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Showing posts with label Walk A Mile in Their Shoes Foundation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walk A Mile in Their Shoes Foundation. Show all posts

Friday, September 5, 2025

Diamond leaves a legacy of exceptional public service to community

By Ed Pierce

There’s an old saying that “to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die” and for Windham’s beloved state legislator, educator and businessman Bill Diamond, that expression rings true.

Bill Diamond of Windham, a longtime legislator, educator,
business owner and child welfare advocate, has died at the 
age of 80. He co-founded Windham Neighbors Helping
Neighbors to provide heat assistance to those in need and
the Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation to end 
child homicide in Maine.  FILE PHOTO  
Diamond, 80, passed away Sunday, Aug. 31 after a hard-fought battle with cancer and the outpouring of kind words and sentiment for him and his family has been non-stop. Having spent more than 40 years in politics and service as Maine’s Secretary of State from 1989 to 1997, Diamond leaves behind a legacy few will equal.

A lifelong Democrat, Diamond first ran for the Maine House of Representatives in 1976 as a write-in candidate and defeated Republican Barbara Strong. He won re-election for the seat in 1978 by defeating Republican Carole Bean. He won a third term in the Maine House in 1980 while running unopposed. In 1982, he beat Republican David Huber to win a Maine State Senate seat representing Windham, and he then defeated Republican Ken Cole in 1984 to win re-election before stepping down from the legislature at that time.

He grew up on his grandfather’s farm in West Gardiner and came to Southern Maine to study to become a teacher at Gorham State Teacher’s College, earning a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education. He married his wife Jane in 1968, and the couple raised two daughters, Kristin and Karyn, in Windham and now have eight grandchildren. His actual first name was George but preferred to be known by his middle name, William.

Many students in Windham and Raymond will recall Diamond as their school principal or teacher. He taught from 1968 to 1986 in Windham schools and was the first principal of Windham’s Manchester School. He went on to lead Field-Allen Junior High School and Windham Middle School as principal and was Superintendent of Schools for Raymond. Diamond also served as superintendent and director of governmental relations for the controversial Elan School in Poland.

His interests varied outside of politics and education. He earned a brown belt in karate and was the owner of the now-closed Windham Independent newspaper. He was also a long-time co-owner of All-Med Medical Staffing in Windham and owned a security business for many years in town.

Before becoming Maine’s 45th Secretary of State in 1989, Diamond threw his hat into the ring in a bid to become governor in 1986 and then campaigned for the 1st Congressional District position in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, losing in the Democratic Primary.

In 2004, Diamond defeated Republican Joe Bruno of Raymond to win the Maine Senate District 12 seat and won re-election in 2006, 2008 and 2010 before being term limited. Four years later in 2014, Diamond defeated Republican Kaile Warren to win the Maine Senate District 26 seat and subsequently won re-election to that position in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

As the cost of heating homes rose in the early 2000s, Diamond co-founded and served as president of Windham Neighbors Helping Neighbors in 2007, an all-volunteer effort which raised money to provide emergency heating oil to community residents in need. He also served as a board member for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham and Hospice of Southern Maine.

Before leaving political office in 2022, Diamond was known statewide as a staunch advocate for children and led Maine Senate investigations into prominent deaths of abused children whose families were relegated to the state’s child welfare system. In 2014, Diamond wrote a book about the subject called “The Evil and the Innocent.”

In 2023, Diamond launched the “Walk A Mile In Their Shoes Foundation,” a non-profit dedicated to preventing child homicides and the abuse of children who are under the supervision or direct care of the State of Maine or who are or have been associated with the state’s Child Protective System.

“Children associated with state care have been dying at record levels, in fact, as recently as 2021 a record number of children died, many were victims of child homicides,” Diamond said at the time. “The chilling question is: How many more children must die before we make meaningful changes?”

He said he was first made aware of the issues affecting child homicide in Maine and the state’s child protection system in 2001.

“The problem has continued to persist over the past 22 years under four different gubernatorial administrations, Independent, Republican, and Democrat,” he said in launching the foundation. “The problems are not partisan based. They are the concern of all of us. This is the most important thing I’ve ever been able to do, nothing comes close.”

One of the purposes of the foundation is to bring people from a variety of interests and backgrounds together to develop meaningful strategies for positive changes to protect children who are the innocent victims of a broken system and to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Child and Family Services in a joint effort to improve the state’s child safety policies and practices and truly make a difference.

“We really don’t want to think about these children because it cuts deeply into our souls,” Diamond said earlier this year. “But we must if we want to help.”

In June, Diamond made his final public appearance at the 2025 Windham Summerfest Parade as he was honored as the Modern Woodmen of America’s Hometown Hero for 2025.

