The Red Barn Restaurant in Augusta recently partnered with Ampion Renewable Energy, a community solar company founded in Bar Harbor, and raised $3,000 for Meals on Wheels. From left are Victoria Abbot, community engagement director, Spectrum Generations; Laura Benedict, owner of The Red Barn Restaurant; Nate Miller Sr., program director, Spectrum Generations; and Ted Rioux, senior sales executive, Ampion Renewable Energy. Submitted photo
AUGUSTA — Almost 1 in 3 Maine seniors face hunger or the threat of hunger. Many have to choose between paying for food or for other essentials such as medicine and heat. Like many Mainers, these seniors are now cost burdened by mounting electricity costs in 2022.
To help address these issues, The Red Barn restaurant in Augusta partnered with Ampion Renewable Energy, a community solar company founded in Bar Harbor that offers local clean energy subscriptions that save ratepayers money on electricity. Through this partnership, The Red Barn and Ampion brought valuable energy savings while jointly raising $3,000 for Meals on Wheels. For each new community solar subscriber who enrolled through The Red Barn, Ampion made a $50 donation to Spectrum Generations, the Meals on Wheels program through Central Maine Area Agency on Aging and Disability Resource Center.
On Wednesday, Laura Benedict, owner of the Red Barn, and Ted Rioux, Maine resident and senior sales executive at Ampion, presented the donation to the Spectrum Generations’ President and CEO Gerald Queally and the Augusta-based team.
Meals on Wheels is a program that provides nutritious meals for homebound seniors and people with disabilities who are unable to regularly cook for themselves. Spectrum Generations’ has an incredibly dedicated team made up of volunteers and staff members, all of whom deliver meals to homes throughout Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo counties, including several towns in Cumberland County.
These Meals on Wheels recipients are typically the same people who are hit hardest by rising energy costs. Ampion and The Red Barn recognized that they had the potential to help by raising funds for Spectrum Generations, a game-changing program for so many Mainers. To learn more about Spectrum Generations, visit spectrumgenerations.org/nutrition-services/meals-wheels.
Surette Real Estate hires new agent
WATERVILLE — Lucas Wheeler is a new agent to the team of CENTURY 21 Surette Real Estate.
He has extensive knowledge of the area, making him a personal expert when inquiring about the surrounding towns and things to do.
Kozak & Gayer welcomes new attorney
AUGUSTA — Kozak & Gayer, P.A. has announced that Ragner E. Jaeger has joined its health law practice. Ragner graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 2014. Prior to joining the firm, Ragner was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, and most recently the Associate General Counsel and Compliance Officer for Penobscot Community Health Care.
He has extensive experience working on transactional issues and litigation matters involving health care and regulatory compliance, privacy, employment, contracts, grant funding, real estate and other health law related issues. Ragner will work with clients in a variety of matters, including health care, corporate, compliance and administrative law matters.
Ragner is admitted in Maine, New Jersey, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Federal District Court of New Jersey. He is an active member of the Rutgers School of Law Alumni Board, the Hispanic Bar Association, and the Boys & Girls Club of Bangor.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
