Dear Friends,

This time of year is often marked as “the season of giving”.  At a conference I recently attended, the presenter said, “It is a gift to give,” and the quote has been resonating with me.  I do love to give gifts, and it is one of my favorite things about this season, but the message is about more than that.  Giving is not just about material items, and not just about money, although of course that can be important, especially to organizations working hard to better our communities. Giving your time is also very impactful– to a local nonprofit, to your neighbor who lives alone and would love the company, to your local City Council meeting. Giving your listening ear to someone going through a hard time is meaningful. And just giving a kind smile to a stranger could make a hard day even a little brighter.  I have one request to ask you all to give as we start the New Year– tell someone new about MaineShare. Share the transformative work that our members do, and how MaineShare supports this work. It would be so appreciated.

Wrapping up 2022, we are so grateful for a wonderful year here at MaineShare.  Being a part of Maine Initiatives has been an amazing way to grow our community, capacity, and impact.  Our 38 member groups continue their positive impact in the state (read more below!). We have had Workplace Giving campaigns with 50 partner workplaces in 2022, with a few more holding campaigns in early 2023. We have had donations to support our work from over 90 individual donors.  For all this, and more, we say THANK YOU to our MaineShare community.  Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!

Gratefully,

Support the MaineShare annual appeal here!!

New Exhibits with the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine

At the Holocaust and Human Rights Center’s Michael Klahr Center in Augusta, a new exhibit brings three mediums together to express artists’ responses to the Ukrainian war. André Benoit has created beautiful and startling sculptures out of wooden objects he discovers. A second Maine-based artist, Leisa Sochor, paints designs on eggs, a cherished tradition in Ukraine during Easter holidays. Her intricate patterns and bright colors will arrive in February to be a part of the Artist Response to Ukraine exhibit. Photographs from everyday Ukrainians, solicited by MJM Curator of Photography Nanci Kahnat, capture ordinary citizens in their cities, towns, and villages. Learn more here!

January will also bring the Generational Layers Exhibit by Paula Gerstenblatt to the Michael Klahr Center. This exhibit uses layers of photographs, paint, and handwritten text to explore the layers of nationality, race, and religion that comprise the artist’s family history. Learn more about Paula and her work here!

Image is by André Benoit.

Learn more about Beekeeping with Viles Arboretum!

Thinking of getting into beekeeping but unsure what it involves? Viles Arboretum is pleased to present a short introductory class that will give you the basics of what’s required to set up and keep bees. This workshop will occur on January 21st 9:00am-1:00pm. This is the perfect opportunity for anyone looking to start a hobby hive, or simply to learn more about the fascinating process of beekeeping!

Register today at this link!

Learn About Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging from NRCM!

Wondering what Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (EPR) is and how it works? Watch our new video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N21izp8Tw70 to learn how Maine's first-in-the-nation EPR for Packaging law will save taxpayer money and hold big corporations accountable for the wasteful packaging they create. You can learn more at https://www.nrcm.org/programs/sustainability/epr-for-packaging/.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Observance with Maine Council of Churches

On April 16, 1963, from his cell in a Birmingham City Jail, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned a public letter addressed to several of Alabama's leading white religious leaders, who had openly questioned the pace and the confrontational nature of civil

rights demonstrations. This "Letter from Birmingham Jail" has been called "the most important written document of the civil rights era." In it, Dr. King argued that racial violence and oppression demanded a more urgent response— that lukewarm words of support were inadequate, that only nonviolent direct action would result in real progress toward change.

Because the work of racial justice is far from finished, and because Rev. Dr. King's challenge to religious communities and leaders is as relevant today as it was 57 years ago, we will come together on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2023 for a public, online reading of the Letter. 

Co-hosted by the Maine Council of Churches and The BTS Center, and sponsored by

The United Methodist Foundation of New England's Justice In Our Time Fund, this

online event will include readers from Maine’s faith and social justice communities,

contemplative music, and space for reflection. Registration will open January 2 at this link.

Job Opening with Friends of Casco Bay!

Friends of Casco Bay is searching for a Community Organizer and Volunteer Coordinator!

It takes a community to take care of the Bay. That’s the core idea behind the Community Organizer and Volunteer Coordinator position. This team member’s core responsibilities include: 

• working with volunteer Water Reporters to track changing conditions on Casco Bay;
• organizing community members to support policies and actions that will improve the health of the Bay;
• engaging Friends of Casco Bay members and supporters in our events and stewardship efforts;
• helping to implement our organization’s actions relative to environmental justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Priority will be given to applicants who apply by January 6, 2023. Please read the full job description and application instructions for more information!

Join Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association for their Annual Meeting!

MOFGA invites the community to join its annual meeting on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 7 p.m. held online via Zoom. At the annual meeting, you’ll hear reports from board members and MOFGA’s executive director, Sarah Alexander, on the organization's impact during 2022 and plans for 2023. Join us to connect with MOFGA staff, board and members and get energized for the year ahead! Register here.

Updates from Maine Veterans for Peace

Maine Veterans For Peace has been active throughout the month of November -- petitioning folks to reclaim Armistice Day on November 11th; working with the artist Rob Shetterly as he continues to promote world peace in our public schools; and continuing local vigils throughout the state to advance the cause of peace. They have also been working with state legislators to name a South Portland highway the Samantha Smith Way, and supporting a food table set up by a member in Portland to serve the unhoused. Learn more about their work and how to support here!

 Support the MaineShare annual appeal here!