others and giving them hope. She said the hurricane damage in North Carolina is sad but efforts to help the survivors are inspiring.

“I am exhausted, but I learned skills that I can use with our families here in Maine,” Dunton Bruni said. “I feel blessed to have been physically and emotionally able to help these families and give them hope.”

Dunton Bruni says you can support the local effort to help repair homes for seniors and veterans by visiting sebagofullerhousing.org. For more details or if you are interested in working with the Fuller Center for Housing Disaster Rebuilders, please visit the Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders website, or contact Diane Dunton Bruni at prdunton@msn.com. <

Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner celebrates achievements

By Kaysa Jalbert

The 2025 Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner will foster the theme Seeds of Growth, implying a focus on fostering development, progress, and the nurturing of new ideas, initiatives, and relationships within the organization and community, says SLRCC President and CEO Amber Rankine.

The meeting will host special guest speaker Diane Dunton Bruni, Board Chair and President of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing.

“The theme "Seeds of Growth" implies a focus on fostering development, both personally and collectively, with a forward-looking approach that values continuous improvement and sustainable progress,” Rankine said. “The metaphor of seeds emphasizes the importance of planting the right foundations and cultivating an environment where growth can take root and flourish over time.”

The chamber’s annual meeting and awards dinner will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16 at Camp Sunshine, 35 Acadia Road in Casco. It will begin with a social hour and a welcome, followed by a meal and a guest speaker and then the presentation of awards for 2024.

Rankine said that the 2024 Businessperson of the Year Award will go to Hayley Moon. This award recognizes an individual or business operating in our region that has set an example in leadership, innovation and quality, and/or has provided noteworthy economic opportunity to the people of the Sebago Lakes Region.

The Community Leadership Awards will be presented to two recipients. Timothy Graham of Modern Woodman and a posthumous award to Lyle Merrifield of Merrifield Farm. This award recognizes a civic-minded individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in the Sebago Lakes Region. Rankine said that nominees for Community Leadership Awards should be passionate about a cause, work tirelessly for the greater good and inspire others to become involved in their community, and are not required to be a chamber member.

Lastly, the Frank Koenig Chamber Hall of Fame will be presented to Sandy Donnelly posthumously. This highly distinguished honor is presented to an individual whose commitment of time, resources and talent have made the Sebago Lakes Region a better place to pursue one’s livelihood and dreams.

Rankine said that Frank Koenig was passionate about the Chamber and worked tirelessly for the betterment of our region and his local Chamber of Commerce. Like Frank, she said Donnelly was passionate and an active contributor to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce and made an impact on the Chamber and the local community while maintaining the highest integrity.

This year, the Chamber will install four new Board Members and a new Treasurer during the annual meeting.

New Board Members include Tom Nash of Windham Adult Education to replace Michael Paradise, Denise Clavate of the Town of Gray to replace Laurie Noel, John Daniel of Edwards Jones to replace Pete Neelon and Lindsay Drumm of Saint Joseph’s College to replace Shelli Pride. The terms of Paradise, Noel, Neelon and Pride have expired. The new Treasurer will be Sara Thomas of Androscoggin Bank, replacing Maxwell Bangs. Also retiring from the chamber board this year are Joe Mclean and Maureen Lasalle.

“The annual meeting for the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce serves as a gathering for local business owners, community leaders, and stakeholders,” said Rankine. “It's an opportunity to network, discuss key issues, and look back on the achievements of this past year while planning for the future.”

Rankin says the Chamber plans to enhance community engagement, support local businesses, and strengthen the organization’s presence and influence in 2025.

This year’s annual meeting and awards dinner sponsors include Sabre Yachts as the Happy Hour Sponsor, CCFCU as the Music Sponsor, Saint Joseph’s College as the Award Plaques Sponsor, and this year’s Signature Sponsor is Maine Community Bank.

Rankine has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce since Oct. 1, succeeding Robin Mullins in the leadership position for the Chamber.

“So far it has been an amazing community, I have already made such amazing connections, and I am looking forward to the growth of those connections and continuing to build those new relationships in 2025,” says Rankine.

Rankine previously served as the Executive Director at the Greater Fort Kent Area Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce was launched 60 years ago by a group of innovative business owners and was called the North Windham Business Association. It is now made up of 14 Board Directors and seven officers whose mission is to foster economic growth and prosperity throughout the region. <

Local cyclists gear up for 2025 rides to support Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center

By Masha Yurkevich

Winter isn’t usually a time that Maine cyclists love to be out riding, but for two Windham residents it’s a perfect time to begin preparations for lengthy charity rides they will undertake this year.