Funeral arrangements are pending. <

Friday, September 13, 2024

Fundraiser rallies support for abused children in Maine

By Ed Pierce

Bill Diamond of Windham isn’t about to overlook the issue of child abuse and child deaths while in state care in Maine and that’s why he created the nonprofit foundation called “Walk A Mile in Their Shoes” several years ago. On the evening of Sept. 5, supporters gathered at Erik’s Church in Windham and raised thousands to help the foundation continue its important work.

Auctioneer Stef Keenan was the emcee for the Walk A Mile
in Their Shoes Foundation's annual fundraiser at Erik's
Church in Windham on Sept, 5. He thanked each of the
many sponsors of the event which were listed on two
posters by the door. It raised thousands for the foundation,
which was created to reduce child abuse and child deaths
while in state care in Maine. PHOTO BY PATRICK COREY   
Diamond, a longtime State Senator and State Representative representing Windham in the Maine Legislature and a former Maine Secretary of State, said preventing child homicides and the abuse of children who are under the supervision or direct care of the State of Maine or who are or have been associated with the state’s Child Protective System is at the heart of what Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Foundation is all about.

“Donations are tax deductible and are making a difference in preventing the abuse and deaths of children in state care,” Diamond said. “We have brought much-needed accountability to the system that is failing our children. Momentum is on our side to help our most vulnerable children who are not being protected.”

He said that as of this past June, 2,573 children were in Maine state care and custody.

“Maine has the highest rate of child abuse and maltreatment in the nation, in fact, Maine’s rate of child abuse is over twice the national rate,” Diamond said. “More than 54 children died in Maine care over the last two years and another 34 died in 2021, four in one month. I started working this serious problem in 2001 when 5-year-old Logan Marr was killed by her foster mother, Sally Schofield, who used 42 feet of duct tape to bind Logan in a highchair and then put her in the basement unsupervised. She tipped over and then suffocated slowly. We discovered the department was failing children in many ways including not following required regulations pertaining to child safety.”

According to Diamond, this was during the administration of Maine Gov. Angus King and he since then the following three gubernatorial administrations, two Democrat and one Republican, have failed children as well.

“Children are dying at record numbers so we at the Walk A Mile in Their Shoes Foundation are committed to exposing the department’s failed policies and pressuring them to change their policies and their continued mismanagement,” Diamond said. “We are volunteers, and we use the funds donated to us, every dollar, to reach out and build awareness among Maine citizens and policy makers about the problem and to build support for change.”

Foundation member Patrick Corey of Windham said that this is the second consecutive year that Walk A Mile supporters have held a fundraiser at Erik’s Church and about 150 people attended the event.

“The organization is doing a fantastic job, and the results speak for themselves,” Corey said.

Kenny Cianchette of Erik’s Church says he was happy to help the foundation by hosting the fundraiser.

“This is a justifiable cause to save kids,” he said. “The stats are going in the wrong direction and Bill Diamond has been pursuing this intently to help children across Maine.”

Diamond said that the foundation is starting to see concrete results and has made a difference in the short time since it was launched.

“Change has happened in only our second year of existence,” Diamond said. “The Director of the Office of Child and Family Services resigned last December, one day after we released our researched report revealing the broken culture in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the continual attempts to hide the facts of child deaths from the press and the public.”

Diamond said the state’s DHHS Commissioner resigned this spring which is a clear indicator that those in charge are eager to leave now that the facts about child abuse in the state are being uncovered.

“Maine’s independent Child Welfare Ombudsman has reported for the past four years that DHHS still does not make good decisions when it comes to placing children in safe environments,” he said.

Fundraising totals from the Sept. 5 event run well into the thousands are still being tabulated, but Diamond said that everyone associated with Walk A Mile in Their Shoes is grateful and appreciative for the support.

“It was a huge success, and the funds donated will help us on our journey to build a system that better protects our children,” Diamond said. “Kenny Cianchette, the owner of Erik’s Church, not only donated his tavern and his time, but also helped to raised money along with the dedication and support of Chris Black from Nappi Distributors and Shaw Brothers Construction. I am so grateful to everyone who attended and supported our cause, and we are so pleased that we are making a difference for our vulnerable children.”

Event sponsors included Central Maine Power, Maine Beverage, K&D Countertops, Tonya DiMillo, Senator Brad Farrin, Senator Jeff Timberlake, Maine Energy Marketers Association, Casco Bay Ford, Moody’s Collision Center, Joe Bruno, Johnny Shucks, UPP, Baxter Brewing, Mitchell Tardy Jackson, Glenn Cummings and Leslie Appelbaum, Dick Roy, Hall Implement Co., Troiano Waste, Mark Irving, Valley Beverage, Rep. Kim and Phil Pomeleau, Allagash Brewing Company, and Shipyard Brewing Company.

Auctioneer Stef Keenan of Windham was emcee for the event. <