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Dear Friends,
This month, we were thrilled to come together in person with our groups to reflect, share, and celebrate. We joined together at Maple Hill Farm over lunch and talked about our successes, curiosities, and visions for the future. It was such a pleasure to have this time with our MaineShare community, to catch up and look forward. Below are reflections shared by our groups during our gathering.
Here are some things our groups shared that they are proud of in the last year:
- Building and growing partnerships with organizations to align our efforts to help the underserved to achieve economic security
- Great strides in providing programming to all identities, ages, races, genders
- Reviving relationships with prior funders; developing new funding partners in collaborative projects
- Housing homeless asylum seekers
- Expanding capacity, learning new skills
Here are things our groups value about MaineShare:
- Connecting with other people doing mission-based work
- Expanding our ability to obtain unrestricted funds in an easy, participatory way
- Sharing ideas, particularly around funding and communications
- The collaborative nature of MaineShare
- The network, learning opportunities, and community support
Please see great photos from the event below, read on to learn more about recent news and events from our groups, and visit our recent Member Spotlight on the fantastic work going on at Maine Resource Recovery Association! And if you want to support all this great work, consider a donation today!
Photo credits: Aimee Grindon, Polychrome Collective
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Amanda Langley (she/her/hers), Director of the MaineShare Program
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Exciting Member Updates and Events! | |
It’s time to enjoy the bounty of summer with Maine Farmland Trust’s Summer Farm Activities Map! This year Maine Farmland Trust will once again be sharing a free resource to help visitors connect with local farms. Our map will lead you to some of our favorite summer experiences that celebrate the abundance of the Maine farming community. View the map here! | |
Maine’s sexual assault support centers are looking for Helpline Volunteers! | |
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Volunteer Helpline advocates are a crucial part of Maine’s response to sexual violence. When a survivor has experienced sexual violence and wants support in deciding what to do next, advocates are there, answering calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Having enough volunteers to make sure that there is always an advocate available is so important.
Do you or someone you know want to give back to their community and help support survivors? If so, please reach out to us at info@mecasa.org. If you are curious but would like more information, email us at that address and we can answer your questions and get you connected to your local center.
Advocates provide resources and support, so that survivors can begin to heal. Be an advocate today!
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Save the Date: Policy Insights Talk with Chris Smalls of the Amazon Labor Union! | |
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The inaugural MECEP Policy Insights Talk will feature a conversation with Chris Smalls, the founder and president of the Amazon Labor Union, an independent, democratic, worker-led labor union at Amazon in Staten Island and the founder of The Congress of Essential Workers, a nationwide collective of essential workers and allies fighting for better working conditions, better wages, and a better world.
What: A conversation with Chris Smalls — part of MECEP’s ongoing Policy Insights events offering year-round opportunities to learn about economic justice
When: Wednesday, September 20, 2023, evening
Where: Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine, Portland
Registration details and more info coming soon!
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We are excited to share Sierra Club Maine's 2022 impact report!
Sierra Club Maine's goal as an organization isn’t to work with a few experts to protect the environment because that’s not how we will solve the climate crisis. Our goal is to empower everyday Mainers to protect the place we lovingly call home. And, at Sierra Club Maine, we know that everyone has a role no matter their experience, knowledge, or skills.
In this year’s impact report, we invite you to read the inspiring stories of just some of your neighbors who show up for Maine’s environment. Everyone is needed to solve the climate crisis—including you. We hope these stories will inspire you to join us. If you'd like to learn more or get involved, please email us at maine.chapter@sierraclub.org, or visit our website: sierraclub.org/maine.
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For four decades, Maine Audubon has been engaging volunteers across Maine in conservation efforts to help Common Loons. One of the most popular components of this is the Annual Loon Count, scheduled this year for Saturday, July 15, from 7 to 7:30 am.
This event has engaged hundreds of volunteers every year since 1983. On the third Saturday of July, participants head out in canoes, kayaks, and pontoon boats, or observe from the shore, to tally the Common Loons they see. Last year, more than 1600 volunteers of all ages counted loons on 361 lakes, the largest number of lakes surveyed since Maine Audubon’s Loon Count began.
This year is the 40th year of the count! There’s always the need for more counters, especially in the northern part of the state and no experience is necessary, just an enthusiasm for Maine lakes and loons. For more information about the 40th annual count or the Maine Loon Project, or to volunteer, contact conserve@maineaudubon.org or visit maineaudubon.org/loons.
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Maine Veterans For Peace Honors Samantha Smith | |
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On Monday, June 5th, the Maine chapter of Veterans For Peace honored the life and
legacy of the late Samantha Smith in South Portland. Over a year in the making, the event featured speakers, poets, politicians and entertainment, and culminated with a road dedication ceremony officially naming a nearby road the Samantha Smith Way.
The audience was treated to speakers featuring VFP members, South Portland Mayor Kate Lewis, and State Senator Anne Carney. Maine VFP can be proud of a successful event that raised awareness about a young woman who died at age 13, but truly made a difference with her pleas for peace between the United States and Russia that still ring true today. Learn more about VFP here!
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New Hidden Hazards Report | |
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In a newly released report from Defend Our Health titled, Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of Plastic Bottle, the organization reveals the potential threats PET bottles made from oil and gas can pose to human health, environmental justice, and the climate. These threats are perpetuated by the chemical manufacturing and plastics production processes that turn crude oil and fossil gas into plastic bottles. The report finds that, all along its chemical supply chain, PET plastic may pollute our air, water, and food with cancer-causing chemicals. Read the full report here.
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Disability Pride and Important New Report | |
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Disability Pride is back for it's 5th year! We cannot wait to gather and celebrate disability, together.
- When: Friday, July 21st from 11am-3pm
- Where: The Pavilion at Mill Park, Water Street, Augusta
- What: Lawn games, music, speakers, food trucks!!, and information tables from partners across Maine.
Keep up with the latest Disability Pride news by following our Facebook event page or by visiting our website.
On June 20th, Disability Rights Maine (DRM) released a report entitled “I Don’t Get the Care I Need”: Equitable Access to Health Care for Mainers with Disabilities. This report follows a first of its kind assessment in Maine to obtain data about access to health care directly from people with disabilities. Read the complete press release and report on the DRM website.
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Legislative efforts with Maine Animal Coalition | |
Since the beginning of 2023, Maine Animal Coalition has closely followed the Maine Legislature. In fact, they tracked over 60 animal related bills through the legislative process, and were pleased that many of the bills that were opposed did not pass. For example, the Legislature did not pass several bills to end the ban on Sunday hunting and two bills that would have required Maine’s public schools and universities to teach courses in support of hunting. Learn more here! | |
We Are Water: Friends of Casco Bay Members Annual Meeting | |
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Join us at the Friends of Casco Bay annual meeting!
When: Wednesday, August 2, 2023, 5:00-7:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Spring Point Field, Southern Maine Community College, 50 Lighthouse Circle, South Portland, Maine
Friends of Casco Bay invites you to celebrate the Bay we all love! Join us for delicious hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and the company of Friends who, like you, care about clean water. At the event we will:
- Hear a special update on the health of the Bay from Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca
- Announce the winners of the Casco Bay photo contest
- Celebrate clean water heroes for Casco Bay
Bring a friend! Let's connect! Learn more here!
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This is just a small sampling of the critical work MaineShare members do to build a better Maine. Please join us in supporting and learning from the great work of ALL our member groups.
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