Local cyclists Bill Turner, left, and Diane Dunton Bruni are
preparing for another year of riding to raise money for the
Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing, a nonprofit
organization of local volunteers who help elderly residents
and veterans with repairs and special projects so they can stay
in their homes. COURTESY PHOTOS 

For Diane Dunton Bruni and Bill Turner, taking pledges to ride and support the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing which is dedicated to helping families of older residents in the Lakes Region to stay in their homes.

As Board Chair and President of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center, Dunton Bruni says community support is crucial for what the organization does and the families it serves through home repairs and individual projects throughout the year.

In leading by example in taking pledges for each mile that she rides this winter, Dunton Bruni says she’s helping to spread the word about the Fuller Center’s mission and engaging with volunteers.

“We are an all-volunteer organization," she said. “The biggest challenge is keeping volunteers engaged in-between projects, finding contractors when special expertise is needed, donors and continuing to spread our mission. We continue to grow and cannot get to every project as quickly as we would like.”

Having community support is critical to success in helping the families the Fuller Center serves.

“In 2024, we helped 20 families with 1,150 volunteer hours repairing roofs, building ramps, adding handrails, and various other projects,” Dunton Bruni said. “Since we started doing projects in 2020 during COVID, we have completed 63 projects for 78 families and 4,436 volunteer hours.”

This year, Dunton Bruni is cycling with the Home Team as part of the Fuller Center Bike Adventure.

“For the past few years, I have ridden in different parts along the East coast,” she says. “This year, I will cycle, hike or walk 800 miles locally to raise $3,000 for materials for home repairs.”

Despite setting her goal, Dunton Bruni said she would be delighted if she could raise that number to $5,000.

“All of my funds I raise stay local,” she says. “People have two basic needs: food and shelter. The families we serve are the motivation to keep me going. When I learn about a senior, veteran or a person who is disabled and in need of repairs for their home, basic shelter, for safety reasons, I am humbled. Being able to help a family is a privilege for me.”

Bill Turner is also gearing up to help raise money for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing later this year. Many years ago, Turner used to participate in the Trek across Maine with his bike and his children.

“At some point in 2017, I decided to see if I could bike across the country,” Turner says. “I began to look for trips and came across the Fuller Center Bike Adventure, and so I signed up for a trip from San Francisco to Santa Fe to see how my body would react.”

Along the way, bikers are asked to participate in projects for the national Fuller Center.

“I am not used to asking people for money, but for such as good cause as the Fuller Center Bike Adventure, it seemed like the right thing to do,” Turner said.

In 2018, he decided to ride across the country with the Bike Adventure, and signed up for a ride from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine. He managed to ride the entire distance.

Turner has had a lot going on since then. Two years ago, he learned that he had cancer. After getting it removed, he has tested cancer-free ever since. He also had his shoulder replaced a year and a half ago, from which he has recovered and is doing well, and recently had another shoulder surgery just three weeks ago.

Still, Turner was able to ride 1,000 miles in three weeks in 2024 from Seattle, Washington, to Salt Lake City, Utah.

This year Turner has decided that he will be undertaking an epic bicycle ride at home to give his body a bit of a rest. He plans to ride and hike on his own in 2025, often accompanied by his rescue dog Tucker, with a personal goal of raising $10,000 this year and riding 1,000 miles.

According to Turner, he currently hikes about two miles a day, as his shoulder is still recovering. He will soon switch out his fat bike with studded tires to his road bicycle and will also begin doing 5-mile hikes.

“The community has always helped our local riders accomplish their goals and help others throughout our country,” Turner said.

To assist Dunton and Turner reach their 2025 fundraising goals, send a check donation payable to “The Fuller Center for Housing” with the rider’s name in the memo line and mail them to Attn: Bike Adventure, The Fuller Center for Housing, PO Box 523, Americus, GA 31709. <

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing continues to assist local residents in need

By Masha Yurkevich

We’ve all heard that giving is better than receiving, but do we actually practice what we preach? Since 2019, the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing People has been serving our community and asking nothing in return.

Since its inception in 2019, the Sebago Lakes Region
Fuller Center for Housing has completed 45 projects and
currently has 14 ongoing projects for those in need in the
area. All of the labor is performed by volunteers who 
want to give back to the community.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Jim McBride and Diane Dunton Bruni are founding members of the Fuller Center, which started in 2019 with five participating churches and Saint Joseph's College. The goal was: to repair homes for senior, veterans, and people with disabilities so that they can remain in their homes safely.

McBride is a board member and treasurer for Sebago Fuller Housing, and he coordinates the project work and work with the families that they help.

