Local Rotarians load a truck from the New England Epilepsy Foundation on Saturday in Saco with items from a clothing drive. Proceeds from the clothing drive will help fund a conference for first responders and medical professionals.
BIDDEFORD — For first responders and medical professionals, dealing with tragic events is often part of a day’s work. These people focus their efforts on providing the best care for their patients, but often neglect their own mental health – but there is an effort to change this.
“There’s always been a stigma,” said Biddeford firefighter Tim Sevigny, that “if you get help you’re weak.”
While the Biddeford Fire Department has been on the forefront of behavioral health issues, for instance sending peer supporters to work with firefighters at a Berwick fire in March in which Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes was killed, not all public safety departments have resources readily available to help first responders cope with trauma.
“We can’t unsee what we see, we can’t unsmell what we smell and we can’t unhear what we hear,” said Sevigny.
Through a collaboration between the Biddeford Fire Department, local Rotary clubs and University of New England, a behavioral health conference for first responders and mental health professionals is in the works that Sevigny said will help break stigmas and break down barriers.
UNE has offered use of its facilities for the proposed conference, which is expected to take place in the late fall or early winter, said Sevigny, and will include speakers and break-out sessions on specific topics. There will also be representatives from insurance providers on hand to answer specific questions about coverage, massage therapists and activities such as yoga.
Sevigny said he hopes the conference will attract about 500 people from northern New England, and will spur enough interest to make it an annual event, with conferences held at different locations each year.
The conference needs to be free, he said, because he doesn’t want any professionals to worry about paying for such critical training.
Rotary District 7780 is fundraising the $5,000 needed for the conference.
Saco Bay Sunset Rotary Club President Leo Menard said raising money to help bring this conference to fruition aligned with his goals as the club president.
The Saco Bay Sunset Rotary Club has worked with Rotary Clubs of Falmouth and Scarborough to raise money, and so far $2,100 has been raised.
A large chunk of that money -$1500- was raised through a clothing drive with the New England Epilepsy Foundation.
More than 5,200 pounds of clothing and household linens were collected and picked up by the foundation.
Through this sort of fundraiser, organizations like the Rotary receive 20 cents per pound of clothing, and the New England Epilepsy Foundation either sells the items as is or has the made into rags.
Everyone has clothes in their closet that they need to get rid of, and this project gave people an opportunity to get rid of unwanted items, even if they weren’t wearable, without them going into a landfill. Both the Epilepsy Foundation and the local project benefited.
“It’s really a green type of project,” said Menard.
Because of the success of the clothing drive, Menard said the local Rotary Clubs will host another. To donate clothing, email Menard at lmenard@maine.rr.com.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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