LIVERMORE – Washburn-Norlands Living History Center is operating in the black most months these days, trustee President Mitch Thomas said.

“We’re doing well,” Thomas said.

“We’re out of the woods, but we’re not out of the woods.”

There are months that are lean, Thomas said, and during those times the organization has had to live off its savings. But that’s the way it has been historically, he said. The center staff has a hard time keeping the programs going, he said. “Thank God for volunteers and staff giving time beyond what they’re paid for,” Thomas said.

As of last month, the center has been bringing in enough money for operations, he said, and “we appear to be back on track.”

But there could be cold, dark months ahead. “We’re in the middle of our annual campaign,” Thomas said. “That’s going well, but everybody still needs to send in their gift.”

The center received an anonymous $10,000 gift recently, designated to operations, that will go to help the center through the lean times, he said.

It’s been hard the last few years, Thomas said.

The center has been recovering from a former bookkeeper’s stealing more than $30,000 and masking operating losses of an estimated $200,000 between 2000 and 2002. New financial checks and balances have been put into place since then to prevent such a loss from recurring.

Staff and board members continuously work to come up with new ideas to generate more revenue, he added.

Monthly theme dinners have been implemented and have been successful, Thomas said. The University of Maine at Farmington’s live-in program for college credit has been re-instituted and are going well, he said.

The board also has been developing personnel and volunteer policies and handbooks for staff and volunteers.

New board members Deb Burd of New Vineyard, Karen Kingsley of the Lewiston-Auburn area and Peter Robichaud, Brian Fildes and Louise Austin of the Rumford area have joined Gary Smith, Mary Castonguay, Clint Boothby, Kerck Kelsey, Ron Kley, Terry Despres, Dr. James Pringle and Gerry Steele as trustees of the center. Past President George Ames of Winthrop is still a member of the executive board, Thomas said.

“The position we take,” Thomas said, “is that Norlands is a valuable resource for the community and state. Therefore, we will do everything we can to keep it open and for it to continue and grow and expand what it offers.”