Windham volunteer completes cycling adventure to raise money for Fuller Center

By Masha Yurkevich

How far would you go to help someone in need? A bag of groceries, a tank of gas, a few extra dollars? Diane Dunton Bruni was willing to ride 488 miles through Florida on a bicycle as part of the Fuller Center Bike Adventure to raise funds to eradicate poverty housing.

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for
Housing's President Diane Dunton Bruni of 
Windham recently completed a 488-mile
bike ride through Florida to raise money to
eradicate poverty housing. She rode as part
of a group traveling down the east coast of 
Florida from just south of Orlando to the
southernmost part of the United States in
Key West. COURTESY PHOTO  

Bruni is the Board Chair, President and a founding member of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing, an organization that launched in 2019 with five churches and Saint Joseph’s College. Original churches involved were Raymond Village Community Church, Windham Hill UCC, Faith Lutheran Church, North Windham Union Church, and the Unity Center for Spiritual Growth. Since then, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church has joined.

“We are connected to a National Fuller Center in Americus, Georgia,” says Bruni. “The Fuller Center for Housing was started in 2005 by the former founder of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller. He left Habitat in 2004 to get back to the grass roots philosophy of building and repairing homes. He called it Theology of the Hammer.”

This was the fourth time Bruni has been part of the Fuller Center Bike Adventure.

“The Fuller Center has rides in different areas of the country and one that is cross country every year. I did the last week of the cross-country trip in July of 2022 from Burlington, Vermont to Windham, Maine. In 2023, I biked the Tour de Florida west coast and the East Coast ride from Tybee Island, Georgia to Wilmington, North Carolina. This year, the Tour de Florida was on the east coast of Florida starting just south of Orlando to Key West.”

Even though the ride was in Florida, it was far from a vacation.

“Every ride keeps a rigorous schedule,” says Bruni. “We are up at 6 in the morning after a night sleeping on thin mattresses, pack our gear and get it to the support van by 6:30, eat breakfast and clean our host church by 7:30 a.m. We circle up and hear about the route for the day, then someone in the group shares a devotional, a prayer is said for our safety, and we are off. The days average ride is 65 to 70 miles. The support vans stop every 20 miles to offer snacks and water or Gatorade.”

After they arrive at their next location, the riders unpack the van, get escorted to showers, share in a community dinner and then do it all again the next day.

There were 34 riders on this year’s ride.

“It is not the ride,” says Bruni, “It is the experience and the people you meet that you are riding with or on teams with or sharing some down time with during the course of the adventure.”

For Bruni, it is listening to people’s life stories, their joys and their hardships. It is listening to their faith stories and how God has shown up in their lives.

Some people ride because it is an inexpensive way to see the country, but many people are changed by the ride. “I have lifelong friendships from the rides I have been on,” she says.

The goal of the ride is to raise funds to eradicate poverty housing. There are 95 Fuller Centers in the United States and 20 global sites.

“During the ride, there are always days when we work on building a home or repairing a home," says Bruni. “This becomes a shared experience and riders see the true impact of what the Fuller Center is all about. My faith in God is always renewed by the connections I have with the people we meet and strangers along the way. We rode in rain, thunderstorms, wind, and nice weather but we all looked after each other. If someone stops, we make sure we do not pass the person without making sure they are okay. Strangers listen to our story and are in awe of what we do. We are so divided today and yet but having a shared experience and listening to each other, we are connected. As one of my very good cycling friends told me on my very first ride, ‘It is not about the ride, it is about the people you ride with and meet along the way.’”

Bruni tries to stay in shape by riding her road bike year-round, even during the winter in Windham.

“I had foot surgery on Sept. 7, so I had not been on my bike since Sept. 6, the day before my surgery,” she says. “I did strength training. I have to be honest, my foot was in pain the whole ride. I persevered though and completed the whole 488 miles.”

To date, Bruni has raised $3,000 this year for materials for home repairs in the Sebago Lakes Region community.

“We are in Windham, Standish and Raymond,” she says. “All of the funds I raise stay local. We are an all-volunteer organization repairing homes for seniors and veterans. Last year, we worked on over 15 projects to help people in our community stay safe in their homes.”

The January Tour de Florida is the first ride of each year. There are multiple rides from January until October across the country. While Bruni will not ride again this year, she will ride next year in some part of the country that she has not seen before.

