Columbia woman launches nonprofit for the homebound

COLUMBIA – For Amy Daugherty, the breaking point came last December as she ate tomato soup from a can and a grilled cheese sandwich for Christmas dinner.

The 32-year-old Columbia woman, who suffers from fibromyalgia, a symptom of which is chronic pain, had been calling food pantries and shelters for days, but their supplies were gone. No turkeys. No hams. No vegetables.

Daugherty wondered to herself whether others out there didn’t have even soup and a sandwich for the holidays.

“It didn’t seem fair that the disabled or those that can’t get around were left behind,” she said recently.

Out of that humbling experience, Daugherty started Angel Garden, a nonprofit based in Washington County whose mission is to deliver food and other items to homebound people in eastern Maine.

Her fledgling idea is struggling to gain momentum, and Daugherty conceded that her task is uphill, but she said she couldn’t keep watching as people who need help aren’t getting it.

“Really, what I’m doing amounts to a small gesture, but little things can have a huge impact for some people,” she said.

So far, Daugherty and a handful of other volunteers in the Columbia area have been gathering donated supplies, mostly clothing, books, movies and other items, which they will deliver to disabled and elderly residents in eastern Maine. What they really want to collect is food, but those efforts have been slow going.

“We’ve identified 51 families so far that need our help,” said Daugherty, who has been conducting phone interviews with potential clients for the last few weeks. “The need is definitely there.”

Columbia Supermarket owner Basel Soukarieh recently offered Angel Garden a small space in his building off Route 1 to store supplies. He said it was an easy way for him to help and admitted he was touched so far by the efforts of Daugherty. Once enough goods are gathered, a handful of volunteer drivers are standing by to deliver them.

“Now, I just need to figure out a way to pay them,” Daugherty said. “The volunteers don’t want much, just enough to cover gas.”

Daugherty, who has been living mostly on disability and food stamps for several years, said what little extra money she has she has put into Angel Garden.

“I know what it feels like, and it sucks,” she said. “People should be able to get help without feeling bad about it.”

Angel Garden has received some assistance from the Columbia town office and has advertised at local churches and other community groups. Daugherty said she’s in the process of filing for 501c nonprofit status to solidify Angel Garden’s legitimacy, but there is a lot of paperwork.

Even if Angel Garden doesn’t succeed, the Columbia woman said she feels she is trying to make a difference, rather than sitting at home.

“It hasn’t been as easy as I thought, but I’ve made a commitment to seeing this through,” she said.

For information about Angel Garden or to donate, contact Amy Daugherty at 866-612-1563 or visit the nonprofit’s Web site at www.angelgardenmaine.com.

erussell@bangordailynews.net

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