AUBURN — When Marty McIntyre was preparing to retire, she wanted to find ways to continue to help people and give back.

That’s when she heard about an organization called 100 Women Who Care from a friend who is a member of the southern Maine chapter. The organization, with a goal of bringing women together to meet needs in their community, has more than 900 chapters across the country.

McIntyre became interested, and after a delay due to the pandemic, she founded an Androscoggin County chapter, putting the call out for members on social media. The effort enlisted 100 members fairly quickly, and is now up to 139.

“I really believe in the collective power of bringing people together to create an impact,” McIntyre said.

The group held an organizational meeting in November 2023, and its first official meeting took place in January 2024. The chapter meets four times a year to hear presentations from local nonprofits that have been nominated by members, then conducts a vote to decide which organization to support. Each member agrees to give $50 to the organization selected, and 100 Women Who Care receives a 50% match from the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, making the total each organization receives more than $10,000.

So far, McIntyre’s Androscoggin chapter has awarded funding to Calvary City Mission, the YWCA summer camp program, The Store Next Door, the Pleasant Street Drop-In Center, now on Mill Street, and Safe Voices.

McIntyre said new members agree to provide $200 in donations annually, whether or not they’re present at the meetings. She said meetings typically last an hour. The group has fun and learns a lot about the needs in the community and how they’re being addressed.

“Then we join forces financially and make a difference for that organization,” she said.

McIntyre, 72, worked for 34 years for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Services. She’s lived in Auburn since 1970.

She said her entire work life was “about finding ways to help people,” and she wanted to continue that work after retirement.

In her spare time, McIntyre also volunteers for Meals on Wheels where she has a weekly delivery route, and as a Medicare counselor for SeniorsPlus, where she helps people navigate the complicated Medicare system. She’s coming up on six years in that role.

Asked what drives her, McIntyre said she gets a lot out of volunteering.

“I can’t say it’s totally altruistic,” she said. “It just fills my cup to help other people, and to know that something I’m doing is making their lives a little better.”

If the noble volunteer work wasn’t enough, how about some good old-fashioned home cooking?

McIntyre is also involved in a national initiative called Lasagna Love, through which people can request lasagna once a month, and volunteers make and deliver the lasagna.

“I do that every other week and it is always a joy to bring some love and lasagna to a person or family,” she said.

McIntyre also donated a kidney for a friend who was in need. While she and her friend weren’t a match, McIntyre’s kidney donation ensured that her friend would receive one more quickly.

“I’m not really comfortable being in the spotlight, but when it furthers the causes I’m interested in, then I do it,” she said.

McIntyre said 100 Women Who Care Androscoggin is always looking for more members.

Know someone with a deep well of unlimited public spirit? Someone who gives of their time to make their community a better place? Then nominate them for Kudos. Send their name and the place where they do their good deeds to reporter Andrew Rice at [email protected] and we’ll do the rest.