Bruni has always been active with nonprofits. She is an author, entrepreneur, photographer, and artist. She is also a former Board volunteer and Chair of the Good Shepherd Food Bank, a volunteer for Junior Achievement of Maine, Relay for Life and the Dempsey Center.

She is married to Jeff Bruni and the couple makes her home on the shores of Sebago Lake with their two dogs, Mia and Charlie. <

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing gears up for spring and summer housing repairs

By Lorraine Glowczak

The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing is getting ready for spring. With its mission to repair homes for older adults and veterans in the Sebago Lakes region who want to age safely in-place, fundraising efforts are in full swing to make those efforts happen successfully. The National Fuller Center refers to this time of year as March Madness.

Sebago Lakes region Fuller Center for Housing volunteers
Ron Koster, left, and Allen Sample work on a project for
a senior citizen in Windham last year. The organization
is seeking volunteers and monetary donations for
upcoming projects in the community this spring.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

“Last year, we helped over 18 families with projects ranging from repairing steps and ramps, replacing flooring and sills,” Fuller Center President, Diane Dunton Bruni said. “Our largest project was building a farmer’s porch for Linda and John Gregoire of Windham.”

John was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) 15 years ago and he is confined to a mobile chair and makes his living room his year-round living space with no safe exit out of their home in case of an emergency.

“We built a farmer’s porch with the help of local volunteers and cyclists who came to our community in July,” Bruni said. “John and Linda can enjoy more space and see the beautiful outdoors.”

As a recipient of the Fuller Housing projects Linda Gregoire expressed her gratitude for the work completed at her and her husband’s property.

“I don’t just speak for John and myself, but I hope I speak for everyone you helped,” she said. “I want to start with a quote that epitomizes the spirit of volunteerism by a woman who dedicated her life to helping the unseen. In the words of Mother Teresa, ‘You have not truly lived until you have done something for someone who can do nothing to repay you.’”

Gregoire said that serving the unseen, the elderly, the disabled, and veterans (who are often both), is a worthy calling.

“We should remember the unseen weren’t always unseen,” she said. “They were productive members of our community. So, to have a group of caring people come into your life to fix or build and repair something you used to be able to do but can no longer do is an unbelievable experience and blessing.”

This year, the local Fuller Center has many more projects coming up.

“We need continued funds to ensure we can continue our efforts,” Bruni said. “Labor is free unless we need specialized services and materials are bought at the lowest cost possible.”

One of the ways the organization does fundraising is by cycling. William Turner, a local cyclist, and Bruni are raising money through their cycling efforts. You can find them at Fuller Center Bike Adventure at https://www.fullercenterbikeadventure.org

“We certainly could not fulfill our mission of providing adequate shelter and a safe living space for our older adults, like the Gregoires, without the help of area volunteers and businesses,” Bruni said. “Your donations help us help others. Won’t you consider donating to make others stay safely at home?”

To donate go to www.sebagofullerhousing.org, the Fuller Center Bike Adventure or contact them at sebagofullerhousing@gmail.com.<

Fuller Center cyclists pedal 3,900 miles to assist Windham resident with ALS

Fuller Center for Housing cyclists gather before a leg of their
3,900-mile coast-to-coast journey that took six weeks to
complete this summer. While in Windham, the riders helped
build a new porch for a resident who has ALS and assisted
in making other home improvements for local seniors as
volunteers for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center
for Housing. COURTESY PHOTO       

By Ed Pierce

It’s said that when you give of yourself, that is when you truly give. For 21 cyclists completing a 3,900 mile ride from Seaside, Oregon to Maine on behalf of the Fuller Center for Housing last weekend, they gave everything they possibly could by finishing their journey.

Fuller Center cyclists rode from Fryeburg to St. Joseph’s College in Standish on Thursday, July 28 and then enjoyed a police escort as they made their way to an overnight stop at the North Windham Union Church. There they teamed up with a group of volunteers from the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing on Friday, July 29 for a building project to add a new front porch for John and Linda Gregoire of Windham and other projects.

John Gregoire is wheelchair bound and paralyzed and is unable to speak. He communicates through a laptop and has been suffering from ALS for the past 15 years. In creating the new porch for the family, Fuller Center cyclists and local volunteers updated the Gregoire home to make it safer and more accessible for John, who is now able to roll out onto the porch for fresh air when needed.

