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!
Photo above:Obstetrics Department entry in Down East Community Hospital’s Pumpkin Carving Contest – check out their facebook page for more entries
Announcements
Diaper-A-Thon: The Women’s Health Resource Library will hold a Diaper-A-Thon on Friday, November 3rd at Bayside Shop ‘n Save in Milbridge. Some of the diapers will be going to Family Futures Downeast and some go to the Cherryfield Food Pantry. Learn more here.
“National Family Caregivers Month – celebrated each November — is a time to recognize and honor 
family caregivers across the country,” according to the Caregiver Action Network. One of the ways the Washington County Thriving in Place Initiative is honoring family caregivers is by developing a training in response to requests for help with basic caregiving skills, such as how to move an injured or frail person. Pamela Grant, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) who works at Down East Community Hospital, has agreed to present this training and is willing to design the content around topics of particular concern to family/informal caregivers. The CCC has developed a short survey for caregivers to provide information to Pam on what they really need to learn. The survey also asks caregivers what time of day or day of the week such a training would work best. Please forward this survey link to anyone you know who is providing care to a family member or friend.
WCCOG Annual General Meeting: The Washington County Council of Governments invites you to their annual meeting on “Bright Lights in Washington County.” We will hear about local food successes, fisheries restoration, site redevelopment through the Brownfields program and the momentum of the Bold Coast Scenic Bikeway, all on November 14th at Machias Savings Bank Community Room in Machias, from 5:30-8:00 pm. RSVP appreciated by November 9th at this registration website.
Your announcement could go here: email the details to Christine by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in Wednesday’s Weekly Communiqué.
Updates
This is where we post updates on programs, initiatives and pending legislation.
Hope Fund: Make sure you have the most recent version of the Hope Fund application, which you can access here. Hope Fund FAQs will be available in the near future on the Hope Fund page of the CCC’s website as a tool to provide more guidelines to providers about the application process.
Danforth TiP Resource Fair: Elder Services Navigator, Lisa Suarez, coordinated a highly successful Health & Safety Resource Fair for the Thriving in Place Initiative of Washington County, partnering with Danforth Town Manager, Deborah Theriault, on October 24th. Participating agencies & organizations included Downeast Community Partners, USDA/Farmshare, the Co
unty Sheriff, Fire Dept, Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, Aroostook County Action Program, the Danforth Food Pantry, East Grant Health Center, and Machias Savings Bank. The Senior High School Class provided a hot lunch plus goodies at low cost for exhibitors and the 40+ Resource Fair visitors.
Events
Now listed chronologically, so make sure to scroll down for items just added!
MRBN 2017 Conference: Building Thriving Communities: Capitalizing on Evolving Science and Circumstance – the Maine Resilience Building Network and The Bingham Program present the 2nd Biennial Conference on November 2nd and 3rd at Point Lookout Resort, Northport, Maine. See flyer for details. Register here.
TCM & BHH Provider Training: Child Behavioral Health Services invites targeted case managers and behavioral health homes providers to a free system overview of the state’s behavioral health services on December 4th, from 9-4 at the Houlton DHHS Office. See flyer for details.
Needs & Offers
Mentor/Neighbor Program Update: Mentor/Neighbor program designers need your help sharing the link to
a survey they are building together with students from the UMM Research Methods class to ascertain what volunteer mentors can offer and what they need to be able to make that offer. Do you know any potential volunteer mentors? Can you think of any networks or listservs they may be a part of? Please send us the contact information for individuals or email groups/networks you think would include potential volunteer mentors – thanks for your help!
Needle Exchange in Machias: The Health Equity Alliance (HEAL), formerly Down East AIDS Network (DEAN), maintains a needle exchange at their local office on Tuesdays 3-6 and Fridays 10-1. HEAL also provides training along with naloxone and sponsors the annual Maine Harm Reduction conference. FMI: Katie Bragg, Case Manager/ Health Promotion Specialist, katie@mainehealthequity.org, 255-5849, 7 VIP Road, Machias, ME 04654, in the same building as Downeast Community Partners, or visit their website.
Legislation Survey: Maine Equal Justice Partners invites you to fill out a policy 
survey to help them assess how effective the legislative changes that did pass will be when it comes to reducing child poverty in Maine and to help them focus their energy in the years ahead on changes that will make the biggest difference in families’ lives.
Send us your agency/community needs or offers, such as job recruiting or housing needs.
Favorite Resources
Send us your favorite links to share with other Communique readers.
Meetings
Work Group & Poverty Busters: Next meeting is on December 6th from 1 to 3:30 in the large conference room at SCEC – mark your calendar!
St Croix Community Connections: This is Poverty Buster’s sister group in Calais, organized by Christine Morris. This group meets monthly – new members welcome!
“Pumpkin Giving Birth”: Photo courtesy of Down East Community Hospital