August, 2001
Biddeford Free Clinic Appoints New Director
Joan M. Gordon has worked at the Biddeford Free Clinic from the beginning mostly as a coordinator and has been a member of the Board of Directors for the past four years. She assumed the Director’s position in September 2001. Joan formerly worked as a Guidance Counselor in New York City and moved to Maine in 1992. She has been very active in several nonprofit organizations in York County and currently serves as President of the York County Child Abuse and Neglect Council.
November, 2001
$2 Million Mark
Biddeford Free Clinic surpassed the $2 million dollar market value of medical and prescription drug services in 2000.
December, 2001
Biddeford Free Clinic Commemorative Gift Program
Honor someone special by making a contribution in their honor or in memory of someone special to the Biddeford Free Clinic (Wedding, Anniversary, Birthday, Retirement, Graduation, Memorial, etc).
A card will be sent to notify the recipient or their family of your generosity.
December, 2001
Biddeford Free Clinic Annual Sponsorship Program
The Biddeford Free Clinic Sponsorship Program gives businesses, corporations, churches and service organizations an opportunity to support our mission to provide free medical care to the uninsured in York County, Maine.
The Sponsorship Program helps to supplement our monthly expenditure for prescription medicines.
Biddeford Free Clinic Annual Sponsorships are available at $1000.
March, 2002
BFC Donates Medical Equipment to Honduras
Through a collaborative effort with the Rotary in South Berwick, Maine, the BFC has donated medical supplies and equipment to their Rotary Honduran Humanitarian Project. Sally Pachulski, a friend of BFC and a South Berwick Rotarian, chairs the Rotary Project.
March, 2002
BFC Receives A Pharmacy Counter
The Clinic received an unsolicited donation of a much-needed 18ft. pharmacy counter from Bill Leonard, owner of the Ogunquit Pharmacy in Ogunquit, Maine.
April, 2002
BFC President Wins Fleet Small Business Leadership Award
Dr. Francis J Kleeman, President of the Biddeford Free Clinic, has been awarded the Fleet Small Business Leadership Award for Community Involvement, 2002. The Fleet Small Business Awards were established to recognize and honor small businesses for their leadership and forward thinking. Each year, up to ten small businesses are selected for a Small Business Leadership Award as recognition for their contributions to customers, employees, industry and local community.
Fleet Small Business Services awards each Leadership Award winner with:
- A $10,000 cash prize (Dr Kleeman has donated his prize to the Clinic)
- A $10,000 donation to local charitable organization in the small business’s name
April 30, 2002
BFC Director Is Awarded A United Way of York County Starfish Award
Joan M. Gordon, Director of the Biddeford Free Clinic, has been awarded a United Way of York County Starfish Award for her volunteer work at the Biddeford Free Clinic. The United Way Starfish Award annually recognizes 12 individual and/or groups that make an outstanding contribution to someone or to the improvement of the community through volunteerism. Each recipient receives a $500 check for the charity of their choice from the Kennebunk Savings Bank. Joan chose to divide her award equally between the Biddeford Free Clinic and the York County Child Abuse and Neglect Council.
May 2, 2002
BFC Donates Drugs To Rehab Center
BFC donates its expired prescription drugs to the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center at the Marine Science Education and Research Center of the University of New England, in Biddeford, Maine. The drugs are used in the rehabilitation of injured marine animals, principally seals. For further information about this program at UNE, call Deidre Muzenic, veterinarian technician, at 283-0170×2763
May, 2002
BFC Receives A Pharmacy Island
Frank Higgins, the proprietor of the Arundel Cabinet Works in Wells, Maine, built a pharmacy island for the BFC Pharmacy in memory of his friend, Albert Boudreau, a pharmacist who volunteered at the Clinic for many years. The island provides more adequate work space for the preparation of prescriptions each evening.
August 2002
Biddeford Free Clinic In Print
Maine Medical Association Bulletin ( April, 2002 ) and Family Circle Magazine (September, 2002)
July 2002
BFC Surprised by Gift from Kennebunk Savings Bank
Helen Plourde, manager of the Kennebunk Savings Bank’s Main Street Office in Kennebunk, presented the Clinic with a check from the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation for $1517. The unsolicited grant was made because customers of the Kennebunk Savings Bank voted for the Biddeford Free Clinic on their Community Investment Ballot.