Bruni is the chair and board president, and she is responsible to pull all the pieces together, family committee, volunteer committee, executive committee, public relations and marketing. Her role is to make sure that all of the pieces are working well together as well as speaking and telling the story and responding to requests of anyone who needs their assistance. Each day is new and very different and comes with its own challenges.

Since their start in 2019, the Fuller Center has completed 45 projects and currently has 14 ongoing projects. Their biggest project is to help a family whose 19-year-old son was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down and he has no way to get in and out of the house.

“There had to be a ramp put on, but before a ramp could be put on, the deck of the house had to be raised seven inches,” says Bruni. “So, we tore the old deck down, built a new deck that was raised seven inches, and then worked with Alpha One to get the ramp. We then put the railings back on and painted the deck for them, but there is still some work left to be done on this project.”

They’ve also been doing lots of roof repairs as well as inside work.

More and more people are finding out what the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing People is doing for our community.

“As we are getting our name out there, we are receiving more and more requests from people every day,” says Bruni. “The awareness continues to build; more people are telling others about who we are and what we do.”

As the Fuller Center receives more applications, they work to prioritize which projects need to be done first.

“The young man who needed the ramp was in Boston Hospital and coming home, so that project moved up on our priority list because of the immediacy,” says Bruni.

All of the labor for all of the projects is free, unless there is a contractor or special expertise needed.

“The families that we support give back to the community by contributing what they are able to contribute to the cost of material,” Bruni says. “It’s called a greater blessing; it’s not a hand-out, it’s a hand up. They are paying it forward to help with another project.”

There are many ways that the community can help.

“We are currently raising funds for a $20,000 community campaign to raise funds for materials,” says Bruni. “We also have a gala celebrating our fifth anniversary on Oct. 1, and we are looking for action items for that gala, as well as advertisers for our program and donations. We are always in need of volunteers and someone who can refer a contractor to us; there are many needs and many ways that the community can help out.”

Bruni says that she is very proud of the team that has been working together since 2019 and is thankful for everyone who has helped.

“We are continuing to build the organization, continuing to raise awareness, and we are truly making an impact in the Windham, Raymond, and Standish communities,” says Bruni. “I feel so blessed to be a part of this.” <

Bruni included among group of ‘20 Outstanding Women 2024’

Windham’s Diane Dunton Bruni, the board chair, president and a founding member of the nonprofit Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing, has been named one of “20 Outstanding Women 2024,” an annual award given by The Portland Radio Group and Hannaford Supermarkets.

Diane Dunton Bruni of Windham has been named
as one of the '20 Outstanding Women 2024' by 
Portland Radio Group and Hannaford
Supermarkets. COURTESY PHOTO  

The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing, based in Windham, offers home repairs for seniors and veterans so they may remain in their homes safely and enjoy the quality of life they deserve.

“I am very grateful for this honor, and accept it on behalf of all our volunteers, who strive each day to make a genuine difference in the lives of others,” said Bruni. “As seniors and veterans age, many do not want to leave their cherished homes, although they are no longer able to care for them. They also often struggle with costs and with finding contractors available to make repairs. Through our pool of volunteers, we meet the home-repair needs of these individuals and families in our community. In turn, we reduce feelings of isolation and despair among the human beings involved.”

Launched in 2019, the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing is part of a national organization, the Fuller Center for Housing, started by Millard Fuller, the former founder of Habitat for Humanity. As the only Fuller Center in New England, it was founded in Windham, Maine, by five churches—Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, North Windham Union Church, Windham Hill UCC, Raymond Village Community Church, Faith Lutheran Church, and St, Joseph’s College. St Ann’s Episcopal Church of Windham later also joined.

It is a nonprofit organization that relies on an all-volunteer force to serve seniors and veterans in the communities of Raymond, Standish, and Windham.

The annual “20 Outstanding Women” Award is sponsored each year by the Portland Radio Group/Coast 93.1 FM and Hannaford Supermarkets, to celebrate and recognize women in Maine who make a significant impact in their community. Each selected woman was nominated by her peers, family, and friends, and will be spotlighted throughout March on Coast 93.1’s radio shows, website, and social media, including in a radio interview on the popular Blake Show with Kelly and Todd.

The “20 Outstanding Women” Awards will be offered in a private ceremony in March on the campus of the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

For more detailed information, please contact Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing at 207-387-0855 or send an email to sebagofullerhousing@sebagofullerhousing.org <

Fuller Center charity cyclists stop in Windham to repair housing for older adults and veterans

By Lorraine Glowczak

For the past 15 years, cyclists throughout the U.S. have biked across the country to not only raise funds for the Fuller Center for Housing, a national faith-based organization headquartered in Georgia that builds and repairs homes worldwide, but bikers also pause along their journeys to physically help build and repair homes for local Fuller Center chapters.

