Maine businesses reach out to homeless man after tragedy
12/5/09 | 16 comments

Maine businesses reach out to homeless man after tragedy


By Christopher Cousins
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY KEVIN BENNETT
Melvin Yoder cuts a hemlock beam on his sawmill at his lumber yard in Corinna on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. Yoder has made an offer to supply wood to Raymond Brouillet, a homeles man from Templeton, Mass. who was evicted after building a wooden shack on town-owned property in that state. Buy Photo

CORINNA, Maine — The unlikely trio of a trucker from Down East, a sawmill operator from eastern Maine and a homeless man from Massachusetts are conspiring to start a business that they hope will change their lives for the better.

Raymond Brouillet, of Templeton, Mass., has been homeless for most of the past 10 years. He lives outdoors, even during the winter. The 53-year-old Vietnam veteran thought he had found shelter for the coming winter last month when he built a shack in the Templeton woods. Based on research of tax maps at the town assessor’s office, he thought no one owned the land.

But the scheme fell apart Nov. 24, two days before Thanksgiving, when police officers broke down the door of the shack and arrested Brouillet for trespassing. The town’s highway crew demolished the shack with heavy equipment. The incident attracted media attention, and the story traveled far and wide, including to the pages of the Bangor Daily News.

“Honestly, I was kind of floored by the amount of press I got for this,” Brouillet said during an interview Friday on a cell phone given to him recently by a well-wisher. “It’s not something I sought out.”

The story caught the attention of Marc Calcia, who owns a trucking business in the Hancock County village of Sorrento. Calcia recognized Brouillet from years ago when Brouillet worked for him.

“He does good work and is very pious in his approach to things,” said Calcia on Friday. “He’s a guy who doesn’t want a free handout ... and he’s good with a level and good with a tape measure. This guy wants to work.”

So Calcia, inspired by Brouillet’s obvious capacity for building, hatched a plan to help the man construct storage sheds and sell them. That’s how Melvin Yoder, owner of Yoder’s Saw Mill in Corinna, became involved. Under Calcia’s plan, he and Yoder will provide the lumber, Calcia will haul it to Massachusetts, and all three men will work together to sell them.

“We told him ‘If you make money, pay us back,’” said Calcia “If you don’t, God will co-sign the loan.”

All that’s lacking is a place for Brouillet to work, which as he already learned during his failed attempt at building a home for himself, isn’t easy to come by. Calcia said he’s talking with landowners in Massachusetts and New Hampshire who also were inspired by Brouillet’s story. All that’s needed is a vacant outdoor space with access to electricity and maybe a place to store a few tools.

For Brouillet, the scenario sounds perfect. He can work when he wants and the way he wants.

“Working outside is a big deal for me,” he said. “I like the sun. Some people are like that, you know.”

Brouillet said being homeless is a choice he made. There are shelters with warm beds and government agencies willing to help, but they all come with strings attached, he said.

“If you want anything you need to do paperwork,” he said. “If the government wants to know everything about me, you can keep your money and your food stamps. I can get by. I have been getting by. I’m a very independent person.”

As for the charges against him — which he’ll have to answer to during a Jan. 4 court appearance — Brouillet said he holds no ill will toward the town or the police who arrested him. Still, he intends to maintain his case that the town has no claim on the land where he built his shack.

“I’ve got to fight it because I opened this door and now I need to walk through it,” he said. “The claims the town is making I can’t substantiate in any way. If I’m found guilty, I owe the town a great big apology.”

Yoder, whose sawmill is contained in a reconstituted barn surrounded by stacks of lumber, said he’s willing to take a chance on the venture. If Brouillet builds the sheds, Yoder is confident they’ll sell.

“Generally, I wouldn’t be too eager to send a bunch of lumber to Massachusetts,” he said. “I think there’s a possibility this can work.”

Calcia agrees. He said he already travels to Massachusetts regularly and can make money hauling things back to Maine on the return trip. He invited anyone with ideas about how to help make it happen, or anyone who wants to order a shed, to call him at 877-722-5242.

Asked what he would do with the money, Brouillet said he has lofty aspirations, beginning with a long-held dream of riding his bicycle across the country. He would gather sponsors with the hope of earning enough to buy an old farm somewhere in the country.

“I’d set it up as a nonprofit,” he said. “I’d provide a farm life for veterans who that kind of lifestyle appeals to. I know there are veterans out there like me who like to be independent.”

Not registered? Click here
E-mail this
Print this
Guidelines for posting on bangordailynews.com

Bangordailynews.com is pleased to offer a forum for readers to react to our stories, discuss them and provide additional information. We are reluctant to delete comments, but do reserve that right for those who abuse our forum. For more on using this site, please see our terms of service.