October 2002
BFC Receives Biddeford City Council Support
Biddeford City Council agreed to contribute $10,000 toward a $40,000 improvement project planned for the Biddeford Free Clinic.
January 10, 2003
NEW GOVERNOR VISITS BIDDEFORD FREE CLINIC
Governor John Baldacci began his second day in office with an early morning visit to the Biddeford Free Clinic. The visit, the governor’s first since taking office, underscored his order signed 1/9/03: To expand health care coverage to all Maine residents.
March, 2003
KENNEBUNK SAVINGS BANK ANNOUNCES 2003
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BALLOT
Kennebunk Savings Bank recently notified us that the Biddeford Free Clinic will be included on their annual Community Investment Ballot which they will mail to their customers in March statements. Each year a significant portion of funds from the Kennebunk Savings Bank Community Investment Program and the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation is donated to organizations based on Kennebunk Savings Bank’s customers’ votes. Last year the bank and the foundation provided $1000,000 to York County non-profits and charitable organizations through this ballot.
Supporters and members of the Biddeford Free Clinic who are also Kennebunk Savings Bank customers are urged to cast their vote for their favorite charity and we hope it will be for the Biddeford Free Clinic! Last year the Biddeford Free Clinic was awarded a grant of $1517 through this program. Thank you to everyone who cast a vote in 2002 and we look forward to your participation in 2003.
March, 2003
BFC AND UNE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE
Our collaboration with the University of New England School of Osteopathic Medicine introduced two new and exciting programs to the clinic. In March 2003, Dr. John Pelletier began supervising 4th year medical students in the Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy Program and in Sept. 2003, 2nd year medical students began to see BFC patients along with their preceptors, Dr. Kathleen Brown-Hodgetts, Dr. Evelyn Schwalen Berg-Leip, Dr. Forest Foreman and Dr. Stephen Kisiel.
April, 2003
BFC WINS PHARMACY VICTORY
Free Clinics in the State of Maine received a major boost when Gov. John E. Baldacci signed a new law allowing Maine free clinics to purchase medications through the state’s purchasing contracts.
June, 2003
BFC CELEBRATES 10th ANNIVERSARY
BFC Celebrated its 10th anniversary with a picnic at the University of New England on the shore of thew Saco River. We had a wonderful group of volunteers, great food, games and even chocolate cake! It’s almost impossible that the clinic has been open for 10 years. And many of our volunteers have been with us since the beginning.
July, 2003
BFC RECEIVES COMMUNITY INVESTMENT BALLOT AWARD
Rick Rouillard of the Kennebunk Savings Bank presented the Clinic with a check from the Kennebunk Savings Bank Foundation for $2670. The unsolicited grant was made because customers of the KSB voted for the Biddeford Free Clinic on their community investment ballot.
October, 2003
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR BENEFACTORS, CONTRACTORS AND VOLUNTEERS
The Biddeford Free Clinic wants to express its gratitude to the benefactors and contractors responsible for the construction work needed to improve the physical facilities of the clinic.
Physical improvements included: Central air conditioning throughout the clinic, construction of walls between lab and nurses area, installation of counters, cabinets and sinks in the exam room and the lab and the remodeling of two bathrooms.
Because of the generosity of our contractors, the clinic saved $20,000. Sincere thanks also go to all of our volunteers who worked so hard during the renovation. The great cooperation & enthusiasm demonstrated by our volunteers enabled us to serve our patients continuously with very little disruption.
Benefactors:
City of Biddeford, Bernard Osher Foundation, Hannah Hall, Kennebunk Savings Bank, Saco Biddeford Institution for Savings, Biddeford Savings Bank, Alex Mantis, Sam L. Cohen Foundation, Joanna M. Robinson
Contractors & Donated Services
General Dynamics (Jeff Dunn, Gary Dagesse and Plant Volunteers), Haley’s Metal Shop, Small Jobs Unlimited (Don Viger), Aube-Plamondon Electric, Provencher Oil & Heat, American Security, Lillian Demopoulos, EXERGEN, Heart to Heart International (Welch Allyn), Winston Realty, Burdick, NEMED (Andy McAllister), Mel Cannella, Southern Maine Medical Center, Fairchild Semiconductor, Kennebunk Hardware, Biddeford Public Works