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing welcomed
about 30 cyclists to Windham on Friday, June 23. The cyclists
worked on repairs and building projects around town, such
as rebuilding this deck for an area senior.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Recently, the local Fuller Center partner, Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing (SLRFC) welcomed about 30 cyclists as they rolled into Windham on Friday, June 23. The bikers began their adventure from Tybee Island, Georgia, traveling 1,500 miles through 13 states for 30 days, making their last build stop in the greater Windham area.

While here, the cyclists, along with other local volunteers provided housing repairs and landscaping projects for area older adults and veterans before ending their bike adventure at Portland Headlight in Cape Elizabeth on Sunday, June 25.

“The SLRFC appreciates that we were selected to be one of the cyclists’ stopping points during their East Coast fundraising ride,” SLRFC President, Diane Dunton Bruni said. “Because of their help, we were able to provide repairs for six area residents in Windham, Raymond, and Standish while also providing landscaping and yard clean-up for some.”

Laura Case of Windham was one of the Fuller Center recipients. Portions of her deck, railing, and stairs were rotting. SLRFC volunteers demolished and replaced the decking and updated the stairs and railing.

“This project couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time and was a real Godsend,” Case said. “I was putting flowerpots on top of the rotting deck boards so I wouldn’t step on them and fall through. Now, I won’t have to worry about that anymore.”

Case continued, saying that she is beyond grateful for all the volunteers and wanted to give a special thanks to two local contractors.

“I am also extremely grateful for Randy Perkins and Scott Martin who gave much of their professional skills and leadership for this project.”

What makes this housing improvement extra special is that Case’s husband, George passed away approximately a month ago.

“Randy said in a Facebook post that George was looking down on us that day,” Case said. “I know with certainty that he was and is very happy that the work has been completed and I can now walk into my house without falling through the deck. George knows I am safe and well taken care of.”

Last July, approximately 25 bikers helped local volunteers with eight projects including the building of a screened-in farmer's porch for Linda and John Gregoire of Windham. John has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and is now confined to a wheelchair.

“This year, we were able to provide landscaping around Gregoire’s farmer’s porch that included placing pavers by the steps and flowers around the porch that were donated by a local master gardener,” Bruni said.

Since last year, a wheelchair lift has been added to the porch so that John can exit the house safely.

“The porch has provided us with a beautiful place to relax and get fresh air instead of staying inside all summer long in air conditioning,” Linda said. “I call it the porch that love built. And now that some flowers were added, I call that the garden that love built. The people who have come into our lives because of the Fuller Center are a true blessing.”

Bruni is very grateful for everyone who was involved from start to finish but takes a moment to mention a few who supported the efforts.

“It was very helpful that Saint Joseph’s College had vans available and provided drivers to take the riders to the projects and offered a place for the bikers to shower. Also, we appreciated WPD Officer Tim Denman who provided an escort from the Sebago Lake Lookout to the North Windham Union Church (NWUC) where cyclists slept and were provided meals in the parish hall.”

The bike adventure provides many experiences for cyclists. One cyclist, Jacqueline Rouse from Iowa who helped with the Laura Case project took a moment to share her experiences in the Sebago Lakes Region.

“We felt very welcomed, productive, and appreciated,” Rouse said. “Laura served us lunch and was very accommodating. The foreman/contractors were very helpful and provided guidance as we worked. Diane Bruni and Jim McBride [Chair of the SLRFC Family Committee] did an awesome job organizing so many sites so that we all had plenty to do.”

Rouse also shared her thoughts about participating in the bike adventure charity ride.

“I enjoy every aspect of the Fuller Center Bike Adventure from its mission to end poverty housing, to the faith-based aspect. Cycling makes it fun and getting to spend time with other like-minded people makes it an awesome experience every time. Staying in churches and meeting so many wonderful people along the way restores your faith in humankind.”

The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing is a collaborative effort between North Windham Union Church, Faith Lutheran Church, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Raymond Village Community Church, and Saint Joseph’s College.

The mission of this local Fuller Center chapter is to provide housing repairs for area older adults and veterans so they can remain safely in their homes. If you or someone you know could benefit from this cause, contact the SLRFC by email at sebagofullerhousing@gmail.com or by phone at 207-387-0855. The Fuller Center is always accepting volunteers and donations to continue their work. To inquire about volunteering or to make a donation, visit their website at www.sebagofullerhousing.org or send a check or money order to 723 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, ME 04062.<