If I had to guess, I’d say Ira Mandel likely will go to heaven one day.

Mandel, 71, lives on Cool Street in Waterville, where he hung a green and white, hand-painted sign near the street that says, “Be A Friend.”

Sometimes people strolling by on the sidewalk stop to chat with Mandel as he works on his lawn or house, and he likes that.

“I am a bit crazy, but in a good and loving way,” he said.

The “Be a Friend” display located in front of Ira Mandel’s house on Cool Street is seen Tuesday in Waterville. Mandel has created a space to create new friendships, where people can stop by and talk, leave notes or connect with him over the phone. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

A retired family doctor, Mandel may no longer treat patients or prescribe medicine, but he continues to practice his passion for helping others. His focus is on bringing people together to form meaningful friendships and connections.

“I love people,” he said, simply.

Mandel’s has been an interesting journey. He moved from Camden to Waterville 1 1/2 years ago because loves the community, he said.

He was medical director for Pen Bay Medical Center’s Hospice and Palliative Care program in Rockport for 12 years, had a private family practice in Camden and treated hundreds of people addicted to substances and alcohol.

He also started the nonprofit Mid-Coast Recovery Coalition and founded recovery houses for men and women on the Midcoast. After establishing the men’s house, he helped raise $200,000 in just one month to open a women’s house.

A native of Long Island, New York, Mandel was raised in a Jewish family that he says was nonobservant. He was a self-avowed atheist for 57 years but when he moved to Rockland in 2006, he joined a synagogue there, started learning to read Hebrew and was bar mitzvahed at age 50. But six years ago, after joining a pilgrimage with his wife, who is Catholic, he realized it was the right religion for him, and he converted.

“I’ve loved it ever since,” he said. “I’ve learned so much.”

He attends St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church on Front Street in Waterville and Corpus Christi Parish in Waterville and Winslow, where he has made many friends, one of whom is Waterville resident Bruce White. Knowing Mandel likes to help people, White took him to the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, where he introduced him to kitchen director Carla Caron and other volunteers.

“I met amazing people that just knocked my socks off,” Mandel said.

White says he was struck by Mandel’s compassion, knowledge of many subjects and desire to reach out to people, including those who are struggling or hurting.

“He has no ulterior motive,” White said. “He just wants to give back. He has the time and the energy.”

Last April, Mandel launched a series of weekly meetings for eight weeks, based on the Alpha program, which seeks to bring people together to share food, watch a video about faith and discuss the meaning of life in a safe space, he said. He rented a downtown room and invited anyone who wanted to come, regardless of their religion or beliefs.

Ira Mandel stands Tuesday next to his “Be a Friend” display, which is located outside of his house on Cool Street in Waterville. Mandel’s front lawn has chairs and a picnic table for people to sit and talk. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“The content of the video is about Christianity but there’s no pressure,” Mandel said. “I’ve invited neighbors who aren’t Catholic or Christian, and they thought it was good. Most people I know in Waterville are Catholic because of my connection to church but I want to reach out to the whole community. It’s very nonjudgmental, very accepting.”

Mandel plans to start up a similar series of weekly meetings Sept. 4, but in the meantime he has organized an event for Aug. 31 at the Waterville Elks Lodge that he hopes will draw people from all walks of life. It will include a free buffet meal, music and a square dance — something he hasn’t experienced since he was 6, he said.

“I want to invite everyone in the community,” he said. “I hope people from the soup kitchen come.”

The event starts at 4 p.m. At 6 p.m., an instructor will show participants how to square dance, but no one is obligated to learn and they may just sit and watch if they prefer that, Mandel said.

“I love that it’s old-fashioned. It evokes a different time in our country when people hung out and it was all about family and friends. We need to get back to that.”

The idea, according to Mandel, is to reach out, with deep caring and compassion.

“People like to feel heard and feel loved, and that’s really what it’s all about,” he said.

Amy Calder has been a Morning Sentinel reporter 35 years. Her columns appear here Saturdays. She is the author of the book, “Comfort is an Old Barn,” a collection of her curated columns, published in 2023 by Islandport Press. She may be reached at acalder@centralmaine.com. For previous Reporting Aside columns, go to centralmaine.com