What’s Hot at Your House – Aug 20, 2015 Partner’s Meeting
Quick links to reports from partners (updated with Ripple Effect Project 8/21/15)
Alfond Youth Center
American Lung Association
Eastern Maine HomeCare
Healthy Northern Kennebec
Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area
Inland Hospital
Kennebec Behavioral Health
Kennebec Messalonskee Trails
Kennebec Montessori School
Kotlas Waterville Area Sister City Connection
MaineGeneral
Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce
Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter
NAMI Mid Maine
New Ventures Maine
Peace Choir on Gaia
REM
Ripple Effect Project
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition
Waterville Creates!
Waterville Food Bank
Youth Matter!
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Alfond Youth Center
by Len LeGrand:
FROM THE EXCITING SUMMER:
Thanks to many of our ongoing supporters, we had one of the most successful summer fundraising ever. The target of the fundraising: scholarships for our kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA at the Alfond Youth Center.
MLB players from across the country came to Maine to coach our kids at our Maine’s Fenway Park and then played golf at Haskell Ford MLBPAA* Golf Tournament.
Up at Sugarloaf, the Beaupre Family presented the First Annual Maine Celebrity Gala and Celebrity Golf Classic in honor of Mary Beaupre. Celebrity, Award Winning Chefs from across the country served their specialty dishes at the gala. The 300 guests included Olympians and Hall of Fame members from Football, Hockey, and Baseball. The Celebrities rallied support for the two-day event to raise money for the youth programs at the Alfond Youth Center with a focus on the Organic Gardening and Education Program.
The Lakewood Golf Course was the site of the 3rd Annual John G. Trinward Golf Tournament supporting the AYC’s youth basketball programs. The events continued with the annual Dorie Hawkes Pickle Ball Tournament and the annual Doc and Mardie Brown Road race. The contributions topped $200,000.
*Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.
And it’s not over, the GHM Insurance Agency Golf Classic is just around the corner scheduled for September 10th
The incredible future:
Widely recognized for its outstanding programming and service to the community, the After School Program is now under the leadership of Dr. Martha Nader, Ed.D. Dr. Naber is the widely respected educator who specializes in child and youth development programs. As a Child Care Co-Director, she will bring the After School Program to the Maine Roads to Quality Accreditation Level. Ms. Irene Daigle, MS-Early Childhood Education, joins Martha as Child Care Co-Director. Both Martha and Irene were faculty members at KVCC. Ms. Daigle is a developmental therapist who specializes in a team approach to implementing education plans for children based on the concerns of parents. Pre-School Educator Jane Fletcher rounds out the new staff members of the AYC’s Child Care Programs. The After School, Early Childcare, and Summer Enrichment Programs have a renewed focus on academic success for the children and youth placed in our care. The AYC is geared –up for the opening of another school year!
American Lung Association
by Kathryn Libby:
The Trek Across Maine is the American Lung Association's biggest fundraiser in the nation of its kind, raising almost $2M for lung health. The Trek is a 3-day fundraising cycling event with more than 2,200 cyclists and 700 volunteers. Join the American Lung Association for our cycling events as a volunteer. We have positions available for ages 7 and up, for groups or individuals, and for one day or the whole Trek weekend. For more information please see Lyn Neiz who is representing the ALA.
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Eastern Maine HomeCare
by Lisa Fuller:
We are very excited about the merger of EMHC and VNA Home Health Hospice. EMHS purchased Mercy Hospital and VNA almost two years ago. Since that time, EMHC and VNA have been working very closely together to get to know one another, support one another and work together to provide the best care for our patients. It has been a great experience and we look forward to operating as one organization covering the entire state of Maine!
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Healthy Northern Kennebec
by Fran Mullin:
What is SCALE? – “Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation” is a national initiative to speed up the improvement of well-being for all. Funded by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in partnership with other national organizations, SCALE communities will boost their capacity for healthy change and spread community-driven approaches across the country.
Waterville is the only SCALE community in Maine! Waterville was chosen among 200 applicants to participate as one of 20 Pacesetter communities in the USA. Waterville is in the first wave of a bold plan to reach 1000 communities and to improve 100 million lives by 2020. The national spotlight is on Waterville and we deserve this positive attention. Waterville has many characteristics that make it an emerging Bright Spot.