“Thank you to the Sebago Fuller Housing Foundation for helping those who can no longer care for their homes and just need an extra heart and hand to bring their home back to its glory,” said Linda Gregoire. “All with consideration of John’s needs, nothing has been overlooked to make this project safe and comfortable for him. This group has given us more than a porch with a second means of egress, they’ve given us a feeling of being cared for and loved. John and I are beyond grateful, humbled and in awe of the kindness showered on us.”

In all, the cyclists and Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center volunteers worked on eight different housing projects while in Windham before the remaining riders departed for Portland on the final leg of their six-week cross-country ride on Saturday, July 30.

In reaching the Atlantic Ocean, the cyclists wrapped up a coast-to-coast adventure that spanned 14 different northern-tier states and included visits to all of the Great Lakes and an array of locations such as Glacier National Park in Montana, Niagara Falls in New York and Lake Champlain in Vermont.

In Burlington, Vermont, Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center President Diane Dunton Bruni of Windham joined the group of cross-country cyclists and rode with them on the final trek over to Maine.

The Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure was founded in 2008 as a way to raise funds for The Fuller Center for Housing’s work of partnering with families in need to help them have simple, decent places to live through home repairs and new home construction – through dozens of Fuller Center covenant partners across the United States and in 20 different countries.

Since its inception, the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure has raised more than $3.8 million for the Fuller Center’s work through the years, including more than $500,000 raised in 2022. Riders also are instrumental in bringing attention and public awareness about the nonprofit’s work through speaking engagements, media coverage and simply by talking with people they meet along the way.

The Fuller Center for Housing was founded in 2005 by the late Millard Fuller, who also created the Habitat for Humanity International initiative. It seeks to end substandard housing and improve the lives of those who may never have owned a home. The group partners with local agencies and volunteers to build or repair homes with partner families who participate in the work and pay the costs forward on a no-profit, no-interest basis that they can afford.

During this year’s cross-country ride, the orange-clad cyclists participated in seven build days at stops they made at Fuller Center locations. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 80 Fuller Center sites, and the number continues to grow every year.

To learn more about project eligibility, to become an active volunteer or to make a charitable donation, visit the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing’s website at sebagofullerhousing.org, send an email to sebagofullerhousinginfo@gmail.com, or call 207-387-0855. <

Fuller Center brings much-needed housing rehab services to Sebago Lakes Region seniors

This fall, the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center
for Housing helped four older adult families stay
safely in their homes. Shown from left are Fuller
Center Board Member Steve McFarland, 
Community Volunteer Wayne Jones, Board
Member Karen Swasey Jones and homeowner
Ellen Huber as they worked to prepare Huber's
yard for the winter. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Only recently founded by a group of six local churches and organizations, the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing has gotten off to a remarkable start, already completing four projects for area seniors in spite of the challenges of COVID and a cold, rainy fall.

The local Fuller Center’s first project involved repairing and replacing window trim and siding for an elderly Windham couple.  That was quickly followed by rehabbing a much-used deck and steps for another older homeowner, and then completely clearing leaves, acorns, and gutter debris for two others in order to make their yards safer to walk in and to keep them off ladders themselves. 

The four projects involved 37 volunteers, local Fuller Center Board members and community residents. 

“Getting these jobs done was not deterred in any way by the need to wear masks and socially distance. The volunteers approached it all with energy and good humor, staying safe and being really productive,” said Steve McFarland, a Fuller Center Board member who worked on all four projects.

An affiliate of the non-profit national Fuller Center for Housing, the local Fuller Center was founded by representatives from Faith Lutheran Church, the Unity Church for Spiritual Growth, the North Windham Union Church (UCC), Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Raymond Village Community Church (UCC) and St. Joseph’s College, and serves the towns of Windham, Raymond and Standish.  The group’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of home repair, clean-up, and rehabilitation services to qualified senior homeowners. 

Local Fuller Center services can include trim and siding repair, painting, property clean-up, light demolition, weatherization, door and window repair, handicapped access structures such as ramps, etc., all with the aim of supporting “aging in place.” 

“Studies demonstrate that when people can comfortably stay in their own homes as they get older, they lead better, healthier lives,” said Diane Dunton Bruni, local Fuller Center Board President.  “Our program helps to make that happen by assisting aging homeowners to keep their houses in good repair.”

Basic criteria to be eligible to receive local Fuller Center services include financial need, and a willingness to be involved in some way as health and finances allow. This is in keeping with the philosophy of paying it forward. 

The local Fuller Center is already gearing up for what it hopes will be a busy 2021 and is asking for
community support. 

