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CCC Wednesday Communique — December 12, 2018

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: UMM’s annual community holiday party – Download a full size version of this flyer here.

Announcements

Engaging Municipal Leaders in our age friendly work: Join this “Ideas & Experience Exchange: Wisdom Inquiry” webinar presented by the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging, January 8, 2019 from 12 – 1 pm, focused on engaging municipalities.  Register here.

Facebook Group for direct service providers: This is a needs & offers facebook group created by Poverty Busters – learn more in the Standing Meeting section of this newsletter.

Holiday Giving – tick tock: time is running out for opportunities to donate or sign people up for our local holiday giving trees – see more in the Holiday Needs & Offers section of this newsletter.

Invitation to Day of Service: A Day of Service for Mainers, scheduled for January 5, 2019. Maine’s incoming governor, Janet Mills, has focused unprecedented attention on the role of community service and volunteerism, and has consequently chosen to include a Day of Service in the inauguration celebration next month.  Would your organization be interested in participating in the Day of Service? Organizations across the state will be taking advantage of the influx of volunteers to promote their mission and get projects done. Projects can range from manual labor to educational opportunities, and they can be filled with as many or as few volunteers as your organization has capacity for. More details are below.
WHAT TO DO, ASAP:
– Identify a project or significant task that could be accomplished in 4-8 hours with the help of volunteers.
– Register that project here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/jan5maine
QUESTIONS? Contact Adrienne Carmack, Maine Commission for Community Service, 207-624-7785, January5ServiceDay@volunteermaine.org

Early Childcare Survey: The CCC, as part of our participation in the New England region’s Whole Family Approach to Jobs, is sharing a survey invitation from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. This ten-minute survey is part of their work to conduct economic research that informs new policies. They need input from all over New England to understand what is needed to better support working parents, and are seeking input on early education and childcare. The survey is available in English and Spanish at SURVEY LINK and will be open until December 14th.  Here’s a flyer with a Qr code for the survey.

Your announcement could go here: email the details to Christine by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in Wednesday’s Weekly Communiqué.  Photos and links are appreciated (jpg, not gif or png).

Updates

This is where we post updates on programs, initiatives and pending legislation.

Read Highlights from Engaging Businesses  – one of the Community Leaders Web Gatherings hosted by the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging:
“We heard from our hosts, Monica Hutt, the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, and Bill McPeck, an Employee Health and Wellbeing Consultant. Both hosts brought their professional perspective to this important conversation of engaging businesses in our age-friendly communities.”  Highlights of this call included:

Meeting Needs
It is important to identify the needs of the businesses you are trying to engage. Consider how your initiative can meet those needs, what can you offer them? What is the motivation for businesses to engage with your initiative?
Target Population
As the older adult population grows, we need to help businesses understand that their profits down the road are in a different population than who they are currently targeting (younger people). Work with them to meet the needs of their customer base in an aging-informed way.
Workforce  
As our workforce grows smaller, we can remind businesses that older folks in our communities are a resource for solving the challenges they are facing because of this. When we frame our older community members as a solution, we can advance our age-friendly cause.
Framework for Engaging Employers 
1. The employer is a venue: an agency can come in and provide services to the employer/employees
2. The employer serves as a full partner
3. The employer is a sponsor/source of funding
Many non-profits only see employers as a source of funding and neglect the notion that they should be full partners.
Business Associations 
Engaging Business Associations, Chambers of Commerce, Downtown Associations etc., can create a relationship between businesses and age-friendly initiatives where “everybody wins.” It is a way to educate businesses about aging, advertise your initiative’s services/programs, recruit volunteers, and an opportunity for businesses to give back to the community.
Educational/Informational Panels 
Invite businesses to participate in an educational panel or presentation to share their experience and expertise with community members
Remember to mark your calendars for our January call: Engaging Municipal Leaders!  
Date: January 8, 2019
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Register Here

One-Time Events

Hospice Grief Conference: 
December 13, 2018
Down East Hospice Volunteers will be presenting Hospice Foundation of America’s, 25th Annual Living with Grief, Conference Series, “Transforming Loss: Finding Potential for Growth” on Thursday, December 13th at Calais Regional Hospital from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Sign-in is at 9:00 a.m. and the program begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. Registration is going on NOW (Space is Limited).  To register, contact our office at 454-9204 or email:  dehvservices@yahoo.com.

Community Baby Shower:
December 13, 2018
Maine Seacoast Mission is partnering with the Washington County CAN Council to host a community baby shower at the Mission’s downeast campus, 39 Weald Bethel Lane, Cherryfield, from 1 – 3 pm.  “Bring your partner, family member, or BFF!  We will have gifts, games, information, prizes, refreshments, and more!”  Call/text 263-5270 to RSVP.