The primary rule here is pretty simple: Treat others with the same respect you'd want for yourself. What does that mean specifically? Here are some guidelines (see more):

Comments
16 comments on this item
On 12/5/09 at 6:32 AM, JeffDubay wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What a sad way to be dealing with a Vietnam veteran. This will be a very poor decision on the part of the powers-that-be in Templeton, Mass. No wonder we call them Mass-holes.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 6:39 AM, SteveKee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This guy's independence is to be admired. I'd want him in my foxhole.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 7:33 AM, ncikatz wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Sounds like some truly good people trying to do a good thing...best of luck to all.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 8:42 AM, Benbarr wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I think that this is a step in the right direction of addressing some of the needs of the homeless.

There are many vacant buildings and houses all around the country and these could be used to give shelter to those needing to get out of the elements and a place to lay their head at night. Trouble is, there is too often legal wrangling and the cost issues which often are prohibited. So, instead, these structures continue to go unoccupied or torn down.

Let's start using our heads and not whether there is a profit to be made.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 9:27 AM, Kristoco wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Most homeless people want to work, yet because of no phone, address and sometimes no steady sleep or place to live prevents them from being hired. If we employ them and help them get ahead they will become productive members of society. With a little help and less over time (notice I said over time) they can succeed. Guess the Human Services system hasn't figured this out yet or want's to admit their system is in Need of destruction and rebuilding!

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 12:30 PM, justatrucker wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

HAHA This explains sooooooooooo much! Anyone ever seen Mark Calcias property? Its the joke of the town. Sorrento wants to stop him of devaluating the taxes, yet at this moment 3 new "trash" shacks have appeared on the property.

BDN you glamorized Marc. Now take off your rose glasses and do and in depth look of the source of the story please. Learn why it is that Marc is in debt with running trash trucks that are in violation of operation. Why it is this man has animals that he lets roam freely around town. Why it is that he burns trash rather than haul it to where responsible companies must dispose of trash "normally". Anyone can drive by and smell the odor of burning plastic. See the animals in the road uncontrolled. See the tar paper shacks sprouting like weeds in the dooryard. Neighbors are complaining, and BDN makes him out like a saint! What a irony!

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 3:31 PM, doverdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If this guy is 53 years old, that would make him about 16 when the Vietnam war ENDED. Combine that with his desire to finance a farm by riding a bicycle across the country (as CHARITABLE events usually do) would send some reflags up for me.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 3:45 PM, marsexplorer wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The vietnam war ended in 1975, that would make the man 22 at the wars end.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 4:09 PM, doverdave wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

My math was off some......I think that he would have been 19 (not 16 , not 22) at wars end.

Report abuse
On 12/5/09 at 11:08 PM, caveman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The math works for me..a Downeaster vouches for him and another Mainah pitches in! What's the f........g problem?

USAF 1966-70

Report abuse
On 12/6/09 at 6:31 AM, rodgudroe wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Surprising they didn't call in one of the many power hungry swat teams to waste taxpayer money.Melvin Yoder cut up some wood for my son who is struggling with a young family at his sawmill.He does a tremendous job and gave my boy a great deal at a fraction of what even Home Depot would charge outright.My boy cut his own wood and told me that Mr. Yoder was a very nice Christian man from Exeter who really was sincere.Hope this article gives him some business and hope that poor homeless man beats the town of Templeton.Great positive article BDN.

Report abuse
On 12/6/09 at 6:09 PM, SLM414 wrote: Click here to view hidden comment         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden
On 12/6/09 at 9:53 PM, I_work_thank_me wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Listen, I work and work very hard...I would rather see this man doing something for himself and if he needed some help getting going, well good for him. At least he isn't like alot of other Mainers who sit back, collect welfare while smoking their cigs and drinking their alcohol.....hell if I am not supporting him I am happy. Have a great evening everyone!! :)

Report abuse
On 12/7/09 at 3:38 AM, noreasternelly wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

a homeless vietnam man, gets arrested and his shack destroyed, someone comes up with an idea to help this guy, thats an awsome story!! at least someone offered him work, and a way for him to get back on his feet hopefully. look at all this mans been through, think nam was easy on him? think comming home from nam was easy on him? and being arrested for just trying to live, shame on people in that town, who drove by him, probably made comments that werent the best, instead of offering him a helping hand, like these other 2 men did( kudos to you guys) you knock him down. i hope you win your court case, i hope you sell every dam thing you make, and i hope you get to live your dreams, oh one more thing raymond, have a very merry xmas!!!! sometimes dreams do come true!!!

Report abuse
On 12/7/09 at 1:58 PM, boogyman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Brouillet said being homeless is a choice he made. End of story

Report abuse
On 12/7/09 at 2:05 PM, MaineSurvivor2 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mr. Brouillet seems to have his head screwed on straight. This is a bad luck story that is turning out good.

Report abuse
You must be logged in to post a comment. click here to log in.

Powered by: Creative Circle Advertising Solutions, Inc.