ANSWER: Bill Plourde, aka Mr. Bill the Handyman, carries his own insurance and does work in Sabattus. He’s based in Auburn and you can reach him at 207-330-2193. Building Maintenance Plus, also based out of Auburn, offers handyman services and can be reached at 207-689-4799. Perhaps some readers can contribute other local names they know?

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I used to shop at the “Everything Warehouse.” It’s been gone a long time and I don’t know where they’ve moved. Can you help? — No Name, Lewiston.

ANSWER: Everything Warehouse has moved from its previous 12 Westminster St. address to a new location at 1822 Lisbon St. in Lewiston. It still offers all of the same great deals you are already accustomed to if you’ve shopped there before.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: 2016 marks the 30th year of the Community Concepts Transportation program and this year demand and need for this important door-to-door service is as strong as ever.

Relying largely on volunteers, Community Concepts provides transportation for MaineCare qualified medical appointments, elder/veteran rides and for breast cancer treatment and support services (funded by a grant from the Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure).

Community Concepts’ director of Transportation, Brad Edwards, says people volunteer for any number of reasons. Community Concepts has more than 100 drivers who are more than 50 years old.  Older residents do it because they enjoy the social aspects of volunteering and the friends they make. College students volunteer so they may become part of the community and get to know the area.  Driving with Community Concepts might also be of interest to people who need to accrue volunteer hours. 

“We have had many inquiries from people who are seeking to volunteer as a way to meet the rules around minimum volunteer hours in order to remain eligible for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or other benefits,” Edwards said. “Volunteers drive their own cars and are reimbursed 41 cents per mile. On average, last year, our drivers received weekly reimbursement checks of around $250. This reimbursement does not count as income so it does not impact income eligibility for programs like SNAP.”

The volunteer driver program is an important one for the region.  During 2015, Community Concepts volunteer drivers completed more than 155,000 trips and logged more than 6.4 million miles. 

Opportunities are available in Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford and northern Cumberland counties. For more information about the Community Concepts Volunteer Driver Program contact Brad Edwards at 1-800-866-5588 or visit www.community-concepts.org.

Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots Facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.

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