Every day residents of the Kennebunks demonstrate their compassion through acts of kindness, support, and outreach. Need oil? There is a fund for you. Affordable housing tight? Kennebunk sold the Cousins and Park Street Schools in hopes it will help fill that void. People shovel snow for their neighbors in winter, volunteer locally, and give generously to shelters and food pantries throughout the year. We care about our neighbors. 

That is the reason I am writing this letter. I am concerned that folks may not be fully aware of the impact of the Kennebunk selectmen’s decision to cut back on Wanda Cannell’s social services position in Kennebunk, and of the Kennebunkport town manager’s pending recommendation to eliminate funding for Kennebunkport’s portion of Rachel Phipps’ Youth Services Position (cost of which is shared with Kennebunk). These are positions that provide service to teens, families, and children when they need it most; positions that are already effective systems for meeting the needs of others, our neighbors. 

Might Rachel Phipps have to pick and choose only Kennebunk kids to counsel at the high school, where she spends some of her time? Are some folks in need going to have to forgo the trust, discretion, and respect built up by Wanda Cannell and head to a stranger at the front counter to solicit support for a downturn in their luck if they happen to walk in during Wanda’s “off hours”?

This is a time when we are guaranteed to see more need, not less. Why are we eliminating support for the very people that are a public face of compassion for our communities? I only ask that we think very carefully about going down this road, and what message it sends. 

Deb Redding-Sampson

Kennebunk