Happy Wednesday!
This is the Community Caring Collaborative Weekly Communiqué where we share announcements about trainings, meetings and other events, including announcements from our collaborative partners. Look for links to meeting minutes and agendas in the Meetings section, training registration forms and flyers in the Events section, and job postings and other items of interest in the Announcements section. Subscribe here to get the Communiqué. Make sure to add Community Caring Collaborative to your contacts at claurel@cccmaine.org. Gmail users, check for the Communiqué under the Promotions tab. This mailing goes out every Wednesday, so if you have announcements, please send them to Christine by 5 pm Monday to be included. Thanks!
Announcements
Addiction, Recovery & the Workforce Summit: Download the schedule for this summitand circulate to Washington Co business owners and HR staff you think may be interested in attending. See more about this July 13th opportunity under the Events section below.
Maine Wisdom Summit: Jessica Maurer of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging asks everyone to save the date of September 20th for the Maine Wisdom Summit – Cultivating the Opportunities of our Age at the Augusta Civic Center, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm (registration 8-9 am). The Wisdom Summit will focus on reframing the conversation about our aging demographic and older Mainers. It will challenge ageist assumptions and help us understand how cultivating the intelligence, ingenuity and resiliency of older Mainers is moving us toward innovation, interconnectivity and economic prosperity. Julie Sweetland of the FrameWorks Institute will give the keynote presentation. Summit work sessions will be targeted and hand’s on:
- HR directors and employers will get tools and ideas they can use to recruit and retain older workers;
- older folks can learn how to start a small business, lead a community development effort or become a more effective volunteer;
- elder service providers will learn how service delivery changes can bridge the gap in workforce shortages;
- leaders in policy and higher education will hear about new research and technologies and learn about opportunities for future development; and we’ll all learn how creativity can grow our economy and support healthy aging.
Click here to find out about available exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities.
Contact jmaurer@maine4a.org for more information. We’re pleased to already be able to thank our Premier Sponsor, the Maine Community Foundation, our Platinum Sponsors, MaineHealth and COR Health, and Gold Sponsor, AARP Maine. Registration will go live in early August! Please keep an eye out for the registration email. We look forward to seeing you in September!
Free Car Seat Check: Maine Families Washington County is hosting a FREE car seat safety check Saturday, July 15th from 10 am -1 pm at the Camden National Bank Parking lot in Milbridge. Ashlei Guptil, RN, director of the Nurse Bridging Program at WHCA, will join the Maine Families Car Seat technicians to answer questions and assist with the car seat checks. Download this flyer for more details.
Free Summer Series: St. Croix Regional Health Center will be offering a Summer Series on Thursday afternoons from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The series offers a mix of interest sessions with guest presenters on a variety of engaging topics from health and wellness to financial protection and fascinating historical accounts. Light refreshments and a time for catching up with friends new and old will follow. This program is Free and open to all! For more information please contact Christine Morris at 796-5503.
Your announcement could go here: email the details to Christine by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in Wednesday’s Weekly Communiqué.
Events
Now listed chronologically, so make sure to scroll down for items just added!
Addiction, Recovery & the Workforce Summit: Registration is now open to business owners and human resource staff for the July 13th Addiction, Recovery & the Workforce: a summit for Washington County businesses of all sizes. This is a free event from 8:30 to 3 pm in Science 102 at the University of Maine, Machias. Participants will learn and discuss challenges to hiring and employing people in recovery; hear strategies for success and dealing with challenges from a panel of experts; plus gain foundational information on addiction and available treatment and recovery supports. Registration is requested to help with planning food and materials. We are firming up an impressive lineup of speakers and panelists that includes Garrett Martin, Executive Director of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, delivering the keynote address. Finalized flyer with more info – please circulate to business owners/HR managers you know. More information about the summit is available at the event site.
Three Stories of Hope & Resiliency: Join in a community conversation & suicide awareness training at the Sipayik Bingo Hall in Pleasant Point on July 18th from 5-8 pm. Hear stories of those with lived experience and be a part of a local action plan. No registration required. Brought to you by NAMI-Maine. Contact Nickie at 207-622-5767 Ext. 2312 or nickie@namimaine.org. Please circulate this flyer to people who might be interested.
