Some people can’t pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

It is my privilege to serve as a board member on two Bangor not-for-profit agencies. Amicus serves adults with mental and physical disabilities through their day programs, and Phillips-Strickland House, a residential care facility for the aging.

These agencies had to adapt to a lot of changes with the gap in Medicare underfunding through the years, while striving constantly to provide quality and compassionate care. Now the services that bring quality to their lives are being severely threatened.

Why would the state want to lose a structure that Maine is proud of and be forced to care for the same people in settings that may be more costly to the state in the long run?

As responsible citizens, it is our duty to take a stand for the less fortunate. Please join me and make your support known to your legislators.

Barbara Gibson

Brewer