Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
This National Family Caregivers Month, Caregiver Action Network’s CEO Marvell Adams Jr. and TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos joined California Live to talk about caregiving—both from personal experience and as advocates for CAN’s Plug-in to Care campaign. They shared how this national initiative is helping millions of Americans find the support and connection they need while caring for loved ones. Watch here.
On December 2nd UMM is hosting a Wabanaki Voices Series talk beginning at noon with Brianna Smith and Newell Lewey. This talk is titled “Speaking our Future into Being.” Light refreshments will be served in the Indigenous Lounge, Torrey Hall 221 at 11:30 am, followed by the talk. Newell Lewey is a Peskotomuhkat naka wolastoqew citizen with a MS in Linguistics and currently serves as the Culture and Language Advisor for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness. Newell teaches Passamaquoddy language, culture, and history in many forums, including open community programs and to high schoolers at Washington Academy. He is serving as Elder in Residence at UMM. He also serves as Chair of the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission and the co-chair for the Abbe Museum. Download a flyer to share.
On December 5th UMM is hosting a community movie night in the PAC with a showing of The Polar Express. Admission is free and there will be a hot cocoa bar and treats for guests to enjoy. We encourage wearing your comfy pajamas! Download a flyer to share.
Join the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging on December 10th, 2 – 3 pm, for the final event to this Series to hear how policy and advocacy leaders from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont are working hard to create change. We have three wonderful presenters: Judith Jones, Healthy Aging Policy Coordinator at New Futures in New Hampshire – Tabatha Caso, Executive Director at the Eastern Area Agency on Aging in Maine – and Mary Hayden, Executive Director, Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging (V4A). They will be sharing real-world examples of how they use these resources and narratives to successfully shape policy, influence lawmakers, and advance age equity in their respective states. This is your opportunity to gain a regional perspective on turning communication strategy into tangible policy wins. Learn how you can apply these same methods to strengthen your own advocacy efforts and create communities where everyone can thrive as they age. Register here.
Solstice Dance
Sunday December 21st, 1 — 3 pm at Cobscook Institute: Solstice Dance with Regina Grabrovac honors the shift from darkness towards light with joy and celebration. Register by December 17. Conscious movement is the practice of moving with deliberate awareness, connecting mind and body to cultivate mindfulness and a deeper sense of embodiment. This is a live class on Cobscook Institute’s Campus. Learn more and register here.
Healthy Acadia has created a 2025 Holiday Meal Guide for Hancock and Washington Counties. They are asking food pantry organizations to please consider printing copies to have available for your clients. These include food boxes and community meals in November and December. In addition, this guide offers a link to Healthy Acadia’s Food Resource Guide with lists of all food pantries.
Sunrise Opportunities Prevention Council is December’s Hannaford Bags for a Cause recipient. Funds from the sale of bags will be donated to our Winter Heating Assistance Fund. Bags are $2.50. We receive $1 from every bag purchased at the Machias Hannaford December 1-31, 2025.
Maine Seacoast Mission has announced that their ”Soup’s On!” meal, which began to help those affected by the loss of SNAP benefits, will continue through the month until December 19 at Maine Seacoast Mission’s Downeast Campus in Cherryfield. The Mission will offer a lunch of soup and bread, Tuesday through Friday from 11 am to 1 pm. Lunches are open to all community members. If you would like to donate to the Mission’s food pantry, you can make monetary donations at https://seacoastmission.org/donate/ or donate foodstuffs in-person at 6 Weald Bethel Lane, Cherryfield.
My Dream Is…to give my son a chance at having a good life. Where he can follow his dreams and ambitions and have everything he wants. I want him to be happy, successful, and financially stable. I hope that he can chase his dreams, follow his heart and live his life to the fullest. That means a lot to me because I know what it’s like to struggle and I want better for him. In order to give him that I need to graduate, get a good job and set a good example. Read here.