The Blue Door Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Southeastern Connecticut and beyond. We are staffed by amazing local volunteers from the community.

The Blue Door Foundation Inc. was officially founded in 2022, but our roots go back further.

It all started back in 2011 when our founders, Rena and Gerry Powers, began gathering medical equipment to care for their aging parents. The collection grew slowly over time, and before long friends and neighbors knew that the Powers’ house was the place to drop off gently used medical equipment or to check in for helpful suggestions.

In 2019, the Buy Nothing East Lyme Facebook group took off, and soon after Rena was regularly tagged in posts for people either in need or looking to donate medical equipment. Volunteers began to step up to help in trying to meet the growing needs. COVID increased the demand due to supply chain backlogs, and soon the idea of creating a formal organization to support this cause took hold.

The idea for our name came after reviewing the directions often given to those looking for the Powers’ house, “to look for the blue front door”.

As the organization continues to grow, we have left the original blue door behind, but hope you’ll come visit us at the latest one.