NORWAY — A whirlwind of assistance has descended on Kathleen and Richard Judkins of Norway.
Danielle Wadworth, left, and her mother, Connie Sessions, both of Norway, have begun an assembly line of community support for neighbors in need. Also pictured, Wadworth’s son, Tucker. Contributed photo
At the beginning of March they were struggling through the winter. Their basement had flooded, the sump pump quit, the furnace stopped working and their hot water heater had died. They were making trips to the Lake Store in Norway to buy bundles of camp wood to feed their wood stove – which is located in the flooded basement.
By chance they ran into Connie Sessions, also of Norway, at the store one day. They told her that the wood was their only source of heat for the time being.
Sessions began supplying them with firewood, dropping off amounts at their driveway every few days. But she did not know the extent of the challenges the Judkins faced inside their home.
Danielle Wadsworth, Sessions daughter, was traveling when her mother began assisting the Judkins. When she returned to Oxford Hills, Sessions asked her to accompany her to drop off more firewood. They approached the house, intending to talk with the couple about repairing their furnace.
“We wanted to see what needed to be done to get the furnace going,” Wadsworth told the Advertiser Democrat Monday afternoon. “I did not know what I was walking into.”
It was clear as soon as they entered the back porch that the Judkins had fallen onto difficulties. The two were huddled in their kitchen with space heaters, wearing several layers of clothes and coats to stay warm.
Mark Young, left, helps Kathleen Young pay a visit recently to her Norway home, which is undergoing extensive cleaning and upgrades thanks to an outpouring of community support. Kathleen and Richard Judkins have been temporarily displaced, but look forward to returning home for good in the near future. Contributed photo
Something had to be done.
Mother and daughter immediately set multiple projects in motion for the Judkins. Sessions connected them with Community Concepts for heating assistance and began contacting other organizations. Wadsworth told them she was going to organize a group to get their home in order – to clean it from top to bottom and repair the furnace and hot water heater.
Wadsworth and Sessions would not know how bad things were until they opened the doors of closed-off rooms and then saw how extensive the damage in the basement was.
One thing was obvious: the Judkins could not stay in their house.
It is not usually simple to convince the elderly to leave their home for their own good. Wadsworth, who has worked as a certified nursing assistant in the past, did a quick health assessment and convinced Mr. and Mrs. Judkins the best thing would be to go to the hospital and be checked out.
That ended up being an important decision. Mrs. Judkins was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Mr. Judkins was kept for observation and released; then he temporarily moved into the guest room at Sessions’ home.
In the meantime, Wadsworth organized an assembly line of volunteers, led by her friends Aimee Robinson and Kayla Laird to start going through the house. She arranged for a roll-off dumpster to be brought in for the clean-out and for the chimney to be inspected and cleaned. Cash donations began pouring in, as well as cleaning supplies and offers for whatever household appliances and furnishings were needed.
She started a public Facebook group, Joy for the Judkins, so the community could offer their help and follow the Judkins progress. So far the group has 437 members, all enthusiastic and ready to help when their turn comes.
Since the first of March Wadsworth has spent up to 18 hours a day working to help the Judkins and get their home in order. Coordinating the outpouring of help alone has become a full time job for her.
For those who wanted to donate money immediately, Wadsworth directed them to the town of Norway to help chip away at the Judkins’ back taxes.
With the help of Kelly Jacobson at Androscoggin Bank in South Paris Wadsworth started a non-profit, Hope for Humanity, so other donations can be received and utilized to help wherever and whenever funds are needed. People can now donate to the couple through the bank and should contact Jacobson with any questions.
Once released from the hospital the Judkins were brought to Mollyockett Motel in Bryant Pond, their stay covered by donations. Wadsworth hopes to have more comfortable accommodations for them set up this week while work continues at home, including possible home care assistance.
“People just show up” at the Judkins home to help, Wadsworth said. The Judkins are so thankful for their community and are making plans for when they are able to return, including a backyard garden next summer, she said.
“My mom, she started this,” Wadsworth said. “If she hadn’t seen them, it probably would have been on the news as a fatality.”
In one week, Kathleen and Richard Judkins’ house has been scrubbed by volunteers. After the house is safely updated, volunteers from the community plan to donate new furnishings and appliances. Supplied photo
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