Waterville is poised for transformation. Dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals are collaborating to create a Culture of Health, going upstream to build bridges from poverty to prosperity. We have an excellent chance of succeeding thanks to our partners: Waterville Main Street, Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, Family Violence Project, Kennebec Behavioral Health, the City of Waterville, Inland Hospital, MaineGeneral and many others. Healthy Waterville is also supported in part by the Maine Health Access Foundation, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Maine Initiatives, and the Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation.
How will Waterville create a Culture of Health? Since 1988, Healthy Northern Kennebec has been solving health problems by strengthening partnerships among health, education, faith community, government, social service and business organizations. The Healthy Waterville initiative engages diverse individuals from the neighborhoods most affected by poverty whose voices are not usually heard. Together, we’ll plan and make decisions about improving health where people live, learn, work and play.
In 2014, Healthy Waterville convened 11 focus groups, including 83 individuals. We listened to people living in poverty, with low or no income, who receive services such as general assistance, homeless shelter and HeadStart. People who have been marginalized were empowered to share their views about what is working well to help the community be healthy, and what is in the way.
People desire healthy food, safe places to walk, and affordable activities for children, but these things seem unattainable. For example, every focus group recognized the health benefits of the downtown Farmer’s Market, however most said that the produce was too expensive and “not for us.” People needing food were pleased to find more fresh vegetables in the food bank, but many felt discouraged by paper work, long lines and judgment.
In 2015-2016, Healthy Waterville is developing an Improvement Team and a plan to use our community’s assets to support healthy eating for everyone. In May, 45 diverse citizens gathered for dinner and a broader conversation about community health. Over the summer, partners visited the Waterville Food Bank and Soup Kitchen to listen and learn. In August, we celebrated family’s gifts with the South End Neighborhood Association. People of Waterville are sharing their strengths and taking action together to create a healthier community for all.
Healthy Northern Kennebec was formed in 1988 with the goal of identifying local health problems and working collaboratively with community agencies, government and local citizens toward solutions. The Healthy Northern Kennebec coalition is one of 27 local Healthy Maine Partnerships that form Maine’s public health system. Local public health priorities are preventing domestic violence, substance abuse, and tobacco use, and promoting healthy eating and active living. www.healthynorthernkennebec.org.
Fran Mullin, Project Director
Healthy Northern Kennebec
Thayer Center for Health, Terrace Level
149 North Street
Waterville, ME 04901
(207) 872-4127
FMullin@HealthyNorthernKennebec.org
www.HealthyNorthernKennebec.org
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Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area
by Sue Roy:
After a successful summer, which included our 18th Annual Garden Party at Fieldstone Gardens in Vassalboro, as well as our 14th Annual Swing for Hope and Hospice Golf Tournament at the Waterville Country Club, Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area continues to offer a host of services, events and happenings for the 2015 year.
We are still looking forward to the third week of September for Camp Ray of Hope, our annual weekend retreat for those who have lost someone they love. Hope’s Place for Grieving Children will begin at the end of September as well. As we approach the holiday season, other major upcoming events will include the Sukeforth Family Festival of Trees at the end of November, which will be held at the Hathaway Creative Center and feature various tree designs that will include merchandise from business sponsors. As many know, we will also be holding our 2015 Lights for Life candle-lighting ceremony in December to celebrate the life of loved ones.
Other services and events through Hospice Volunteers of Waterville include our Resale Shop, located in the downstairs level of our office building on Upper Main Street, which also organizes a large monthly yard sale. We gladly accept donations of furniture, clothing, books and other household items and medical supplies. There are also a number of biweekly events such as Workshops in the Hospice Memorial Healing Garden, our Widow and Widowers Support Group, and Texas Hold’em Tournaments to benefit Hospice Volunteers of Waterville Area.
There will be volunteer training held during the month of October for those interested in providing 2-4 hours a week to those facing a life threatening illness. This could include companionship, compassionate listening, respite for caregivers and bereavement support for family members.
For more information, please feel free to contact us at (207) 873-3615.
