Community Involvement Day

2025 Award Winners

Volunteer of the Year: Paul Perkins	Paul has been involved in all-things-climate-planning since Baths first effort in 2008. He has guided and initiated many efforts since that time, including the adopted city Climate Resolution, the formation of the commission, the adoption of the latest Climate Action Plan, and the development and coordination of the windowdresser program – going since 2022. This program has built over 200 inserts per year to help Bath residents be more comfortable in their homes, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, and saving money on heating costs. Paul relentlessly works towards creating a more sustainable future for the city.

Youth Award: Alison Mitchell	Alison has found a passion in enriching the lives of individuals with differing abilities. Her enthusiasm is helping to build opportunities that encourage personal connection, friendship, understanding, and can open the door to newfound achievements and purpose for everyone involved. This passion has expanded from local to regional, to statewide, and beyond! Alison has volunteered at the county Special Olympic games for the last four years for swimming, track and field, along with involvement in the (Morse High School) Unified Program’s basketball, volleyball, and physical education. She’s also volunteered at the State of Maine’s winter and summer Special Olympics games and was selected to the State of Maine Youth Activation Council for the Special Olympics. Alison’s education is now growing to National program involvement and education! She recently attended a 3-day leadership training at the University of Indiana for the Best Buddies program for people with intellectual disabilities. She has presented programming at three different conferences in two other states.

Youth Award: Madilyn McDorr	Maddie just began her sophomore year at Morse High School. She served as a class officer her Freshman year, and is a member of the Morse Interact Club. She is a 3-sport athlete, playing soccer, basketball, and softball. During her time at the Bath Middle School s achieved High Honors every trimester, and earned multiple recognitions for her good sportsmanship and well-rounded accomplishments, including Athlete of the Year, a Coaches Award, and multiple AAA recognitions for her Athletics and Academics. In her final year there, she received the prestigious Secretary of State Citizenship Award for 8th graders. In her free time, she volunteers at her church, annually at Kindness Day Bath and the Bath Book Bash, and (according to those who know her) just about anywhere else that needs a helping hand.

Al Smith Community Spirit-Bath at Play	Bath at Play, led by John Byram, works closely with community partners to amplify activities for families in Bath. The group’s efforts have brought to life a wide range of community projects, including the installation of a musical instrument at Bridge Park, the whimsical Hobbit House in the KELT Community Garden, and the popular Spring Color Run. They also helped create a new playground at Grace Park and added much-needed shade to the Huse School playground. Bath at Play continues to add fun to community events hosted by other groups in the City to add fun to the roster, build awareness of their efforts, and demonstrate the spirit of our city. You may have enjoyed their activities during Heritage Days, children’s games, and Patten Free Library events. As an individual and through his work with Bath at Play, John himself has been a passionate and tireless advocate for making the City of Bath a more vibrant and playful place to live. He brings energy to weekly Minecraft Club sessions at the library, family game nights, neighborhood block parties, and so much more. Whether through play, creativity, or connection, John is always looking for new ways to bring joy to Bath.

Community Project Award: 520 Centre Street Housing Project	Bath Housing Authority has been creating affordable housing opportunities in Bath for decades. They recently opened 18 units of new affordable housing and are working hard to design and build much more. At the helm of Bath Housing, Debora Keller has lent her voice and expertise to a forward-thinking vision for Bath’s environmental and economic resilience. The efforts of the entire Bath Housing Team reflect countless hours of thoughtful leadership, collaboration, and persistence on behalf of their neighbors and the broader community. Not only does the organization manage and maintain housing facilities, properties, state and federal funding, and day-to-day tenant needs, they also help design the future of affordable housing in Bath. They are an integral part of recent Housing Studies, which lay the groundwork for understanding Bath’s housing needs. Baath housing leads regional conversations with key employers about housing solutions for the workforce. They partnered with the Planning Board to develop Bath’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance, contributed vital information to develop the housing section of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan, and have helped guide the Housing Committee’s work leading to the Short-Term Rental Ordinance. All of these steps set the stage for determining the needs of housing in Bath, and developing the right kind of homes, range of affordability, and locations for what the community needs now and will need in the future.