Holiday festivities are underway in Downeast Maine.
Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
On Friday, December 12, from 3 to 6 pm, Healthy Acadia will be collecting new, unopened, full-size personal care products, including shampoo and conditioner, soap or body wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, razors, shaving cream, feminine hygiene products, socks, and underwear for families in our community who struggle to afford basic hygiene and self-care items. Collection sites include Machias (Dollar General), with locations in Calais and Ellsworth to be announced soon. You can also make a monetary donation. Thank you!
Moms, dads, grandparents and kids of all ages! Join the G.E.A.R. Parent Network for a virtual family holiday movie night on December 12th from 6 — 7 pm. Kids, wear your PJ’s and cuddle up with your favorite toy, pillow and blanket and join us in watching a classic holiday movie together. Facilitated by Diane Bouffard, CFPS, Team Leader, Regional Parent Support Coordinator. Please pre-register to attend online.
Join Island Readers & Writers at Families First Community Center in Ellsworth (41 North Street) for stories, songs & activities on Thursday, December 18th, at 5 pm. Each family will receive a free picture book to support early learning at home.
A Gratitude Circle: Motivational Interviewing
Upcoming programs at Cobscook Institute
- This holiday season, give the gift of camp: Cobscook Institute Summer Camps will be open for registration on December 15.
- Join dancers in the dark for a Solstice Dance with Regina Grabrovac on Sunday, December 21, from 1-3 pm. Register by December 17.
- Comedy is the best medicine for seasonal doldrums. Improv 101 workshops start January 6 and will take place on Tuesdays from 6-8pm through February, with Samuel Kuykendall of Portland’s Yes&Co. Register ASAP!
- Fire up your crock pot for the Chili Cook-off Community Dinner on Monday, January 12, at 5 pm. Register your chili ahead of time to be entered into the competition. Prize for first place!
- Clay fun for families: Register for the Winter Simple Handbuilding Pottery Workshop to be held on January 16 and 30 from 4-6 pm. For ages 6 and up (16 and younger accompanied by adult).
See Cobscook Institute’s Events page to register.
Rainbow 101 Training
On January 6th from 4 — 5:30 pm, Cobscook Institute is hosting a Rainbow 101 Training. Improve your allyship for LGBTQ+ folks in your life by joining these free quarterly trainings offered by the the Traveling Rainbow Project. This is a hybrid event; you may attend in person or via zoom. Register here.
It’s time to dream big in 2026! The deadline to apply to work with CEI’s Child Care Business Lab is January 9th and we’d love your help in spreading the word. Don’t just take it from us – hear from program graduate Tracy Dore in Indian Township: For me, deciding to open a child care business comes back to helping the families I see every day. As a Community Member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, I wanted to support the Tribal Community by helping parents find well paying jobs or go back to school, all while giving their children a quality education that incorporates generational guidance. The Child Care Business Lab is open to all Mainers interested in opening either a child care in their home or in a facility outside their home. The team welcomes those who would like to expand, as well. Click here for the full list of upcoming workshops.
Please join the Health Education & Training Institute for Deepening the Practice of Motivational Interviewing this January with trainer Bob Jope, LMHC, Member of MINT. This four-hour training is for learners who are well-versed in Motivational Interviewing, have an ongoing practice, and are interested in “scuba diving” down further into their exploration of their MI practice. This workshop is great for folks who attend Learning Communities regularly or haven’t been able to attend Learning Communities recently and would like an opportunity to spend a few hours diving back in. All are welcome. Tuesdays, January 13 & 20, 9 — 11 am on Zoom. This training is offered at no cost. Register here.
February 19th, 2 – 3 pm on Zoom — this free National Center for Equitable Care for Elders webinar will explore factors that influence the end-of-life experience for older adults, including economic stability, neighborhood & built environment, and social support. Participants will consider promising practices for improving community-based palliative care and leveraging local resources to support the non-medical needs of older adults living with a serious illness. Register here.
The Red Cross is actively recruiting new volunteers from across Washington County to help us deliver our humanitarian mission in Northern and Eastern Maine. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at the Red Cross to support our humanitarian mission from responding to local disasters and installing smoke alarms for your neighbors to supporting our blood drives in your community. If you have an hour or many, we welcome you to join us and become a Red Crosser. Please help us to spread the word! If you have any questions or would like more information about the American Red Cross, please reach out to Caroline King. See Flyers for more information: Be a Hero; Maine Recruitment; Blood Drive Volunteers.
In Washington County, workplace culture has emerged as a critical aspect of attracting and retaining talent. At the 2025 SCEC Economic Summit, local business and nonprofit leaders, including representatives from Wyman’s, Machias Savings Bank, and The Community Caring Collaborative, shared their strategies for creating workplaces where people want to stay with an employer because they feel valued, empowered, and connected to something meaningful. The conversation revealed a common thread: strong workplace culture isn’t built by accident. It requires intentional leadership, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to treating employees as partners in organizational success. More on Workplace Culture.