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Inland Hospital
by Sara Dyer:
Inland earns straight A’s for safety
Inland Hospital has been recognized again for its dedication to patient safety by being awarded an “A” grade in the latest Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital. Inland has received straight A scores for safety since the program began in 2012.
This “A” grade is one of the most meaningful honors a hospital can achieve, and one of the most valuable indicators for patients looking for a safe place to receive care. The Hospital Safety Score is the gold standard rating for patient safety, compiled under the guidance of the nation’s leading patient safety experts and administered by The Leapfrog Group, a national, nonprofit hospital safety watchdog. The first and only hospital safety rating to be peer-reviewed in the Journal of Patient Safety, the Hospital Safety Score is free to the public and designed to give consumers information they can use to protect themselves and their families when facing a hospital stay.
Inland’s LET’s GO! Family Fun Series
Inland’s LET’S GO! Family Fun Series recently wrapped up its 3rd year-long series of monthly events to help families lead an active, healthy lifestyle. With 479 families participating in at least one event, and many attending several, it was a great year of active fun – from warm weather activities like swimming, paddling, hiking, disc golf and yoga to all things winter including snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, and winter biking. Collaborating partners including the Alfond Youth Center, Waterville Parks & Recreation, and many others made it possible to link families with local resources and opportunities to enjoy free and low cost activities that encourage life-long healthy habits. Inland’s 4th series will kick off on September 12 at Head of Falls with a LET’S GO! Celebration and Family Fun Walk at 1pm.
Inland Woods Trail
The Inland Woods and Pine Ridge Trails have been very busy this summer. Every day people of all ages, interests and abilities come and go at the trailhead located in the back corner of the employee parking lot – hikers, mountain bikers, families with young children, dog walkers and more. If you haven’t visited the miles of beautiful, easily accessible trails behind the hospital on Kennedy Memorial Drive yet or recently, be sure to plan a visit soon!
Inland’s Wicked Good Hospital Food Wins at The Taste
Once again, Inland’s wicked good hospital food is being recognized! Congratulations to the Food Service teams at Inland and Lakewood for creating another award winning menu for The Taste of Waterville event last week! Our Portabella Slider was honored as Best Sandwich. 10,000+ people crowded downtown Waterville on August 6 for the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce’s annual Taste event and many of them enjoyed our menu of Portabella, Lobster, Prime Rib Sliders; Bison Chili; and Blueberry Crisp.
If you missed the Portabella Slider at The Taste, you can look forward to tasting it in our cafeteria coming up on the menu after Labor Day!
Save the Date! Inland’s Fall Pops Concert is November 6, 2015
Join us for a fun-filled evening with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and special guest soprano, Suzanne Nance on Friday, November 6 at 7pm at the Waterville Opera House. Tickets go on sale September 1 on the Waterville Opera House website.
Thank you for your support of this wonderful event!
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Kennebec Behavioral Health
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Kennebec Messalonskee Trails, Inc.
P.O. Box 2388
Waterville, ME 04903
by Rick McCarthy:
Kennebec Messalonskee Trails (KMTrails) works to provide trails for hiking and biking throughout the Greater Waterville community. So far we have about 40 miles throughout the network. In 2015 we have had a very productive year, extending our system and significantly improving access, including the first true wheelchair access to our trails in Winslow.
Our chief accomplishment in 2015 has been the completion of a trail expansion linking the Winslow schools to Benton Station via the Rotary Centennial Trail. That trail, opened in 2004, follows along an abandoned rail bed and had ended where the old rail line crossed the Kennebec River. In 2013, Madison Paper gave 40 acres of riverside land to KMTrails, most of it located immediately south of the Rotary Trail. A link across land close to the hydro-electric dam benefited from Hydro Kennebec’s generosity when they constructed and now maintain a trail from the Madison Paper parcel to the Scale House Road. From there the trail continues to the Winslow Elementary School and the School trail network. The new trail crosses what used to be industrial land but is now more like a nature park, with a serpentine wetland, home to many redwing blackbirds, and view of an eagle’s nest. It will soon be designated as part of the East Coast Greenway, a national bikeway from Calais Maine to Key West Florida!
