Waldoboro Voices

Testimonies from a small coastal town in Maine

Faith

“Two centuries ago, after the simple basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, the greatest hunger of the people was for the mercy and love of God.”
– Jasper Stahl, The History of Broad Bay, Vol. 2, 1956

"You have to fill your cup so you can pour it out for other people."

Nicole Demmons

After high school, I never thought I’d be living here.  I went off to Unity College and thought, “I’m going to travel, live in a tiny home, and maybe … Continue reading about Nicole Demmons

"But they really, really need our help."

Lisa Anderson

I grew up in the bad section of South Philadelphia, and my mom, well, she did the best she could with a sixth-grade education.  We were eleven kids, … Continue reading about Lisa Anderson

“Relapse is a big part of my story.”

Molly Hopkins

Someone says, “He’s a junkie,” or “She’s a drunk,” and I say, “Would you say that about me? Because I was a drunk.  And about that man who is … Continue reading about Molly Hopkins

"Humility comes in places where we don’t expect it."

Ethan Foss

We’d come back from Portugal for the delivery of our third child when we got invited to a dinner at First Baptist in Waldoboro for the missionaries … Continue reading about Ethan Foss

“We are a star that people can navigate by.”

Doug Wood

My wife was pregnant with our fourth child, and I was shrimp-dragging off Pemaquid Point in February when water temperature were in the low … Continue reading about Doug Wood

“Nobody wants to listen to this.”

Daryl Young

I don’t know what normal is, but I think I had a normal childhood.  I had good parents, and I had good times with my older brother Jason and my … Continue reading about Daryl Young

"I’ve been trying to live more openly, because why not?"

Louie Koll

Nothing about me is different. The person you know is me. Being non-binary is simply my finding my existence somewhere in the spectrum between man … Continue reading about Louie Koll

“I hoped the pandemic would bring us together, but it didn’t.”

Ann Schaer

My parents were both Republicans, my father more conservative than my mother.  My dad was a large animal vet, and he was extremely aware of how hard … Continue reading about Ann Schaer

“There were times I wanted to drink, and I’ll tell you:  I had to get out.”

Dana Burnham

I remember lying down and crying in the road in the middle of the street in Damariscotta Mills about 2 or 3 in the morning.  And God kept saying, … Continue reading about Dana Burnham

“If you’re not doing that correctly, what else aren’t you doing correctly?”

Robert Creamer, Jr.

In bootcamp they always did this thing:  you’d be standing in line in the squad bay, and they’d order us to go to our footlocker and take something … Continue reading about Robert Creamer, Jr.

“I think faith is being willing to walk into the darkness.”

Nancy Duncan

There’s something about saying “Let us pray,” and taking a deep breath and sitting in silence.  If words come, they come, and if they don’t, they … Continue reading about Nancy Duncan

“We get what we can get, we give what we can give, and it is what it is.”

Janet Lee

The Food Pantry is meeting the need right now in Waldoboro.  But come Monday morning, after these shelves are emptied, I’ll be re-ordering to try … Continue reading about Janet Lee

“Everything in life needs a little bit of acknowledgement for being there.”

Domamick Skillings

When I was 10, my mom gave us kids to my stepfather.  She had a drug addiction problem.  But he was an alcoholic and did drugs, too, and got an … Continue reading about Domamick Skillings

“I grew up knowing right is right and wrong is wrong.”

Wanda Collamore

I remember one time, there was a gentleman who came to the Food Pantry.  He was in his 80s and thought he’d never have to do something like this in … Continue reading about Wanda Collamore

“This may sound negative, but I don’t think we can change society – we can only change individuals.”

Troy Nelson

Pastoral Ministry may be a calling and a job, but it’s not a punch-in, punch-out shop.  There’s a building, there’s expectations, and job … Continue reading about Troy Nelson