Necessity truly is the mother of invention. With the sudden closure of the St. Andrews Thrift Shop in March and the curtailment of in-person meetings for the Auxiliary, president Laura Zajdel found herself rising to the challenge of keeping members, volunteers and loyal thrift shop customers informed and engaged by ramping up a Facebook page that is fresh and informative!

Facebook users can simply search for St. Andrews Auxiliary to find all the latest information on what is happening within the organization as well as updates on the St. Andrews Thrift Shop. The shop, one can see, has undergone some painting and refurbishing as well as a thorough cleaning during its closure under the active management of Carole McCarthy.

One of the projects reported on through the Facebook page was the early distribution of at least 83 home produced cloth masks. While not a replacement for surgical quality masks, these handcrafted face coverings are helping to cut down the level of exposure for residents within the Assisted Living and Independent Living sections of St. Andrews Village and at Schooner Cove in Damariscotta. Masks were also made available to staff within these facilities for their personal use when away from their work place. The masks were given out at no charge and most of the materials used in their construction came from goods donated to the thrift store.

Photos can also be found on FB that chronicle other Auxiliary activities over the past few months. For example, the Auxiliary busied itself with making calls to its members when social distancing began and sending cards to those inside our facilities who temporarily are without visitors and volunteers to brighten their days.

Gift baskets with locally sourced baked goods and candy were prepared and delivered to St. Andrews Village, the St. Andrews Campus and Miles Hospital to thank employees who have had to step up services due to all the concerns surrounding care in the age of the coronavirus.

A spring card crafting project sent to the residents of the Gregory Wing and Coves Edge in Damariscotta has hopefully helped to lighten hearts and keep hands busy during this difficult time of seclusion. Most of the materials for the project came directly from thrift store donations.

One can also shop via the Auxiliary FB Marketplace for large items and find opportunities listed for making a direct monetary donation to the Auxiliary.

A recent posting on FB has announced the reopening of the St. Andrews Thrift Shop as of Monday, May 11. All who visit the shop will be asked to adhere to the safety guidelines that will be in place to protect customers as well as our volunteers as we navigate together this new uncharted territory.

Stay safe, stay informed and like us on Facebook!