On each day of this month, may there always be a reason for you to smile, and may you experience things that will make your heart joyful. Now is a good time for us to show appreciation for our extended OEI family and friends. As we reflect on all of the wonderful interactions that we have experienced over the past year, we wanted to send you all warm wishes for this holiday season—no matter which ones you celebrate.
Thanksgiving is our favorite time of the year by far! On November 17th, we prepared our annual OEI Thanksgiving meal with the help of many amazing individuals. Each year we hold a free Thanksgiving meal for consumers, their family/supports, staff, and other members of the community. We typically gather for a meal at the East Auburn Baptist church where we serve more than 300 meals! Unfortunately, like last year, we had to cancel the in-person event and rather deliver the meals again. We are hopeful that we will be able to host an in-person event next year! Thank you all so much for donating food and time for this awesome event and a huge shout out to East Auburn Baptist Church for allowing us the use of their amazing facility to lovingly package up all of these yummy plates!
Rising Stars Therapeutic Farm
Welcome to the OEI Family!
Meet our new barn manager/riding instructor, Courtney, and our new temporary border horse, Joy! Courtney's skills and talents will be a great addition to our program and we look forward to many years to come with her at the farm!
The Cupcakery Café & Bake Shop
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Nothing says "Holidays" like the smell of gingerbread and other heavenly confections floating in the air. Our holiday baking crew is busy baking up a winter storm for you all! We have begun taking pre-orders and are happy to fill our baking calendar with even more. All holiday orders are due by close of business on Monday 12/20. We will do our best to accommodate orders after that, but we make no promises, so we urge early ordering for the best results.
The greenhouse and gardening program in Searsport is a place where participants come to grow talents and dreams alongside vegetables and flowers. Sharing with their neighbors is just one of the many fruits of their labor. The program is looking for support so that they can continue to grow. Thanks to last year's donations they purchased a new tiller and are beginning plans for a new roadside stand since their old one was damaged by a storm. This year they hope to raise money to build more raised beds outdoors and add accessibility features to the outdoor gardens such as graveled pathways.
This campaign started on Nov 15 2021 at 12:00 PM EST and will end on Dec 15 2021 at 12:00 PM EST
Making a difference by volunteering in the community
Volunteering at the soup kitchen is always a fun and rewarding time
Making memories at Camp Starpoint Lodge
Getting interviewed at the soup kitchen!
Volunteering by cleaning books at the library
Meeting Joy, the new border horse, for the first time!
capturing the beautiful view
It's officially hat season!
Spending some time creating a masterpiece at Waterfall Arts in Belfast
Making sure the t0rtoises are fed and cared for is a big responsibility!
Auburn CS teamed up with Just-In-Time Recreation to feed the hungry for the holidays!
Late Fall hiking at Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary in Lewiston
Naples Causeway
Participation memento
Smiles are contagious!
Welcome New Team Members
Ahmed Mohamed – Direct Support Professional
Teana Hanks – Direct Support Professional
Courtney O’Donnell – New Barn Manager and Riding Instructor
Sylvester Opia – Direct Support Professional
Tyler Stevens – Custodian
Employee Highlight
This month we would like to highlight Ashlee Couturier. Ashlee is an Assistant Program Manager for OEI in our Searsport Region. In April, Ashlee will celebrate 8 years with the agency! Ashlee exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated employee. She is trustworthy, reliable, and takes great pride in her work. We can always count on Ashlee to keep services running smoothly in our farthest-reaching service region of OEI. She is level-headed and extremely organized, but above all, she has a caring heart. Ashlee demonstrates what it means to show compassion for others and leads by example when it comes to showing kindness. Thank you, Ashlee, for ALL that you do! We are beyond grateful to have you as part of the OEI family.
Kindness Activity
Last month OEI honored all of our military veterans, past and present.
For the month of December, OEI will make and deliver community candy cane grams as a fun, cheery, and delicious way to spread some kindness!
We wish you great moments, as we approach the new year. Happy December!
