UCP of Maine celebrates 45 years

BANGOR – United Cerebral Palsy of Maine marked its 45th year of service Thursday night by recognizing those who have supported its mission of serving Maine people with disabilities.

UCP of Maine’s mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities, Lynn Boulger, the agency’s development director, said during the agency’s annual meeting attended by about 120 staff members, supporters, consumers and friends at Spectacular Events in Bangor.

The agency, with headquarters in Bangor, has been providing services since 1956 and today serves some 3,000 people, most under 21 years of age. While most of those the agency serves are from northeastern Maine, its service area encompasses the entire state.

Despite its name, UCP’s 11 programs and services serve people of all ages with disabilities of all kinds, including autism, Down syndrome, severe developmental disabilities and delays, spina bifida and a range of mental health diagnoses.

As one of many charities struggling to survive – especially since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States – UCP is at a critical juncture, Executive Director Bobbi Yeager noted during her remarks. As a consequence, UCP has had to make some tough choices about programs, almost all of which have long waiting lists.

To that end, UCP this year launched its first capital campaign. The agency hopes to raise $1.6 million dollars, the bulk of which will be used to renovate and winterize the bunkhouse at Camp CaPella, its summer camp in Dedham, and acquire a permanent home and pay off a mortgage on Evergreen Woods, its facilities on Mount Hope Avenue in Bangor. That would help to free funds for programs and services. A $500,000 endowment would serve as seed money for new programs, provide services for people who cannot pay, and maintain buildings. To date, Boulger said, UCP has raised $864,300.

OHI Executive Director Bonnie-Jean Brooks was presented UCP’s People and Promise Community Service Award, given to people in the community who have had a significant positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities. OHI is a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities live productively in their communities throughout a six-county service area.

“Those of us who work with Bonnie know that ‘no’ is never an acceptable answer. There is always a way, there is always a means, and, buoyed by this indefatigable optimism, everything is possible,” observed Tom Johnston, a lawyer at the Bangor law firm Eaton Peabody, Bradford and Veague, in one of seven letters written in support of Brooks’ nomination.

Brooks, who was en route to a national meeting in Arizona when she learned she needed to be in Bangor for Thursday’s event, said she was touched by the award but pointed out the credit needed to be shared with her family, staff and board members.

Other supporters recognized Thursday included:

. Volunteer of the Year Al Soucie, the agency’s outgoing president and a UCP volunteer for 19 years;

. Corporate Sponsor of the Year Georgia-Pacific, which among other things helped establish the Fort James House, a residential treatment program for children ages 6 to 11 with a mental health diagnosis;

. Donors of the Year Nancy and Richard Larkin, whose generous support includes $25,000 for field trips.

Featured speakers included Lesley Seltzer, president of the Autism Society of Maine, and U.S. Rep. John Baldacci, who was not able to attend due to business in Washington but sent a video recording of his congratulations and vow to maintain the fight for federal resources for children with disabilities and health care for Maine families. Recently elected President Joyce Engelmann also highlighted some of her goals and dreams for UCP, among them the expansion of services for adults and making Camp CaPella a year-round facility.

Numerous other sponsors and supporters received certificates of appreciation. The all-male Mainely Music Chorus, specializing in the four-part, a cappella, close-harmony style of music known as barbershop, not only provided the evening’s entertainment but presented its annual donation to UCP.