The Town of Winslow applied for and received a grant from the Maine Recreational Trail Program to construct an access road and a parking lot on the former Madison Paper parcel. Construction began last year and was completed this spring. The general public can now easily access the trail from Benton Avenue in Winslow. From the parking area, visitors can enjoy great views of the Kennebec River and walk, bike, ski, snowshoe...and use a wheelchair, on trails extending 1 1/2 miles both north and south.
We are thrilled by the success of this project and want to thank the community partners who made it possible, including Madison Paper, Hydro Kennebec, Steve Martin Construction, and the Town of Winslow.
by Peter Garrett:
Everyone is welcome on Kennebec Messalonskee Trails. There are now over 40 miles for you to enjoy in various parts of Waterville, Winslow, Benton, Fairfield, and Oakland. Some are riverside, some are hillside. More are in the planning stage. They are enjoyed by many people, those who live locally and visitors from away. You can get a map of where they all are located, and what you can expect from each one. For REM's nonprofit teams, you might want to consider a team walk and picnic, or perhaps a fundraising event.
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Kennebec Montessori School
by Rebecca Green:
A new school year (our 39th!) is just around the corner, so we are busy preparing to welcome approx. 90 children on September 1.
We have several new teachers, including Elizabeth Murphy-Hoffman, who will be our new Elementary teacher; and Tabitha Violette who will be the new Head Teacher in Primary 2.
Tabitha is taking over the classroom from Mary-Lou Ogden, who retired last year after 25 years at KMS.
Tami Cayer and Tonya Goucher will also be joining us as new assistant teachers.
In addition to our Special subjects (music, art, Spanish and fitness), we have a special visiting music instructor from Argentina, who will be sharing his music and culture with the children.
And....perhaps hottest of all.....for the first time in over a decade, we will have a fourth grade student, the first step in our plans to expand to 6th grade!
Our parents have formed a task force to help with the planning to make this dream a reality, and there is a lot of excitement in the community about offering a Montessori option for education in central Maine right through the Elementary years.
Rebecca Green
Head of School
Kennebec Montessori School
www.kennebecmontessori.org
207-453-6055
"Nurturing a love of learning for over 30 years"
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Kotlas Waterville Area Sister City Connection
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MaineGeneral
by Joy McKenna:
The Thayer Center for Health – renovated in October 2014 – is Maine’s largest, most-comprehensive outpatient center. The emergency department remains open 24/7 and is busy. More than 90 percent of the health care a person will need in his or her lifetime is done on an outpatient basis – services that are offered at the Thayer Center for Health in Waterville. We’ve had great feedback from patients about the ease of use and convenience of having so many services under one roof.
In July, MaineGeneral unveiled the Center for Prevention and Healthy Living, a resource to help people in the Kennebec Valley live healthier lives. We meet people in the community where they are most comfortable to provide education and tools to help them maintain and regain their health. The Center is an extension and expansion of current community resources: the Prevention Center and the Healthy Living Resource Center.
Speaking of expanding access to prevention, the Prevention Center received a $1.46 million grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase access to chronic disease prevention and management through clinical and community linkages and increase the number of people with access to tobacco-and smoke-free environments.
The Healthy Living Resource Center provides educational opportunities that support lifestyle changes that reduce and eliminate chronic health conditions and support healthy living and healing. The Center offers classes on healthy cooking and eating; provides opportunities for physical movement such as yoga classes; and offers classes to help those exploring other healthy living and healing resources such as meditation.
To learn more about the Center for Prevention and Healthy Living, call 872-4102.
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Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce
by Kimberly Lindlof:
At the Chamber, we’ve been busy this summer with our administration of the Central Maine Growth Council (in addition to all of the normal chamber activities that we do: Taste, Super Raffle, BAHs, Breakfasts, Leading Women’s Luncheons, etc.) What that means is that the Mid-Maine Chamber has contracted with the Central Maine Growth Council to provide staffing and oversight in its economic & workforce development efforts. To that end, we’ve hired an economic development specialist in Garvan Donegan, and Tanya Verzoni continues to provide membership outreach on a part-time basis. Patricia Michaud does bookkeeping for both organizations and I oversee both.
