Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
The fishing club at University of Maine Machias is holding their first ice fishing derby at Indian Lake in Whiting on February 26th. All proceeds go to the Homes for Our Troops organization. See flyer for details.
Join the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging for a listening session with Healthy-Aging Communities: Insights for the Year Ahead, Tuesday, January 24th, from 12 – 1:30 pm on Zoom. Many of us are continuing to grapple with the lasting impacts of COVID on our organizations, our communities, and how we connect with each other and provide the programs and services we need to thrive as we grow older. To kick off the New Year, we’re connecting with folks at the heart of community-based healthy aging initiatives to hear where they are in adapting to a “new normal”, what goals and challenges they’re holding for the year ahead, and how they’ve measured and demonstrated impact over the last couple of years. Join us for this important conversation as we come together to share learnings, hope for the future, and insights into solutions for our strongest collective impact.
The Alzheimer’s Association invites you to their New England Family Conference, February 3-4, 2023. This is a free virtual educational conference for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their families. General public welcome. Experts in the field of care and support will share practical and concrete recommendations, resources, and guidance in the care and support for those living a life with dementia. More information and registration here.
- CAD I – Jan 31st to March 8th, Tues 4-6 pm;
- CAD II – April 4th to May 30th, Tues 4-6 pm;
- Digital Literacy Computer Support Specialist – March 14 to April 6th, Tues & Thurs 6-7:30 pm
- IC3 Computer Support Specialist – April 25th to June 2nd, Tues & Thurs 6-7:30 pm
Weatherization Apprenticeship
Downeast Community Partners is currently searching for nine candidates for our Weatherization Apprenticeship. This program is approved for credit through WCCC. (see Application, brief explanation of the program, and flyer). We’re only accepting nine people for this paid apprenticeship opportunity that will start on March 6th. Please feel free to contact us with any questions (207-664-2424).
The Maine Community Foundation is hiring two interns to work between 15-20 hours per week until the middle of May (end date likely May 19th). The pay will be $20/hour. These interns will be tasked with hosting scholarship application workshops at various points throughout the state, and helping potential applicants access the application process, help students understand eligibility, and assist students to gather the application materials needed. We anticipate hiring an intern in the southern/western part of the state, and one for the northern/eastern part of the state. This position will be fully remote and will involve some travel. MaineCF will pay for all travel expenses, including car rental (or travel reimbursement at the standard IRS rate if preferred), meals, and hotel (if needed). We are committed to making sure that our scholarships are accessible to all students who wish to attend post-secondary school, certification courses, camps, and licensures, and are hoping that interns will help to make that possible across the state. Please share this information with everyone you can – have any interested individuals submit a resume and brief cover letter to Jackie Shannon, Scholarship Coordinator, at: internships@mainecf.org We are accepting resumes immediately and are hoping to have someone hired by the middle of January – so quick turnaround!
The newly-opened temporary Warming Center at Healthy Acadia’s INSPIRE Center in Ellsworth (24 Church Street) is providing safety and security to our community members, facilitated by the amazing support of local and state partnerships and dedicated HA Warming Center staff. Over the past few weeks, our team identified a significant need to provide the same safe space for folks during the daytime on Saturdays and Sundays. After careful evaluation, we have determined that we can offer this service during the extreme weather of the winter months of January and February. Effective January 14 – February 26, 2023, the Warming Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to our regular 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. hours offered each night, seven days a week. For questions or additional information please email warmingcenter@healthyacadia.org.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published a New Resource: January 17, 2023: “Expanding Access to and Use of Behavioral Health Services for People At Risk for or Experiencing Homelessness.” This guide highlights strategies for behavioral health and housing providers to conduct outreach and engage with individuals experiencing homelessness, initiate use of behavioral health treatment as they wait to receive stable housing and retain them in their recovery efforts once housed. View the guide here.
As of 2020, 19% of adults in the United States were providing “unpaid care to an adult with health or functional needs”—parents, spouses or other, often elderly, family members. That number does not include those who provide care to a child with severe special needs; the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP found that 53 million were caring for a child or adult in an unpaid setting. (From: Forbes | Published: January 9, 2023) Read article.