Thank you Note Created and Mailed to each donor by Jennifer

Read December 2010 by Jennifer to the design/build team. 

We are all gathered here today to celebrate a milestone.   There were days when it seemed we were making the journey in baby steps, there were days when it seemed like giant leaps of progress, and there were days it seemed like the “Do Not Walk” sign was stuck on indefinitely.  But, this core group of individuals gathered here today never gave up on my dream of independence, home ownership, and lifelong success.

Reine, it was you that slipped our first city council proposal into an already established agenda.  It was you that behind the scenes kept funding available. And you that always greeted me with a smile and the same question, “How’s the house coming?” It was, also, you that introduced Hal to my dreams and opened new avenues of pursuit for the Turner Project. 

Hal, it was you that helped us embrace the community of local builders, construction companies, and sub-contractors to find volunteer labor and generous donations of materials close by.  And you did this all so very quietly, many times only letting a few know by a short, to the point, email.  A man of few words, you have a heart bigger than Dr. Seuss could create.

Mom and Dad, it was both of you who worked hard to provide me with continued health insurance and care, adaptive equipment to help meet my changing needs, a shoulder to cry on when life seemed bleak, most importantly, the life skills to trod forward and re-learn the tasks everyone else dreamed impossible.  When I couldn’t live without tea, you provided a push button dispenser and when the milk to make the “comforting tea cup” was then the problem, Dad, you designed a tipper to hold the carton.  An ULU knife gained a chopping bowl.  A table gained wheels. Silverware received a 45 degree angle.  And while Dad created in wood, Mom, you created in cloth.  A bag for my wheelchair when I couldn’t hold the remote, adapted skirts and pajamas so I could learn to dress myself again, and wash mitts to allow me to shower alone for the first time.  The list goes on and on.

Wayne, it was you that in the early days, fed me meals, covered me when I was cold, and bought my first IPOD when I could only move my right thumb.  I will never forget the excitement of playing a Kenny Chesney song by myself when you clipped the little blue case to my pillow and put my thumb on the wheel.  You knew when you needed to walk away and give me the space I needed to spread my wings.  It was so easy to let you do every daily task for me that I wasn’t learning to brush my teeth or open the refrigerator door.  But, you also loved me enough to come back into my life and help me celebrate the accomplishments.  You understand my determination to live a “normal” life more than anyone.  You know the struggles first hand of worn out tendons and tired arms.  And, you are willing to wear yours out helping me on the journey to home ownership. Maybe, it is for a lift into the whirlpool to relax the aching shoulders.  No, it isn’t.  It is because love is a bond that is never broken and it is that I also thought I could never do again…Love. You taught me two valuable lessons; it is OK to live and to love again.

Tammy, when I needed a bed you found a way.  When I needed a cushion, you found a way.  I have never met one person as strong willed and determined as you.  I don’t think the word “NO” is in your vocabulary.  It was you who sent me the necessary tools to learn to put my shoes on.  It was you who sent me countless emails of encouragement and you who picked me up by the boot straps when I was trapped in these four walls of my apartment and couldn’t see the light.  It was you who designed a house I could accomplish every task in and you who took my ideas and turned them into concrete plans.  Without you, I would have given up my dreams but because of you, my dreams are coming true.

Gail, it was you that thought I was a good candidate for homeownership.  It was you that brought a curly haired black dog to rescue me from loneliness and despair.  It was you who envisioned a skirt with Velcro behind so I could get dressed and not live in pajamas.  You made countless bowls of oatmeal and brought many meals to share.  It was your friendship that encouraged me to cook again and your sharing of these meals that brought laughter to my life again.  It was you that took me to the movies to enjoy a laugh. It was you that envisioned a crew of community volunteers and you that found a way to make that happen.  Perhaps more than anyone, you have been there every step of the way.