We’re also gearing up work with Marden’s to provide a book to every child that visits Santa this winter as part of our early childhood literacy efforts. (We also provided a book to every child who attended the children’s events at the Taste.)
Lastly, our board recently voted to extend our Joseph B. Ezhaya Scholarship from one $750 scholarship, to $750 each year of undergrad so we’re hoping that it will attract more applicants from area schools.
Kimberly N. Lindlof, IOM
President & CEO, Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director, Central Maine Growth Council
50 Elm St, Waterville, ME 04901
207.873.3315; cell: 207.649.6676
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Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter
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by Murray Campbell:
Murray Campbell, President, mfcambe@colby.edu 293-2921
http://www.namimaine.org/?page= NAMIMidMaine
Support Groups
Participants and Facilitators are required to be living or have lived the experience.
Facilitators are trained by NAMI
Confidential, Free, Walk In.
Family Support Groups for Families and friends of members living with mental health challenges.
Waterville: 1st Tuesday of Month 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
2nd and 4th Wednesdays 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Pleasant Street United Methodist Church Library
61 Pleasant St. Waterville
Murray Campbell 293-2921, Dave Dawson 314-4153
Skowhegan: Every Tuesday 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Maine Behavior Health Organization, second floor 30 Leavitt St.
Linnea 530-1732, June 215-0818.
Connection Recovery Support Group for Individuals living with mental health challenges.
Waterville: Every Tuesday of Month 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Pleasant Street United Methodist Church
Upstairs Choir Room (Elevator available)
61 Pleasant St. Waterville
Don 873-5358, Pam 634-2054
Classes
Students and Teachers are required to be living or have lived the experience.
Teachers are trained by NAMI
Confidential, Free, Please Register.
Waterville: Family-to-Family 12-week Class
SAMHSA Evidence Based Program and Free
Planned for Winter-Spring 2016
St Mark's Episcopal Church,
60 Eustis Parkway, Waterville, Maine
Please call to register:
Murray 293-2921, Dave 314-4153, Barbara 397-2007
Augusta: Family-to-Family 12-week Class
NAMI Capital Area
Monday, September 14 through Monday, November 30 2015
6:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
209 Eastern Ave, Augusta, Maine
Please call to register: Ann 582-2215, Jim 395-4669
Christine at the NAMI Maine office 622-5767 x2305
NAMI Maine Walk Awareness and Fundraiser
All Welcome!
Walk Date: September 27, 2015
Location: Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse at Southern Maine Community College Distance: 5K or less(just under 3 miles)
Check-In: 9:00AM
Walk Start Time: 11:00AM
Mid Maine Walk Team: The m&m’s
http://namimainewalk.kintera.org/mnms
Event Contact: Cheryl Ramsay walkmanager@namimaine.org
Networking
We want to get word out about the FULL range of NAMI Maine
programs to the Public, Schools, and all Service Providers:
Classes and Support Groups
Training for Crisis Intervention, Mental Health First Aid, and Suicide Prevention
Advocacy and Speakers
Respite Care for Parents of Special Needs Children
The NAMI Help Line
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New Ventures Maine
by Jean Dempster:
New Ventures Maine is the new name for Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community. We continue to offer free programs for career, business, and financial education. We chose a name that better reflects our all-inclusive mission - to help Maine people succeed in their jobs, businesses, and communities. While our organizational name has changed, our affiliation with the University of Maine at Augusta remains the same. Please visit us online at newventuresmaine.org or contact Jean Dempster at 621-3434 or dempster@maine.edu
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Our organization is the Peace Choir On Gaia. We exist because we believe that all the positive energy needed to create genuine peace and healing on earth will come from people intentionally generating it, and that the best way, the way with the highest probability of success, is through group singing.
So we have a mobile disc-jockey system with a light show and video; we hoist the video monitor up on the light trussing, and we run a live video feed of the crowd during the night dancing, and every so often run scripts of songs under the video of the crowd so they can sing-a-long and see themselves emoting joy and fun all the while.
We can envision a day when 85,000+ people sing together daily to create enough of a vibration of positive energy that the exponential effect equals the total population of our planet Earth, 7.2 billion people.