Save the Date: Sue O’Clair of MaineHousing invites you to save the date of September 22nd for the 2017 Maine Affordable Housing Conference at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. This event will provide a forum for housing partners to gather and share information about what is being done currently – and what more needs to be done – in the affordable housing arena to bridge the gap between housing needs and housing availability. There will be a mix of keynote speakers and workshops to choose from that will be targeted to all partner groups. MaineHousing is still pulling together info on the conference agenda and speakers and hopes to have more info and a registration portal ready to go by June 1st.
Needs & Offers
SNAP Benefits at Milbridge Farmer’s Market: The Women’s Health Resource Library is partnering with the Milbridge Farmer’s Market to bring SNAP benefits and Harvest Bucks to the market. Families can use SNAP/EBT to purchase food from the market. For every $1 of SNAP spent at the market, they will receive $1 in Maine Harvest Bucks to use to purchase fruits, veggies, and food-producing seedlings at the market. Look for us at the Market Info Booth next to the Incredible Edible Milbridge trailer on Saturdays to learn more. We are a National Nutrition Incentive Network Member. This project has been made possible with help from the Maine Federation of Farmer’s Markets.
Elder Services Navigator for Washington County: WHCA’s Elder Services Navigator, Lisa Suarez, is available by phone (207) 460-8129 and email lsuarez@whcacap.org to help elders connect to resources in order to live well at home in Washington County. There are no income limits for initial intake, although some resources may have income guidelines. Caregivers, friends, children of elders, health care providers, banks, food pantries, town offices, etc., are encouraged to refer people who may need help as they deal with issues of aging.
Child Care Openings: Child and Family Opportunities has immediate full-day, full-year childcare and combination Head Start/childcare openings for children ages 3-5 years old at the St. Croix Early Care and Education Center in Calais and the Flaherty Early Care and Education Center in Machias. We are also accepting applications for our part-year Head Start and Pre-K programs at the Calais Elementary School, Harrington Elementary School, Milbridge Elementary School, and the Flaherty Center in Machias. Our part-year programs will be starting up in the fall, and CFO will be doing rolling acceptances through the summer for part-year applicants. Families interested in year-round childcare or part-year programming are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Our Enrollment Specialist is standing by to assist families with the application process. Contact us at 207-667-2995 extension 237 or enrollment@childandfamilyopp.org.
Transforming Rural Experience in Education
Resource Coach: Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott, Maine is accepting applications for a TREE School Resource Coach for Western Washington County. The Resource Coach is responsible for providing classroom and school team consultation, professional development, and coaching to implement a trauma-informed approach and ensure successful program implementation at the pilot school. The position will provide individualized, classroom-based coaching to support teachers in building supportive relationships with students and implementing and sustaining trauma-informed and SEL practices that promote student voice empowerment and well being. The successful candidate for this position will have a minimum of five years experience in an educational setting that includes proven experience implementing academic and behavioral interventions and coaching teachers to implement best practices for students. Interested candidates should visit CCLC’s website at www.cclc.me/jobs for a full position description and the online application process. A resume, a cover letter and three current letters of reference can also be emailed to info@cclc.me. Cobscook Community Learning Center is an EEO/AA employer.
NHN Home Repair: Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a program of Down East Maine Missions, is a home repair program servicing the needs of low income folk in the communities from Beals Island to Eastport. Eight work teams will be hosted by NHN this summer beginning next week, headquartered at the historic Jacksonville Campground in East Machias. If you have folks with grants for repairs that need to be done, NHN may be able to help. Likewise, if you know folks who need repairs, then you are welcome to provide them with a copy of this application. Contact David Grainger, NHN Director, with any questions.
Next Step Support Group: Next Step is offering a support group for those experiencing or affected by domestic violence. It occurs each Tuesday during the day. Call 255-4934 for the time and location. Please help spread the word, and refer anyone who might find it helpful.
Send us your agency/community needs or offers, such as job recruiting or housing needs.
Updates
This is where we post updates on programs, initiatives and pending legislation.
Meetings
Work Group & Poverty Busters: The July meeting is Wednesday the 5th, 1-3:30 at the SCEC House. Guest Speakers are Aldene Saucier from Spurwink, Nikki Busmanis from United Way on 2-1-1, and Dawn Carter Coffin from Family First Community Center. Download an agenda for this meeting here.
St Croix Community Connections: This is Poverty Buster’s sister group in Calais, organized by Christine Morris. This group meets monthly – new members welcome!
Photo courtesy of Nicole Sevey