Business spotlight - Camp Care LLC By Michelle Libby

Across the Sebago region there are thousands of camps that need attention year round, be it spring cleanup and plantings or weekly turn over on a rental property. Sandra Donnelly, owner of Camp Care, LLC, is the one to contact. 

For approximately five years, she started watching over camps in the winter doing camp checks. “I started taking care of people’s camps while they were not there,” Donnelly said.

In addition to shoveling decks and paths, making sure the heat is turned on in the winter and doing general checks, Camp Care has added regular housekeeping and post construction cleaning to its repertoire. 

“Before the house is sold to the new owner, we clean ceiling to floor so they move into a nice clean house,” she said. Locals can also take advantage of Camp Care’s team of housekeepers, among many other services throughout the year.

When the company first opened it employed only summer workers. Now Donnelly hires approximately 14 summer employees and three stay on during the winter for regular housekeeping duties. Donnelly will shovel paths for oil and gas as needed and can take care of snow removal, from plowing to shoveling roofs. If her crew is too busy to get to it right away, she can refer you to a network of local, reputable professionals.

Team Camp Care at your service

The clients Camp Care works with are investment bankers, architects, and people from out of state like California, Ohio, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. One woman rents to pay the taxes on her camp. When Donnelly does the camp checks for her clients who are not in the area, she sends them a picture of the camp to provide piece of mind.

Locals can take advantage of these services too if they are leaving for a winter vacation. Whether it a week or a month, Camp Care will check on your home in your absence and do things like check the mail and water plants. Her slogan “We Care When You’re Not There” is truly their mission.

“I’m trustworthy. I treat each property as if it was my own. If I notice something off, they’re going to know about it,” she added. 

Camp Care opens and closes camps, does weekly cleanings in homes from one to 16 beds. It also offers camp rentals and rental management. There are three new rentals not booked for the summer on Panther Pond, Sebago Lake basin or Long Lake for those interested. They won’t last long. She has many other rentals on most of the other lakes in the area. 

For those looking to rent their camps, Donnelly said it’s not a decision for everyone. “I talk long and hard first. It’s not for everyone. People will touch your stuff. Things will get broken,” she said. One client who is now renting her property had to think about it for two years before she was ready to rent. 

Camp Care is preparing for spring. “In May we will open camps, docks go in, lawns get raked, gardens tidied up if needed. Inside we make beds, and wash a lot of dishes,” she said.

Camp Care is hiring for the summer season. Donnelly is looking for people with OCD or those who consider themselves neat freaks. She also is looking for people who don’t mind working Thursday through Saturday. She likes to find people who are local. 

This past year, Donnelly and her family built a home in Windham. She plans to expand again offering the ability to manage construction projects. She can help people from away find contractors. “I can help them do the projects they want to get done, for example steps, decks, or put in a full basement,” she said. Putting her clients in touch with the right contractors, gives her the satisfaction that the project is doing done correctly. 

Most of the properties Camp Care manages are on the water, but they don’t have to be. Camp Care takes care of rentals and manages camps from Windham, Sebago, Gorham and Raymond, but Donnelly doesn’t rule out other places on a case by case basis. Donnelly is licensed and insured.

For more information on Camp Care, call 207-712-2238. They can also be reached by email at Sandra@campcarellc.com, visit www.campcarellc.com or on Facebook.