When people get together to sing, something that’s been occurring on Earth since time immemorial, our brains release neurotransmitters that foster bonding and trust, and our heart-beats and breathing become synchronized creating strong feelings of unity with our fellow humans. Music is truly universal, so it is the logical medium for traversing different cultures.
Currently we consist of a board of 3, me, my sister and Peace COG cofounder Melissa Bergeron currently living in Los Angeles, and my friend Joshua Couture who also lives in Waterville. We are an all-volunteer board, and when we’ve had events, a small handful so far, we subcontract out for help. The organization is registered at my apartment in Waterville.
The Peace Choir On Gaia exists because we believe that all the positive energy needed to create genuine peace and healing on earth will come from people intentionally generating it, and that the best way, the way with the highest probability of success, is through group singing. We will see the day when every hour of every day people will congregate to sing together and, like a consistent sonar blip beeping across a cosmic radar screen, we will collectively imprint the energy of our planet’s biosphere with the purest, most peaceful energy to purge out the negative vibes and replace them with healing and joy.
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REM
by Faye Nicholson:
The Center is now being managed by Waterville Creates! Downtown Waterville in it's entirety is being studied by a consortium of community leaders and The Center is right smack in the middle. It is a very exciting time for our service center but change often presents challenges for those riding the wave. REM's future in the building depends upon what community leaders decide to do with the building. No one group is more interested in dreams than REM, so we will support in any way possible whatever decisions are made.
At this point, we have given up the front lounge, the REM Board Room, and the front display window so that Waterville Creates! can more easily program their work. REM Partners will still have a free space for meetings...they will be in REM Forum instead of the Board Room. Partners who have items stored in the Board Room will be provided new spaces for storage and should contact REM to make arrangements.
REM's most exciting energy right now is focused on the "Imagine That!" campaign. We couldn't even begin to contemplate such an undertaking if it weren't for the construction of REMnet...REM's website at www.rem1.org. Our mission is to have 10,000 caring local community members connected via REMnet and linked to all of the REM Partners. In a time when people are retiring in record numbers and looking for ways to stay active and connected to their community, they will be able to easily connect on REMnet.
Also coming up this fall the REM Craft Fair to be held October 31 and November 1 at Champion's Fitness Club. Helping us promote this event would be very much appreciated! Your attendance even more so.
REM
Faye Nicholson and Jackie Dalton, Co-Executive Directors
93 Main Street, Ste. 3
Waterville, ME 04901
873-4444
www.rem1.org
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by Alice Sammon:
Ripple Effect Project has been working with the Korando Center in Kisumu Kenya since 2007. Our goal at the onset was to assist in projects that would foster self-sustainability. During our early years we were able to bring electricity to the center, expand their land both farm and school land, bring a deep water well and holding tank to name but a few of our projects.
Little did we understand about the unpredictability of working in a third world country. When we started they were facing severe food shortages due to extreme ongoing drought conditions. Just when we were able to assist with water needs we were faced with severe floods. So severe in fact the school blew down. We were then faced with assisting in building another temporary school structure (until the funds for a new school building could be gathered).
We have assisted and supported them through illness’ , death of the head master and inspections and threats of closure from the ministry of health. The obstacles put before the Center which houses 34 – 40 children and educates a total of 200 in the school are major, constant and continuous. They however remain of good courage, are strong, resilient and fearless with determination and hope of success.
One of our greatest successes has been in assisting of the expansion of their farm project. With our help they now have 11 acres. An irrigation system has been installed; plow equipment and animals for plowing are maintained. They are currently harvesting the largest crop they have ever had. This will be a source of food as well as a source of income when they sell the excess of what they need.
This past year brought a big jolt to the Center with the unexpected passing of the head master. A bit of re-organizing of staff and school was not interrupted. At about the same time the Ministry of Health inspected the Center and presented them with a 10 point list of improvements needed to keep the Center open. Ripple is happy to say that through the generous efforts of our small group of committed supports we are coming to the end of the list. We and the Korando Center have completed a new animal pen, built a new dining facility, and constructed a new and much improved septic system. A new boy’s dormitory space is currently under construction and should be completed by the end of the month.
