Greetings, friends of Bugbee! It’s been a chilly winter, let’s see if mud season starts this month or next. I’m not a gambling man, but I’d put my Bugbee Bucks on April… Despite snow days and seemingly never ending polar vortexes, we’ve had an extraordinarily busy winter in 2025. Thank you everyone for including Bugbee in your plans and we hope to see more of you as we head towards spring.
I’m pleased to introduce you to Maria Lorentzon, our new Kitchen Manager! After 15 years of dedicated service in the Bugbee kitchen, Christy handed the torch to Maria at the end of January. No easy task, but the transition has gone well and we’re happy that Maria has joined our team. She’s written a column in this Bulletin to introduce herself to you all. Join us in welcoming Maria to Bugbee!
The Bugbee 2030 plan is continuing to develop. Over the last couple of months we’ve been collecting surveys, running focus groups, and interviewing people to get feedback and learn what is going on outside our walls. Thank you to all who have participated. I’ll be presenting some of our early findings on the 14th, and you are welcome to attend. The final strategic plan will be completed in May or June.
Speaking of planning… We are keeping an eye on the federal budget process. The Older Americans Act accounts for between 20-30% of our annual budget, and the Act expires in March. We are hopeful that Congress will either reauthorize the Act, or pass a Continuing Resolution before there are any disruptions in this important source of funding for Bugbee, and for thousands of senior centers across the country. We encourage you to call your legislators—both at the State, and in Congress—to share YOUR story of the importance of senior centers, Meals on Wheels, and the programs you rely on to age well. (We can help you find your representative’s contact info.) Please consider joining us in Montpelier on March 12th, as well—check out the Trips page for more information.
In the meantime, this month we are looking forward to enjoying a full slate of meals, activities, and services. Happy St. Patrick’s Day—don’t forget to wear green!
Mark Bradley
Executive Director