“In preparing for next year, we would be very grateful to receive three things from our local communities; help in identifying senior homeowners who may have a need, involvement as volunteers for our rehab crews, and financial support through donations to the organization,” Bruni said. 

Suggestions for projects and expressions of interest in volunteering can be sent to the website at www.sebagofullerhousing.org or by emailing the Fuller Center at sebagofullerhousinginfo@gmail.com.  Tax-deductible financial contributions can be made online at the website.  For more information about the work of the local Fuller Center, please contact the Fuller Center through the website or by email.

The national Fuller Center (an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) was founded by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda.  The Fullers were long-time friends of former President Jimmy Carter.  The Fullers had initially founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976 and led that organization for 29 years.  They parted ways with Habitat and created the Fuller Center in 2005 as a way to continue to pursue their original vision of ending “housing poverty”.  Millard Fuller died in 2009.  Linda Fuller is still very much involved in the work of the organization.  For more information about the national Fuller Center, see: www.fullercenter.org. <

 

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing seeks volunteers for first home project

The mission of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing (SBLFCFH) is to make a difference in the communities of Raymond, Standish and Windham by providing safe and adequate housing repairs for those who are aging in place. The newly established non-profit organization had hoped to begin their projects much sooner, but COVID-19 has significantly impacted their timetables.

The good news is, after ironing out COVID safety protocols, the Fuller Center has scheduled their first project for Friday Aug. 28 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a rain date and perhaps a finishing date scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11.

This project is for an elderly couple located in Windham and will include repairing windows and door trim, caulking and repainting and some tree trimming as well as yard cleanup. SBLFCFH has a professional volunteer with window repair experience to guide the Fuller Center and its volunteers.

“It is so important to have people be able to stay safely in their homes and to know that they don’t have to leave at a time that they just want to have the memories and feel comforted by what’s around them,” said Diane Dunton Bruni, President of SBLFCFH.

The Fuller Center is open to volunteers to help with this first effort and future projects in the making. Any individual can sign up to volunteer and donate any amount of time by helping the organization keep this senior couple (and others in the future) warm during the winter months. The organization is asking for volunteers to work in a timeframe of their choice. To learn more about this project, contact the organization at sebagofullerhousinginfo@gmail.com.

The Fuller Center for Housing was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller, who also founded Habitat for Humanity. The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing, was established in 2019 and includes board members from area founding partners of Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, Faith Lutheran Church, North Windham Union Church, Saint Joseph’s College and Raymond Village Community Church.

To help support their housing repair efforts, the Fuller Center will be hosting a virtual bike ride fundraiser to take place from Sept. 12 to Sept. 26.  In deference to the current COVID experience, this means that any time during this period, the riders can complete the 40-mile route around Sebago Lake (which is a beautiful ride in and of itself). All registrants will get a T-shirt and prize drawings will be given after the event.

If you enjoy biking and want to support this work, this is a great way to do it. All the information regarding instructions, pledge forms, completion form, contact information, is available on the website: www.sebagofullerhousing.org.

Special thanks to following businesses who are sponsoring the virtual bike ride: The Goodlife Market, Gorham Savings Bank, Mulberry Farms, Sebago Technics, Inc., Unity Center for Spiritual Growth and Windham Hill United Church of Christ

“Millard Fuller talked a lot about hope and how hope is essential in life,” Dunton Bruni said. “What we are doing is we are giving hope.”

Be sure to follow the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller for Housing on Facebook and Instagram. <

Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing will help seniors stay in their homes

Board members of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller
Center for Housing.

By Elizabeth Richards

A bucket list bike ride has inspired the creation of a local chapter of a global nonprofit organization, The Fuller Center for Housing. Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing is a collaboration between six partner organizations, with 12 founding board members.

Several years ago, Bill Turner created a bucket list, which included riding across the US on a bicycle. Looking for possible rides, he came across the Fuller Center Bike Adventure, where participants ride long distances and build or repair houses along the way. His first year out, he rode from San Francisco to Santa Fe via Salt Lake City, Turner said.

The following year, he rode from Portland, OR to Portland, ME, having what he called a “great, uplifting experience” riding 4,000 miles in ten weeks, with six build days along the route. When he returned in the fall, Faith Lutheran Church was undergoing a process to determine what mission they wanted to take on. He suggested launching a Fuller Center, since there were none north of New York.