In the year to come we are hopeful to be able to host the Center’s director Dolfine. Dolfine came as a guest to Colby back in 2006 that is how we met. This time Ripple is hopeful to be her sponsor. Our goal is to expand our donor base and continue fund raising for that new school building.
Ripple Effect Project is a 501c3 and 100% of donations, after very minimal operating expenses, go directly to projects at the center.
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St. Mark's Episcopal Church
by John Balicki:
The local faith institutions continue to get many requests for financial assistance in the community. These are folks who don’t qualify for general assistance but are experiencing temporary financial hardship (rent, oil, electricity, etc.).
We are beginning to explore the need in the community for an “essentials pantry” – finding a way to provide items to folks which are not covered by food stamps (diapers, toiletries, laundry detergent, trash bags, etc.)
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Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition
by Linda Woods:
Solarize Mid Maine Project:
Sustain Mid Maine Coalition is going to sponsor and manage a Solarize Mid Maine project with the aim of reducing the cost of solar voltaic systems for residential and small businesses by arranging a bulk purchase agreement with one or two suppliers. This project is similar in nature to the successful Solarize Freeport project except we will incorporate a much larger area including Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Vassalboro, Benton, Clinton, Oakland, Unity and Belgrade but not necessarily limited to these towns. In order for SMMC to issue a Request for Proposal, we need to know how many residents are interested. We may also include heat pumps as part of this offering. The 30% Federal Tax Credit expires in 2016, so time is of the essence. There is no commitment at this time and there will be educational meetings over the next few months allowing interested homeowners and businesses to get a better idea of the typical financial outlay for a solar photovoltaic system. If interested, please email John Reuthe at jreuthe@waterville-me.gov
WindowDresser window inserts:
It is that time of year to start thinking about winter and your old drafty windows. Again this year SMMC will be sponsoring window insert program. Check them out at www.windowdressers.org SMMC has committed to building 1000 inserts this fall in our community builds, and we need to start measuring windows. Interested in purchasing inserts or helping us measure homes, please contact Mike Pomerleau at 923-3855 michael.pomerleau@gmail.com
The Education and Community Outreach Team will be hosting a series called Energy Smart.
The first presentation Solarize Mid Maine is tentatively scheduled for September 16 from 6:30-8:00 in Room 141 of the Diamond Building at Colby College. Other programs to follow tentatively include Heat pumps & Other Heating Options—October 21; Insulation—November18; and How to Purchase Energy & Reading Smart Meters—January 20.
We have added a Permaculture Team that is using this mission statement: "To establish a permaculture group for the Waterville area to provide a local resource for people ready to engage in the principles and practices of permaculture.”
Linda Woods
Coordinator,
Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition
P: 207-680-4208
Check us out at: http://www.waterville-me.gov/departments/smmc
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Waterville Creates!
by Dick Dyer:
Waterville Creates! will help steward and guide Waterville’s past and future investments in arts, culture, and creative economy development into a vibrant, sustainable, and authentic local economy as we celebrate, weave, and deepen the relationships that create a wealth of arts and culture in the community.
Slogan: Converge, Connect, Create
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Waterville Food Bank
We have completed the fund raising for our new van. It will be decorated with the logos of many of our donors soon. Until it gets its logos it sports a custom license plate "NOHNGR".
Waterville now has food pantries at Educare, the Mitchell School, the Hall School and Waterville Junior High School.
We are able to periodically share our excess food with:
the above schools,
The Evening Sandwich Program
Spectrum Generations Muskie Center
Maine Children's Home
Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter
Alfond Youth Center
We are serving more clients each year. Unfortunately there is a considerable amount of hunger in Waterville. Last year people walked through our door for food 3,266 times. This helped alleviate hunger 7,476 times.
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Youth Matter!
by Sarah Johnson:
Youth Matter! is coming to the end of its 10 year federal grant, which means we are changing gears and shifting focus. Much of our focus has been drug and alcohol prevention, and while this is still important to us, we are going to be focusing on positive youth development for all young people in our area, with an emphasis on young people in high risk populations. We are currently looking at applications for mini-grants which we will be giving to groups in the area who are youth based and lead that seek to improve the health and environment of our community and our state. These mini-grants will be the last big effort of Youth Mattter! as it was before we shift our focus.