August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day. Check out the ways you can help promote awareness in the Updates section of this newsletter.
(Above — photos of loved ones whose lives were lost due to overdose, posted on the windows of the Downeast Recovery Support Center in Calais for a prior Overdose Awareness Day.)
Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
Sound Healing
Back by popular demand, the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center has invited Eileen Mielenhausen for a Sound Healing workshop September 21st, 3 pm – 4:30 pm, just in time for the autumnal equinox. Bathe in the healing sounds of crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, shells, bells, rattles and drums. With deep breathing, guided meditation, and sound vibrations, participants will be invited to rest and receive. Let your body gently relax and your mind empty, facilitating realignment, release, and healing. This gentle sound bath meditation is offered by Reiki practitioner and sound healing guide Eileen Mielenhausen. Free and open to those in cancer treatment and recovery, caregivers, and the general public. This session will be held in person, indoors at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center. Pre-registration is required due to limited space. Face masks are optional but be prepared to mask if CDC recommendations change. For more information about this event or to register, please call the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center at 207-664-0339, email info@bethwrightcancercenter.org, or visit https://www.bethwrightcancercenter.org/.
Caring for a Patient with Dementia:
Disease Progression and Care Tips
Tune in on September 20th for a free online presentation from 10 — 11 am by HopeHealth Hospice & Palliative Care that will identify characteristics of each stage of dementia, discuss common challenges in providing care and identify communication and care tips to improve our daily interactions with patients living with dementia. Register here.
Planning Your Temporary Career Leave
We do our best to keep our career on track as we manage our caregiving responsibilities. Sometimes, though, we need to take a leave because of a crisis, our caree’s decline, our caree’s transition to a different care setting or our caree’s end of life care needs. Tune in on September 22nd from 11 am — 1 pm for an online presentation by The Caregiving Years Training Academy that will help you think through when you may want to use either a paid leave benefit or Family Medical Leave. Participants will also learn how to effectively manage their leave so they’re ready to return to work. Register here.
Car Seat Check
Maine Families invites you to bring your vehicle to their office at 108 Court Street (the barn), Machias, on September 13th between 1 and 3 pm for a free car seat safety check. You can ask their car seat technicians questions about installation, learn about recalls and when it’s time to switch to a booster seat, and enter a free gift card raffle. Download a flyer to share.
Downeast Dead Concert
One of University of Maine, Machias student organizations is staging a concert for students on September 10th at 7 pm in the Performing Arts Center, and the public is invited free of charge. Download a flyer to share.
Partners in Entrepreneurial Pathways 1.0 – Venture Exploration!
Sunrise County Economic Council invites you to check out our program page, share with your networks, and/or register today! You can earn 3 college credits (transferable as business electives within Washington County Community College and UMaine Machias business programs) plus Entrepreneurship 1.0 Badges online for FREE in just 10 weeks! OR participate in individual workshops that interest you, for FREE! The 1.0 entrepreneurial pathways experience covers what it takes to plan and start a business. We will dive into topics such as self-employment best practices, mission and vision clarity, market and management strategies, intentional culture (from the start!), accounting and cash flow considerations, and much more. Questions? Contact Katie Bragg, Entrepreneurship Program Manager, at kbragg@sunrisecounty.org or 207-259-0053.
Great Escape Online Auction
Save the date! Wayfinder Schools’ Great Escape online auction is returning on November 24th. This year’s Great Escape auction will again feature some of the best escapes in Maine. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIN and here for more updates.
Open Arms Breast Cancer Support Group
The Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center in collaboration with the founders of the Open Arms Support Group holds a monthly support group meeting for women living with breast cancer. The group’s mission is to help newly diagnosed breast cancer patients navigate through the process of healing and surviving. Come join us at 2 pm on the first Sunday of every month at the Beth C Wright Center, 23 Commerce Park, Ellsworth, Maine, for the chance to connect, share and heal together. No one should have to do this alone. After meeting for several years in Bangor, the group now has a second meeting at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center on the 1st Sunday of each month aligning the missions of both organizations. Call 207-664-0339 or email info@bethwrightcancercenter.org with your questions.
4-H photo contest winners find beauty in animals, people, nature
4-H photographers took home top honors at this year’s annual Washington County 4-H Contest, capturing farm animals, ocean life, flowers and more. Sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the contest used photography as a meaningful communication tool and to develop life skills in expressive arts. Participants, ages 5-19, were allowed to submit up to six entries in their age division of senior, junior and cloverbud 4-H members. Categories included nature/landscape, people, animals, architecture, 4-H activities and storyboard. Thirty-four photos were entered in the 4-H photo contest this year. See photos and learn more about the contest.