Turner and Lorraine Glowczak, another member of the congregation, began making presentations to other faith-based organizations to see if they could garner interest in becoming a local covenant partner. The result was six organizations coming together: North Windham United Church of Christ, Faith Lutheran Church, Windham Hill United Church of Christ, Raymond Village Community Church, Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, and St. Joseph’s College.

The next summer, before Turner left for another five-week ride, the founders had a meeting to discuss
the steps involved in becoming a covenant partner. By the time he returned, the group had elected board officers. By fall, the group was up and running, with regular meetings and committees in place.

Board president Diane Dunton Bruni said the group came together quickly, establishing the chapter, writing by-laws and articles of incorporation, and creating committees to reach out to families in need and to find volunteers, all within six months. Now, they’re ready to spread the word about what they’re doing to the community.

“When Bill and Lorraine came and spoke at North Windham United Church of Christ, I knew immediately that I wanted to be involved,” Dunton Bruni said. She has a long history of non-profit
involvement, having worked with the Good Shepard Food Bank for many years. When she heard about the Fuller Center, she said, she knew that it was exactly what she’d been looking for.
Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing will do repairs rather than building homes, at least initially, with a focus on helping older people remain in their homes.

“It is so important to have people be able to stay safely in their homes and to know that they don’t have to leave at a time that they just want to have the memories and feel comforted by what’s around them,” she said.

The Fuller Center for Housing was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller, who also founded Habitat for Humanity. “Millard Fuller talked a lot about hope and how hope is essential in life,” Dunton Bruni said. “What we are doing is we are giving hope.”

Founding members had a range of reasons for getting involved. Nancy Foran, Pastor of the Raymond Village Church, said she had led mission trips centered around housing rehabilitation in Tennessee and other parts of Maine. These experiences were one reason why she was interested in the Fuller Center, she said. “This is an opportunity to do something right in our neighborhood.”

The Lakes Region, she added, is a sort of “dead zone” when it comes to services. “To have an organization that is going to really focus on the Lakes Region, I think it will be great,” Foran said.
With many seniors living in old housing stock, there can be many problems with their homes. “I’m really hopeful that this organization can bridge some gaps there,” Foran said.

Reverend Pat Bessey of the Unity Center for Spiritual Growth said the group decided to focus in the
towns of Standish, Raymond and Windham because these areas don’t have the same level of support as other areas. “That’s where we felt that we could be the most effective,” she said.

Steve McFarland, Director of Career Development at St. Joseph’s College, said “The need is just incredibly obvious everywhere you go in the community.” There are many people unable to maintain their homes at the level they’d like to, he said. “We’ve got a lot of caring people in these communities that want to reach out and help neighbors in that way.”

The nonprofit aligns very well with the mission and values of St. Joseph’s College as well, McFarland said. “Community and compassion are the two values that I think it most closely connects to…I think it just very much aligns with who we are as an organization, and it gives us that opportunity to get out there and do it,” he said.

Gwen Rogers of the Windham Hill United Church of Christ said the church was excited when they were approached about the Fuller Center. “Giving back to the segment of the population, the seniors who are trying to remain in their homes, was an untapped segment that I think we thought we could help with,” she said. “If you just drive around the roads of Windham and Raymond you see homes that you know need a little sprucing up, and people just need some help doing that.”

Bessey said that she saw getting involved as an opportunity to broaden their cooperation with other faith-based organizations. “Also, part of our mission is service and creating community. This fit that
criteria so well, because not only are we going to have an opportunity to do service through volunteering, but we’re also going to be creating community because we’ll be interacting with people from other organizations.”

Dunton Bruni said the organization will partner with town offices, churches in the area, and any other organizations that can help them find people in need of help.

Initial funding for the nonprofit came from each partner organization contributing a set amount, a matching contribution from the Fuller Center for Housing, and $5,000 raised from Turner’s most recent Fuller Center Bike Adventure. The group is also discussing having their own one-day bike ride around Sebago Lake in September to raise funds.

One of the things that is different about the Fuller Center, Turner said, is that some smaller renovation projects are done through their “Greater Blessings Program,” where recipients of the work commit to
paying back what is spent on their project over a time period they can afford, with no interest. In this way, the initial money raised can become a revolving fund for future projects, Turner said.

“Our mission is going to be simple,” Dunton Bruni said. “It’s giving hope to others, and carrying on the legacy of Millard Fuller and being able to help others feel safe in their homes and giving them dignity. It is done with an opportunity to pay it forward in a way that they can. When you have hope, then you look to the future.”