SOUTH PORTLAND — Residents and culinary staff at the Betsy Ross House raised nearly $6,000 for UNICEF’s humanitarian response in Ukraine. 

On Saturday, April 2, 100 senior residents of the Betsy Ross House a senior independent living complex in South Portland attended a “donate what you can” pancake breakfast buffet fundraiser. The residents enjoyed a three-course restaurant-style breakfast. The breakfast even included a variety of Ukrainian cookies prepared by Assistant Chef Joy Olshin. 

This fundraiser focused on reaching vulnerable children and families with lifesaving supplies and essential services. 

“The residents of the Betsy Ross House embrace this opportunity to help the people of Ukraine they really rallied and were very generous with their donations,” said Mike Hulsey, executive director of the South Portland Housing Authority. “And that really amazes me, especially considering a lot of them are on limited fixed incomes as seniors.” 

Most of the residents at the Betsy Ross House are on a fixed income and gave what they could to help the people of Ukraine. Many residents and staff have friends and family members still in Ukraine, according to Food Service Manager and Head Chef Mike Maloney. 

“There was quite an outpouring of generosity,” Maloney said. “I think that anyone who sees what is going on, even if it is just the news you are getting on the evening news, is bad. I think that the sentiment here was anything we can do even if it was a $10 or $20 check, any little bit helps and trying to make a difference.” 

The idea came from Olshin. She approached Hulsey with the idea of breakfast and said that she would pay for all the ingredients out of her own money. “I was so touched by how she wanted to do this, and I told her that we would pay for the ingredients and that the Housing Authority would match anything they raised,” Hulsey said. “I really wasn’t expecting to raise $2,800 but it is a great cause and well worth our contribution.”

“Because of what is going on I just felt the need to reach out and help our brothers and sisters in Ukraine,” Olshin said. “I thought of doing a fundraising event, this would be a way for us to send our support. At first, I wanted to do a cookie fundraiser, a very simple one but Chef Mike Maloney thought of doing this pancake breakfast buffet that way we could raise more funds and the residents will have an enjoyable and memorable day.

“I would like to first thank Mike Hulsey it was his idea to match all those donations and he approved the project. The second is Chef Maloney, he helped me with the pancake breakfast event and then Property Director Mary Marston.”

The event was organized by the staff of the South Portland Housing Authority, Maloney, Property Manager Darlene Stuart, Marston, and other employees who volunteered to work the even on their day off to collect donations. Together, the residents and staff raised more than $2,800, which the housing authority matched, bringing the total to more than $5,600. A few more donations were brought in from residents who could not make the event.  

“We did get our blessings from our bosses, and they said sure we’ll match whatever funds you raise and so on we went with our planning,” Maloney said. “It kind of morphed into a pancake breakfast. It was the only time of day when we were not interfering with what we normally do. For the residents, we serve a three-course meal each day at noon. We passed out a flyer and got remarkable results from the folks here.”

To donate or for more information on UNICEF’s humanitarian response in Ukraine, visit  www.unicef.org/ukraine/en.

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