Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
Riding the Wave of Change
Hiking for Health Series
University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) will offer a FREE, 5-week nutrition education program to parents and guardians with children in the household, and young adults. Classes will occur at various hiking locations in the Whitneyville and Machias areas. It will be held on July 30, August 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 9 am to 10:15 am. The Hiking for Health program includes five classes teaching physical activity, nutrition, and positive habits while enjoying the outdoors. Classes involve hikes, nutrition discussions, and preparing a healthy no-cook meal. The first four classes will consist of a 30-45 minute walk/hike. During the hike, we will have a conversation about different aspects of nutrition. In the last class, we will make a healthy mini meal to enjoy and share. The program will also provide free cooking tools and a cookbook to participants who complete all five classes. Registration is required. Participants should bring the following items to class: water, snacks, and appropriate hiking clothes (no open-toed shoes). This is a family-friendly class, kids are welcome to join us! To request reasonable accommodation, contact Vanessa Young, vanessa.young@gmail.com, 207-255-3345. This EFNEP class series is intended for residents of Washington. For more information about classes in your area visit the EFNEP class request webpage or email EFNEP extension.efnep@maine.edu.
Reserve Your Seat at the Sunbeam Award Gala
Join Maine Seacoast Mission to honor the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation and Island Institute on Thursday, August 15, at the Sunbeam Award Gala. This year’s awardees were chosen for their commitment to strengthening both island and Downeast communities through their longtime partnership with the Mission. “In a year where we are celebrating and deepening our partnerships, we are thrilled to honor two organizations who have been dedicated…” Read more. Reserve your seat.
New Canoe and Kayak Workshops for Adults & Older Teens
This summer, Cobscook Institute and Cobscook Shores are teaming up to offer three canoe and kayak skills classes. Both organizations have a strong commitment and proven track record in providing outdoor skills programming for local youth. Spencer McCormick, Program Manager at Cobscook Shores, and Kara McCrimmon, Director of Cobscook Experiential Programs, are both registered Maine guides, Wilderness First Responders, and certified instructors with the American Canoe Association. And, they both have a passion for being on the water and helping people build the skills and competencies needed to safely enjoy watersports. They’re excited to team up to offer these programs. On July 19th, they will host a full-day workshop focused on safety for both canoes and kayaks. Topics covered include gear considerations, emergency planning, understanding wind and weather, and rescue techniques for both types of watercraft. July 26th they’ll host an Introduction to Canoeing course, and on August 9th they’ll offer Introduction to Kayaking. Click the links to learn more and register.
Venturing Forth — Business Planning Course
Venturing Forth is a free, online comprehensive business planning class starting Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Designed for new entrepreneurs or existing business owners, Venturing Forth helps participants create a written business plan from start to finish with feedback from facilitators and fellow entrepreneurs. Individuals complete an online application and attend an orientation and individual interview to participate in the class. The application is accessible online and is due by Noon on Tuesday, August 27. Class size is limited to 15. Anyone with a business idea or current business is welcome to apply. Upon approval of a completed business plan, the class also qualifies for three pass/fail credits from the University of Maine at Augusta. To request or complete an application, register for the orientation, or learn more, contact Alicia LaFosse at 207-621-7457 or alicia.lafosse@maine.edu or visit the New Ventures Maine website to register.
July StoryWalk®
This month’s StoryWalk® at Porter Memorial Library in Machias will feature the children’s book, “The Strawberry Garden,” by Lia Yaffe Talmor. This heartwarming tale follows the journey of a young girl named Nora, who discovers a strawberry garden in her grandparents’ backyard. Keep reading.
G.E.A.R. Summer Workshop Flyer
Hello G.E.A.R. Families and Community Partners, we are here for you! G.E.A.R. Parent Network is “the place where Gaining Empowerment Allows Results.” Please see our new quarterly workshops/events flyer and visit https://gearparentnetwork.org/events/ to view more of workshop descriptions, as well as register for workshops and support groups. Our workshops are not recorded in order to safeguard the personal information shared by participants related to the topics during these interactive trainings.
Hannaford Helps — Sunrise Prevention Council Bags
The Prevention Council is thrilled to announce that we have been selected as the Community Bag recipient for the month of July from Hannaford! Beginning July 1st, the Prevention Council will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $2.50 reusable Community Bag at the Hannaford store located at 149 Dublin Street, Machias ME. We are excited for this recognition! All money generated from this program will go directly towards our winter clothing drive which provides gloves, jackets, scarfs, snow pants and boots to families in need in our community. Reusable bags can be purchased in the store or online at www.hannaford.com.
Daughterhood The Podcast
NEW Episode! #58 Traveling with Your Care Partner with Carol Giuliani: Traveling with your care partner can be a huge challenge. In this episode, Carol Guiliani of Senior Travel Companion Services shares tips for traveling with your care partner, from the logistics of planning your trip and which airlines and resources can best assist you, to traveling with medical equipment, handling long car rides and everything in between. Listen HERE or wherever you stream your podcasts.
Together In Care Brief
The National Alliance for Caregiving has joined forces with PHI to release, Together in Care: Empowering Direct Care Workers and Family Caregivers to Meet Growing Demand for Care, an issue brief that highlights policy opportunities to integrate better direct care workers and family caregivers into interdisciplinary care teams. Made possible with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the brief provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and health system leaders. Download the report and executive summary to learn more about this initiative.
Tablet Distribution
As part of the CHEF Project, the Maine Council on Aging has a limited number of tablets available to community-based organizations, age-friendly and lifelong communities to connect older adults to each other and to healthy food resources. We are reviewing requests on a case by case basis from innovative and promising programs that wish to use technology to enhance digital literacy and provide older adult participants with another way to stay connected and informed. For additional information or to request tablets, please contact Katlyn Blackstone at the Maine Council on Aging.
MPHA Emergency Response Survey — Lessons Learned
Please take a moment to complete this survey (drafted by MPHA’s Public Health Infrastructure Member Section) yourself and share with folks in your community who were involved in the emergency response phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes people from various sectors including health care workers, school professionals, municipal employees, local health officers, volunteers, etc. The purpose of this survey is to review response efforts and identify lessons learned during the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic across different communities in Maine, with an eye toward preparing for future emergencies.
Project Development Specialist for SCEC
Sunrise County Economic Council seeks a Project Development Specialist to support and advance the Downeast Fisheries Partnership’s mission to strengthen Downeast Maine communities by restoring a strong and resilient ecosystem and our regional fisheries economy. Apply now.
6 Common Food Safety Mistakes in the Kitchen
— By Alex Bosse, Nutrition Education Professional for UMaine Cooperative Extension EFNEP (Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program) A simple mistake in the kitchen can lead to unwelcome consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and (read more).