CCC Wednesday Communique — April 5, 2023

CCC Wishes you a kosher and joyous Pesach this evening!

Happy Wednesday!

New this week:

Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention at UMaine Machias

April is sexual assault awareness & prevention month.  UMaine at Machias in partnership with AMHC’s Sexual Assault Services and NextStep Domestic Violence Project are holding events to raise awareness and prevention about sexual assault:
  • The Clothesline Project will be displayed in Merrill Library during April (Sexual Violence Awareness Month) and October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month).  This is a visual display that bears witness to people who have experienced sexual and relationship violence. During the public display, a clothesline is hung with shirts. Each shirt is decorated to represent a particular person’s experience, by the survivor or someone who cares about them.
  • Take Back the Night Rally/March on April 20th will begin at 6:30 p.m. in room 102 of the Science Building. This worldwide event is an effort to end sexual violence, support survivors and remember those who have died as a result of sexual violence. The event involves educating attendees about the history of Take Back the Night, sexual assault statistics and support services available for those who have been sexually assaulted. The speak-out portion of the rally offers survivors of violence the opportunity to give voice to their experiences. The march helps raise awareness in communities through the use of signs, t-shirts, chanting and other means of communication. The candlelight vigil is to remember those who have lost their lives to sexual violence.  The march will follow the rally leaving from the Science Building, proceeding to the Machias Chamber of Commerce (across from Helen’s Restaurant) and conclude with a candlelight vigil at the Bad Little Falls park.

These events are open to the public. For more information about these events or to request reasonable accommodation, call 207-255-1343.


4-H SPIN Vernal Pool Club

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H and Downeast Coastal Conservancy will offer a short-term, in-person 4-H club about vernal pools. Intended for youth in grades 4, 5 and 6, the special interest, or SPIN, club will meet from 2:30-4:00 p.m. on Mondays from April 24 – May 22.  The club will meet at the Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 2 Kilton Lane in Machias and Middle River Park. This club will focus on exploring vernal pools ecosystems, making observations, and learning about how species rely on vernal pools.  The club is free; registration is required. There is a maximum of fifteen participants.  Register and find more information on the program webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207-255-3345; gabrielle.brodek@maine.edu.


Messaging Matters

The Tri-State Collaborative on Aging is hosting a webinar on “Messaging Matters: Age-positive Data, Images & Storytelling,” on Tuesday, May 23rd from 12 Noon — 1:30 pm.  Join us for this virtual program exploring and sharing resources to help us shift the way we leverage data, images and stories to embed age-positivity into how we communicate about our work with and for older adults.  Register here.


Food Resource Guide for Washington County

Healthy Acadia has published an updated food resource guide for Washington County.  Download a copy to share.


Job & Resource Fair: Recovery & Reentry Friendly

The Machias CareerCenter, 53 Prescott Drive, Machias, is holding a job and resource fair on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, from 10 am – 1 pm.  Open to all job seekers, come and meet with Recovery & Reentry Friendly employers and resource providers.  Job Fair WebpageFacebook EventLinkedIn Event.  Contact: Machias.CareerCenter@maine.gov.  Download a flyer to share.


PTLA Seeking Attorney in Machias 

Pine Tree Legal Assistance is seeking a self-directed and motivated poverty law attorney to join the PTLA Machias team. This is an exciting opportunity to have an immediate and profound impact on civil legal needs in rural Maine, including for Maine’s indigenous peoples. Based out of our Machias office, this position serves the whole of the Hancock and Washington Counties, as well as the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy communities. The attorney will be expected to maintain office hours at least two days a week. See full job description and application instructions.


FFCC is Hiring

Family First Community Center in Ellsworth is hiring a contracted clinician to work with us a couple hours per week. We are also hiring a full-time case manager. Please email Shaina at shainafraserffcc@gmail.com, or give her a call at 207-271-1647 for more information!


Community Health Workers Study — Invitation

See Lois-Ann Kuntz’ invitation to Community Health Workers in the Updates Section of this Newsletter, below.


Downeast Exploration Fund
Starting on April 1, young adults living in Washington and Hancock counties, and on Maine’s outer islands, can apply for the Downeast Exploration Fund through Maine Seacoast Mission. The fund, started by Gigi Georges, author of Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America, and her husband, Jeff Oxman, provides scholarships for students to explore their own passions and pursue experiences not otherwise available to them. The first fund awardees, who received scholarships last year, went to immersive summer camps, developed their artistic skills, took piano lessons, and more.  Any student in grades 6 through 12, including rising 6th graders and just-graduated seniors, within the Mission’s service areas may apply for an award. The Downeast Exploration Fund provides up to $1,500 for awardees’ participation in camps…learn more here.

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