Please Help Mom (Flooding in Hallowell, Maine)

Hi, my name is Michael Dibden and this is my mom, Monette.

She owns Vignettes of Maine - a small gift shop in Hallowell, Maine and a gem in the community. She started her shop in 2019 and has been running it herself ever since.

Earlier this week, a massive storm tore through her area. The resulting floods have greatly damaged her shop, and her income has been put on hold until repairs can be finished - a process that could take months.

Recent videos and news articles:

As her son, I always do what I can to help our family in times of need. But these circumstances are severe which is why we come to you.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to start a new life. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her. I think back fondly on the time when I made the move to LA. She volunteered to help me get my car across the country by splitting the 3000+ mile drive with me. It was a 4 or 5 days long journey if I recall correctly.

When we arrived, she helped me get settled into my new place. I bought her a flight back home but beyond that, she didn't ask for anything in return, no favors, no reminders, no complaints, nothing. That's just the way she is. She gives of herself constantly to others because she believes in them.

In 2019, mom started her own new adventure. The cutest little gift shop Hallowell has ever seen - Vignettes of Maine. I remember those early days. They were scary! Starting something new like that can be scary. But she’s a brave woman.

When the covid-19 pandemic came into full swing and non-essential businesses were forced to lock down, many of them closed forever. Mom's shop came very close to closing forever too and that was terrifying. But her belief in the kindness of people proved her right, and with support from friends, family, and her local community she was able to keep her business open.

Vignettes of Maine thrived after it got past the pandemic slump. Vignettes is a Maine-made and fair trade gift shop, meaning she sells hand-crafted gifts from artists in Maine and all over the world that are treated well and love what they do.

Over time, more and more people became aware of this local treasure in Hallowell. Every year, during the holiday season and leading right up to Christmas, sales would skyrocket! So many people would come looking for something special to send to their friends or loved ones, and every year they found it right in Mom’s little shop.

The care and passion poured into the crafting of those gifts was obvious to everyone who visited. And the amount of support that Mom received due to these increased Christmas-time sales was always so much that it could carry her entirely through the spring.

But not this year. This year, all those potential sales went away with the floods.

On Monday, December 18th, 2023, I got a text from Mom about how bad the storm was. We had no idea it was only beginning. Vignettes, along with several other businesses, is located on the waterfront in old historic Hallowell. It's a popular destination for tourists because of its many stores and beautiful views of the Kennebec river.

The torrential storm that passed through there caused the river to rise several feet. On Tuesday, Mom got a text warning her that the river was dangerously high. Not giving into panic, she and Dad rushed to the scene as soon as they became aware of the threat of flooding. They began to extract as much of the merchandise as they could save... and with the help of several community locals, they were able to save every single item just as the waters began to spill into the shop!

WGME did a report on this very story of several perfect strangers coming in to help mom save her merchandise. The whole thing was honestly incredible and we're so grateful to them all.

The merchandise was rescued and is currently being held in the homes of a few kind neighbors. The waters continued to rise about 2 feet into the shop interior, leaving it thoroughly ruined by the time it receded. Fortunately, she isn't responsible for the major repairs of the space since she rents it - the building's owner is responsible for that. Unfortunately, however, that means Mom is without her source of income for as long as that process takes, and we have no idea how long that process will take - could be a few months, could be several. This is why I've started this campaign. We don't know how long it will be before she can open her shop again, and until that time comes, she needs help.

There are a number of expenses that she is still responsible for even while she can’t make sales.

If there is any amount you can donate to this cause, I can’t tell you how deeply we would appreciate it. Any amount from any of you, our lovely friends and community, would go a long way in supporting this woman in her time of great need. I know I’m biased, but honestly she is a light in the world. She has relentless compassion for the people of the world that need help and she believes in doing good to make it a better place, one day at a time. She supports individual crafters from all over, and only works with businesses that treat them well. If there is any donation you can make to support this woman who has done so much to support others… There are no words I can use to express how much that would mean to us.

Thank you

(The beneficiary of this campaign is Monette Dibden and all money raised by it will go directly to her. I, Michael Dibden, the organizer of this campaign will not be receiving any amount of money from it)