Prepare to be Prepared: 
December 17, 2018
Join the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging from Noon to 1:30 pm for a webinar exploring strategies, resources and services related to emergency management in your community.   We will be joined by emergency management leaders from each of our three states: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. As winter approaches, preparing for weather related emergencies becomes all the more important.  Come learn what you can do to help your family and friends prepare, and what role your community group can play on behalf of folks who might need some assistance.  Register here.

Invitation to Day of Service: 
January 5, 2018
Maine’s incoming governor, Janet Mills, has focused unprecedented attention on the role of community service and volunteerism, and has consequently chosen to include a Day of Service in the inauguration celebration next month.  Would your organization be interested in participating in the Day of Service? Organizations across the state will be taking advantage of the influx of volunteers to promote their mission and get projects done. Projects can range from manual labor to educational opportunities, and they can be filled with as many or as few volunteers as your organization has capacity for. More details are below.
WHAT TO DO, ASAP:
– Identify a project or significant task that could be accomplished in 4-8 hours with the help of volunteers.
– Register that project here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/jan5maine
QUESTIONS? Contact Adrienne Carmack, Maine Commission for Community Service, 207-624-7785, January5ServiceDay@volunteermaine.org

Engaging Municipal Leaders in our age friendly work:
January 8, 2019
Join this “Ideas & Experience Exchange: Wisdom Inquiry” webinar presented by the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging from 12 – 1 pm, focused on engaging municipalities.  Register here.

Maine Geriatrics Conference: 
June 13-14, 2019
Save these dates for the 29th annual Maine Geriatrics Conference “where policy meets practice,” at the Harborside Hotel, Bar Harbor.  Speaker lineup includes:

  • Wendy Lustbader, MSW, University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA.
  • Toni Miles, MD, PhD, University of Georgia, Athens
  • Lewis A. Lipsitz, MD, Institute for Aging Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Boston, MA
  • Mikhail Kogan, MD, George Washington Center for Integrative Medicine, Washington, DC

For more information visit:  https://www.une.edu/com/cme/events/geriatrics-conference.

Serial Classes & Groups

classes, play groups, support circles and other repeating events

WC CAN Council Classes: 
Circle of Parents: for parents with children who have special needs

Co-Parenting Classes:

  • Calais Congregational Church (21 Calais Ave, Calais), Tuesdays 3 — 4:30 pm 11/6 through 12/18
  • Sunrise Opportunities (232 Court Street), Wednesdays 3 — 4:30 pm 11/7 through 1/2

Contact Mandie Pepperman with questions about any of these classes at 263-5270.

Nurturing Program: The CAN Council invites parents to a multi-session educational program sharing tips and tricks to help navigate the difficult challenges of parenting.  Lots of opportunity for discussion and questions – free refreshments and childcare.  Text/call Mandie at 263-5270 to sign up.  See flyer for locations and dates.

Calais Circle of Parents Playgroup:
The WC CAN Council with partner Maine Families is holding a playgroup on Tuesdays 11 am – 12 pm beginning in September at the Calais Recreation Center, 344 Main Street. “Get a chance to meet other parents while your kiddo gets some energy out.” Contact Mandie Pepperman with questions at is 263-5270.

Community of Practice Groups:
6-8 pm
Maine Roads to Quality invites Early Care & Education professionals to join one of 2 community of practice groups (see flyers below):

For more information or to register, please contact Theresa Fisk, District Early Childhood and Youth Coordinator –  207-956-2070 or email: theresa.fisk@maine.edu.

Standing Meetings

Monthly and quarterly meetings

Washington County Food Pantry Network: Washington County Food and Fuel Alliance invites you to mark your calendar for the next meeting of this county-wide organization.  The network offers technical and infrastructure support and education to all of the county’s pantries as well as to provide an opportunity for pantries to share successes and struggles. Dessert, beverages and gas cards will be provided to all food pantry participants. Meeting dates (Thursdays) and locations for 2019 are as follows:

  • March 7, 1-3 pm ( March 21 for a snow date)at Eastport’s Labor of Love Food Pantry, 1137 County Road, (route 190), Eastport
  • June 6, 1-3 pm; Location to be determined.
  • Oct 3,  1-3 pm; Location to be determined.

Questions? Contact Regina Grabrovac at our Machias Healthy Acadia office by phone at 255 3741 or by email at regina@healthyacadia.org

Calais Area Breast Cancer Support Group: meets on the 4th Friday of each month at 3 PM at the Calais United Methodist Church, 849 Main St. (downstairs parlor), in Calais.  This free “gathering” is a comforting and safe environment to find encouragement and hope.  Open to all that have a breast cancer diagnosis.  FMI call Marianne at 454-0501. Download a flyer for more information.

Caregivers Support Group: Join other family/informal caregivers monthly for a supportive meeting at the Maine Veterans Home in Machias, facilitated by Lisa King, LCPC, on the first Friday of the month from 2-4 pm. Contact Lisa King for more information.

