BY ABIGAIL ABBOTT, OASIS FREE CLINICS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Last year, I spoke with a group of Bowdoin College first-year students who were interested in the field of health care. They had signed up for a pre-orientation trip focused on the field. Having gone to Bowdoin,...

BY ANITA RUFF, OASIS FREE CLINIC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Last week, Lois Skillings stepped down as the President of Mid Coast-Parkview Health after 11 years. When I came to Oasis seven years ago, one of the first calls I received was from Lois, inviting me to meet with...

BY BY ABIGAIL ABBOTT - OASIS FREE CLINICS BOARD OF DIRECTORS I was born in Brunswick, went through the town’s public school system, attended Bowdoin College, and am now raising my three children here. I love this town. Growing up, neighborhood friends of my parents...

Life is sometimes explained as a journey. That journey is made by taking a series of steps. Forexample, we talk about taking one step at a time when a part of our journey is hard. We describesome of these steps as small, some big. Sometimes we step forward, sometimes...

 This spring, Oasis Free Clinics Executive Director, Anita Ruff, approached me in the doorway ofmy office, saying, “Hey! I have a great opportunity!” Anyone who knows Anita knows the lightin her eyes that accompanies statements such as these. As the Mental Health...

We wanted to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Rick Elsaesser, who is stepping down at the end of the year as our Volunteer Dental Director. Dr. Elsaesser has given thousands of hours to Oasis since he began volunteering in 2004, and we will miss his thoughtfulness, wisdom, and sense of humor.

What a beautiful community we are fortunate to live in — the Midcoast region of Maine! On July 16, I had the opportunity to see it up close and personal at Brunswick in Bloom, the garden tour fundraiser for Oasis Free Clinics. The weather did not disappoint. It was...

We have the best patients at Oasis Free Clinics. I have written that sentence often in this column, and I have uttered those words many times since becoming Oasis’ executive director six years ago. They are funny, kind, interesting, and thoughtful. They come to Oasis...

I have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a good neighbor. I moved to Brunswick from Bath almost two years ago and found a home in a lovely neighborhood. It is close to my job at the Oasis Free Clinics, walkable to downtown, and has a nice yard. What...

At the end of February 2020, our clinical director left Oasis for new opportunities. Two weeks after her departure, the global pandemic arrived, and everything changed. The first few days of the pandemic were filled with confusion...

For over 100 years, the United States has tried to find a politically acceptable way of providing access to health care to everyone. Early efforts included providing access through shared risk through private insurance, which helped some people. During World War II,...

  The Giving Voice column was started as a way for Oasis Free Clinics, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, The Gathering Place and Tedford Housing to share the stories of our work. While our dedicated supporters knew about our programs, we realized that there...