Dear Friends,
February has certainly been one to remember, particularly in terms of weather. From the spring-like sunshine, to snow squalls, to skating rinks turning into puddles and back again, it has been hard to remember what month we are in. As someone who loves the seasons of Maine, I cannot decide if I relish these winter glimpses of warmth or dread them as they melt the serene snow. I do know that I love the days getting longer and all the extra minutes of light and sunshine that brings.
Here at MaineShare, we have been spending our days integrating with Maine Initiatives and enjoying strategic discussions about the future as well as getting to know the rest of the amazing team. I have truly enjoyed the MaineShare member meetings I have had so far, getting to know more about all the amazing work member groups do in Maine, and thinking about ways to increase engagement both among member groups and with the greater community.
I am also excited to share that last month, we distributed $130,589 to our member organizations! This money raised is evidence that our community wants to invest in sustainable social change for a better Maine, that they believe in what our member groups do, and that the community sees the incredible impact of the work done by our member organizations. Thank you to all of the supporters who make this funding possible. And thank you to our member groups, many of whom have exciting updates shared below.
With optimism and gratitude,
Amanda
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Amanda Langley (she/her/hers), Director of the MaineShare Program
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Member Updates and Upcoming Events Worth Your Time |
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Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault publishes their updated Help in Healing advocate training manual
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MECASA is proud to announce the publishing of their updated Help in Healing advocate training manual. This manual serves as one of the key teaching tools for the required training of all staff and volunteers working with survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones in Maine. The update was informed by the statewide Advocate Training workgroup, and grounded in a nationally recognized curriculum. A year of focused work has produced a resource which holds the philosophy, history, and practice of sexual violence advocacy.
Advocate training is offered at each local sexual assault support center on a regular basis. If you are interested in becoming an advocate or learning more, please reach out to Maureen at maureen@mecasa.org.
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New Ventures Maine is Connecting Women to Construction Careers |
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Registration is open for free, 90-minute virtual sessions designed for women to explore high-wage careers within the construction trades. This is a new opportunity to learn about low-cost or no-cost training programs and job opportunities in a variety of in-demand construction careers in Maine. Those who identify as women, gender-expansive, gender-nonconforming, or non-binary are welcome and encouraged to join.
“Our experience is that women do not often consider careers in the trades because they haven’t seen female role models working in these areas,” said Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau, New Ventures Maine Workforce Development Manager. “We want to provide current information to women not only about training, education, and earn-while-you-learn opportunities, but also good-paying trade jobs with benefits that currently exist in our state.”
Connecting Women to Construction Careers will be offered on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 online; participants can choose a daytime or evening session. For more details and to sign up, see here, check out the full NVME class list, or call toll-free 800-442-2092.
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New Genesis Fund Loan Product Opens Doors for Muslim Borrowers |
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When Yassin Moussa arrived in Maine in 2008 as a refugee from Djibouti, he knew that he wanted to start his own business. New Mainers like Yassin often find themselves in difficult living situations due to a shortage of quality affordable housing. So, although Yassin was trained as an accountant, his entrepreneurial spirit led him in a different direction: to becoming a rental property owner serving new Mainers like himself.
However, Yassin soon found that he wouldn’t be able to turn to a traditional lender for a small business loan. That’s because many Muslim borrowers, like Yassin, are prohibited by their faith practice from paying or receiving interest – and most lenders won’t offer non-interest-based lending models to accommodate aspiring Muslim entrepreneurs like him.
To help Yassin and other Muslim borrowers, the Genesis Fund is one of a few Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to develop a lending product with a fee-based loan structure to accommodate this prohibition on paying interest. With this model, the Genesis Fund has now provided loan capital to Yassin for three properties, which provide rental housing and space for childcare providers serving the immigrant community in Lewiston. Read here for more information.
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Defend Our Health targets beverage brand in Toxic-Free Food campaign |
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The Toxic-Free Food Campaign tested hundreds of glass-bottled beverages and found that most tested brands were capped with toxic chemicals, ortho-phthalates, or made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These bottle caps may threaten human health and the environment and worsen environmental injustice. After brands were briefed on their results, many showed dramatic market leadership toward environmentally healthier and sustainable packaging.
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Maine Animal Coalition testifies against LD 1916 |
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Recently, the Maine Animal Coalition testified against LD 1916, An Act to Create a Legal Defense Fund for the Maine Lobster Industry. MAC is in support of the efforts of the federal government to protect the estimated 336 remaining North Atlantic Right Whales. The Gulf of Maine provides an important habitat for this near extinct species, and entanglement in commercial fishing gear is a leading cause of their death. Maine's lobster industry is responsible for half a million vertical lines in the water. |
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The Bicycle Coalition of Maine announces BikeMaine Weekend and the Great Maine Bike Swap |
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The Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s BikeMaine Weekend returns from Aug. 26-28 in Lincoln! If that’s not exciting enough, the Great Maine Bike Swap is coming back with TWO locations in 2022: Lewiston on Sunday, April 24 & Gorham on Sunday, June 12! Rider and seller registration is currently open for both events; register via bikemaine.org.
Volunteers are also needed for all events. If you are interested in helping the BCM make Maine better for biking, sign up at bikemaine.org/events/volunteer!
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Maine Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association partner to administer the PFAS Emergency Relief Fund |
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Two of our member organizations, MFT and MOFGA, have partnered to administer a PFAS emergency relief fund to support farms dealing with potential PFAS contamination. The fund is meant to provide short-term income replacement for farms affected, to help pay for initial PFAS testing at farms, and to support access to mental health services for impacted farmers. Supporting Indigenous growers is a priority for the fund. For more information, please see this link.
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WERU invites ideas and listeners for new series, “Maine: The Way Life Could Be” |
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As folks enter Maine on Interstate 95, they see a sign that says “Maine: The Way Life Should Be.” As we look forward in this fast-changing world, many wonder what our common future holds here in Maine. That’s a big question, one which WERU will explore in a series entitled Maine: The Way Life Could Be.
WERU wants your input– what issues or opportunities do you think are critical to the future of Maine? WERU invites you to add your voice and ideas by recording a brief message here. You can also email your ideas to us.
Be sure to tune in to this series on WERU the first Tuesday of the month, February through July, at 4-5 pm, or subscribe to our podcast. Thanks for listening!
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Maine Resource Recovery Association annual backyard composting supply sale |
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The Maine Resource Recovery Association has begun its annual sale of backyard compost supplies. Please download this packet for more information and order forms!
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Maine Citizens for Clean Elections provides resources to support clean elections |
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As 2022 elections near, it’s important that candidates listen to their constituents, not big spenders and corporate donors. You can encourage your candidates to run a clean campaign. First, visit the Maine Ethic's Commission website to see who's currently running for office in your district. Once you know who's running, click on the candidates to explore their profiles. You can discover their financial type and whether or not they're running clean through the Maine Clean Elections Act (MCEA) or "traditionally" — not clean. For those not running through MCEA, urge them to do so. More information can be found here.
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Upcoming Events with Sierra Club Maine |
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Hardy G*rls Healthy Wom*n restarts in-person programming |
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Hardy G*rls Healthy Wom*n is thrilled to restart in-person programming this spring with the return of the G*rls Rock! Conferences, to be held 04/13/22 in Portland and 04/14/22 in Waterville. Conferences are open to self-identified girls and nonbinary youth grades 4-8, and registration opens March 1st. Keep an eye on the website for more info! Additionally, virtual programming continues with an upcoming Ruckus Roundtable on Data and Representation on March 15, open to all!
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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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