The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce is a community cornerstone utilized by locals and tourists alike. They serve eight towns in the Sebago Lakes region of Western Maine. When they found themselves in need of materials to redo their conference room, they turned to Hancock Lumber who offered to make a donation of their eastern white pine boards.
“[The conference room] had wallpaper on the walls and it was starting to peel,” said Chamber Executive Director, Robin Mullins. “No matter what we tried the paper would not stick. One day, I got brave and started peeling the paper off the walls.” Underneath, Robin discovered 1970’s style wall paneling. Building owner Tom Noonan gave Robin permission to take the paneling down to see if there was sheetrock behind.
“I could work with sheetrock,” Robin said. “I envisioned paining a nice pale grey on the walls with bright white trim.” Unfortunately, Robin found the sheetrock covered in paneling glue. “Our only option was to put something over it.”
The project was not budgeted and the Chamber is a non-profit, which left them with few options. Robin then emailed Hancock Lumber CEO, Kevin Hancock. He was excited to help and connected her with the Windham General Manager, Ray Collet. Ray and Robin worked together to design the room and choose the white pine boards. “Everything was delivered,” she said. “Right down to the trim and nails!” With donations from Hancock Lumber and other local businesses, the Chamber’s conference room transformed. Now, it is warm and inviting.
“I cried when Ray told me what he and Kevin agreed to do for us,” Robin said. “The generosity of Hancock Lumber is beyond amazing. I cannot tell you how honored I am to have them as a member of our Chamber. A situation that could have been a huge stressor [turned into] a joyous occasion for us. It was an incredibly generous donation.”