And it is because of you, we are here today.  You never made a promise you couldn’t keep and I always kept every promise I made to you.  I promised you would see us break ground on my new house and here we are, surrounded by snow and a group of determined Turner Project volunteers.  I know you will be here in spirit on move in day and as I establish my gardens, your spirit will shine a special place in my yard as your stained glass angel garnishes my first raised bed.  And the little yard will also be home to a curly haired black dog that will remain a part of my life always.

I will always pay forward the generosity all of you have given me.  Whether it be planting a garden on city land, making pajamas for a cold or homeless child, or bringing cookies to an elderly neighbor.  As each of you leave today, please help me remember each and every one of you by signing a square to make a memory quilt of the Turner Project and my new home.  You will all be the first tier around the house, which like my own home will be built one block at a time.

I leave you with this quote by George Bernard Shaw, “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.  I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I live the more I live.”

Read January 29, 2011 by Jennifer at the Official Ground Breaking Ceremony with Channel 6

Those of you that know me well, know that I am seldom at a loss for words and that the cat has never caught my tongue.  But, today, I feel like the cat may have given it a nibble when I was snoring last night.  There just aren’t enough words to express my sincerest gratitude to the many friends, family, and even strangers that have made the construction of my specially adapted home a reality.  I am proud to be here today in the company of the many partners and friends of the Turner Project: The City of Auburn, Auburn Housing Authority, Coastal Enterprises, USDA Rural Development, The Travis Roy Foundation, WCSH-Channel 6, and the many private contributors, donors, and volunteers that have brought us to 81 Oak Hill Road.

The journey hasn’t been an easy one.  The road was curvy, the frost heaves great, the potholes deep, and at times the bridge collapsed and no one was sure where to go as there were no detour signs in place.  But at each stop sign, the core group of Turner Project volunteers was there to check the map, no, a sign of the times; listen to the GPS to guide us forward.

If someone had told me four years ago that I would be a homeowner, I would have laughed!  I also never imagined googling my name or searching it on U-Tube and seeing my television broadcast or web page.  However, probably the biggest lesson I learned in the journey was never play with polliwogs or duck eggs.  My parents taught me to never talk to strangers and to never hit or spit but apparently they never thought I would build a house on and extra large puddle back filled with dirt.  Hence, the long journey to this nice little lot here on Oak Hill Road.  I guess I will have to buy lots of yellow marshmallow peeps to fill my cravings for ducks!

The two people that believed in me and my, what sometimes seemed insurmountable, dream couldn’t be here today.  Tammy Nosek heard my story and after a 20 year hiatus in our friendship, jumped at the chance to help.  As often happens, we were high school friends that lost touch.  She heard a dream, orchestrated a plan, got the backing of the American Society of Civil Engineers from New York to Maine, and refused to give up.  Determination should have been Tammy’s middle name.  She may have learned to say “NO” at 16 months, but it is no longer in her vocabulary.   The other, Gail Phoenix, is here in spirit.  Gail was the first person to suggest home ownership and never lost sight of my needs.  To Gail I wasn’t just a piece of paper or just a number.  She cooked me meals, did transfers, and Personal Care.  That first winter post arm surgery, she single handedly prevented me from entering a nursing home.  Even as Gail began losing her valiant battle with cancer, her thoughts were of my needs and my future home.  One of her wishes before she died was to see them start my new house.  She celebrated the closing with a huge “YEAH” from her bed at hospice. Though, she died yesterday, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that she is here today smiling at all of us.

It is still sinking in.  Soon, I will be able to get in and out of my bed and the shower independently.  I will be able to cook myself, do laundry, and something I will never take for granted, open and close my exterior doors.

Again, thank you doesn’t seem adequate.  I am very very fortunate to have the support and compassion of so many people on my journey to home ownership.  I will always pay forward the generosity all of you and many others have shown me.  Whether, it is planting flowers on a city plot, sewing warm pajamas for needy kids, or bringing supper to an elderly neighbor.  If you haven’t already signed a square to be placed in a signature quilt, please sign one today.  The quilt will hang in the house as a special memory to the many volunteers and donors of the Turner project.

I leave you with these words penned by George Bernard Shaw, “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it, whatever I can.  I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.”