During these uncertain and discordant times, the concept of neighborhood becomes ever more important as we turn to our good neighbors to reassure ourselves that though we might not always agree on everything we will always be there for one another. Over the course of several decades Fran and Don Hale proved themselves to be those good neighbors to us all.

Fran Hale dedicated her life to the field of education. She graduated from the Gorham State Teachers College, now part of the University of Southern Maine, in the early ’50s and pursued a teaching career which took her from Maine to northern Colorado where she and her husband, Don, earned their graduate degrees together. They returned to Maine after working for several years as educators. In Cumberland, Maine, Fran became the first director of special education and was later awarded a Ford Fellowship to study and improve early intervention services for children with special needs. This work remained her focus until she and Don retired to Boothbay Harbor where she turned her attention to volunteer work at St. Andrews Hospital through the St. Andrews Auxiliary. As a way of thanking St. Andrews Hospital staff for the good care she had observed and experienced as a volunteer, patient and patient’s spouse over more than two decades, Fran, prior to her death in 2011 donated $50,000 to breathe new life into the underfunded scholarship program of the St. Andrews Hospital Auxiliary. Upon her death, others were invited to contribute to the fund in her honor and when Don Hale passed last November, the Hale family continued the precedent by asking friends to direct their contributions in Don’s name to the scholarship fund.

Today, the St. Andrews Auxiliary works directly with LincolnHealth HR and Education staff in awarding the Fran Hale, now Fran and Don Hale, Scholarship which covers full tuition and fees for students entering the two-year Central Maine Community College (CMCC) Nursing Program in Damariscotta, Maine. The program enables students, often those who come to the nursing profession later in life, to pursue their studies while also managing family obligations.

Eddie Waters, another good neighbor, received a Fran Hale Scholarship last summer. Waters walked away from a career in advertising because he saw the growing need for health care professionals in this area and he wanted to make a difference. Waters and his spouse relocated from New York to the Camden area to grow their family. Three children later Waters decided pursuing a healthcare career was important enough for him to take the plunge. When he learned of the CMCC program from a fellow student he applied and has not looked back. He is in his second semester of the program and speaks highly of all those involved in its administration. Despite a 45-minute commute from home to classes, Waters is able to keep up with his studies because the Fran Hale Scholarship has allowed him to pull back from his day job to focus more on school. He would not have been able to keep up the pace of working and attending classes without the help of scholarship funds. Waters plans to continue his education to ultimately enter the field of psychiatric nursing.

The Auxiliary’s hope back in 2011 was that Fran’s original gift would “plant a seed” encouraging others to support the work of the hospital in providing an educational path to a healthcare career. And plant a seed it has! The Auxiliary is working toward the establishment of a second memorial fund which could accept contributions from donors wishing to memorialize a specific loved one.

On March 18, St. Andrews Village will host the auxiliary membership for its annual Spring Brunch where our own Chip Griffin will address the group on the topics of estate planning and elder law. Later in the program, members will be treated to a fashion show entitled “Welcome to Our Neighborhood.” The label seems fitting since the fashions will all come from the St. Andrews Thrift Shop prominently located in our neighborhood and serving all who come to its door with quality used clothing, accessories and a wide variety of household items.

The store would, of course, not be possible without the generosity of good neighbors who donate gently used items to the shop and, as often as not, also become loyal customers.

Like the Fran Hale Scholarship Fund, monies produced by the sale of goods at the shop help support a system of good community healthcare here on the Boothbay Peninsula through LincolnHealth.

For information on how to join the auxiliary, just stop by the St Andrews Thrift Shop in the small mall and ask for an application.

To apply for a Fran Hale scholarship the eligible applicant must first be enrolled and attending as a first-year student in Central Maine Community College’s (CMCC) Nursing Program in Damariscotta, Lincoln County.

Each spring LincolnHealth Education sends out applications to the student list provided by CMCC. An interview team, which includes Linda Redman from the St. Andrews Auxiliary, reviews the applications and holds interviews with selected applicants. Final selections and awarding of all scholarships is made by the interview team.