Work Group & Poverty Busters: Got a client looking for a couch?  See a couch at a garage sale? Join the CCC’s Poverty Busters Resource Connection – a facebook group that connects needs with offers 24/7.  Here’s a link to request access to this group.  Before posting, please make sure to review the ground rules – thanks!

Needs & Offers

Send us your agency/community needs or offers, such as job recruiting or housing needs.

CEI is hiring!  We are seeking a Business Advisor / Program Director to work with the Women’s Business Center at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) to service the Washington County region. The Business Advisor / Program Director works with women business owners by facilitating start-up, survival and business expansion; providing business planning, management development, and assistance with preparing for and obtaining financing.  The Business Advisor / Program Director may participate on panel discussions and in presentations as appropriate, as well as organizing and presenting workshops on a variety of business related topics, managing communications and reporting for the regional WBC advising activities, and conducting market research and developing local partnerships. Due to the client-facing nature of this role, telecommuting is not an option. In-state travel to meet with clients and to attend once a month staff meeting in our Brunswick central office is required.  Competitive compensation and benefits package.  To apply, please submit a cover letter and current resume (both are required for full consideration for this position) to: employment@ceimaine.org

SNAP for Seniors: Jack Comart with Maine Equal Justice Partners has put together an informational sheet about Food Supplement (SNAP) benefits for people who are 60 or older or disabled (download here), forwarded by Hilary Fernald of LSE to help promote SNAP enrollment among these vulnerable populations in Washington and Hancock Counties.  This can also be found on MEJP’s website.

Reusable, plastic interior storm windows:  Maine Seacoast Mission has purchased these easy to install, no blow dryer or plastic sheeting needed, storm window inserts and are offering them free of charge. They can be adapted to any size window and are clear, high-quality plastic.  Contact  Scott Shaw at 546-5869 for more information or email Charley or Christine at the CCC if you’d like to pick up a kit.  The CCC is storing  two sizes, typical window size and extra-large (sliding door size) in our office at 7 Ames Way, Machias.

Supporting CCC Barrier Removal Programs: It’s not too late to make a donation to the CCC’s Hope Fund, Dream Fund or Flex Funds which support programs like Family Futures Downeast.  Click here for more information about helping Washington County families move forward.

Information on Resources Needed:  Amy Day, Manager of AMHC’s Downeast Recovery Support Center in Machias, is looking for brochures/literature about community resources.  She is currently at the center from 10 am to 6 pm, M-F.  Organizations and community can stop in anytime during those hours to check out the center, talk about services, and provide information.  The center is located on Free Street at the former location of Wings.  Amy’s contact info is 271-0115 and aday@amhc.org.

CCC Partner Survey: As the CCC finishes the final year of our 3-year strategic plan, we’re evaluating how well we accomplished our goals and commitments to you and to community members in Washington County.  Our intern, MSW student Nicole Cannizzaro, has compiled data for participation in CCC activities by collaborative partners over the past year.  Highlights of this look back reveal that:

  • A total of 61 organizations interacted with the CCC;
  • Partners showed up 139 times to monthly convenings of Work Group/Poverty Busters and CCC;
  • 27 partner organizations participated in program efforts like Thriving in Place, Family Futures Downeast, and Mentor/Neighbor design;
  • 24 partner organizations participated in the June 12th Family Discovery Day in Calais; and
  • 130 applications from partner organizations were submitted to the Hope and Dream Funds.
  • 392 people attended CCC Trainings.

But numbers alone can’t paint a full picture of the CCC’s impact, so we’re asking you to complete a simple survey on the effectiveness of the CCC in its 4 major areas of commitment.  We are excited to read your responses and thankful for your time, your honesty, and your partnership!  Here is a link to the survey.  Thank you!

Favorite Resources

Send us your favorite links to share with other Communique readers. 

Sage Care Staff Development/Training: Our Services – LGBT Training Courses
“SAGECare training tells real stories about real people to make LGBT older adults familiar and human – so that your staff can better relate to them.  SAGECare LGBT training courses are designed to be suitable for all levels of employees. 1 hour trainings can be delivered in-person, via live webinar, or through a digital training platform. 4 hour trainings for Executive/Administrative staff are facilitated in-person* by a SAGECare Certified Trainer.”

Holiday Needs & Offers

This is a temporary section where we can share information on where/how to help families and individuals in WC celebrate the holidays.  Don’t see your program here?  Please send Christine the info.

Wayfinder Schools (Passages) Holiday Giving Tree: Everyone deserves to feel special during the holiday season! This year we have 45 students and families we are working with who could really use our support. Books, diapers, gas, food, and toys are all luxuries many students can’t afford. We would love to provide a way for students and families to feel a little less stress this season, that is why we will be collecting gift cards to distribute to our students. Can you help? You can purchase a gift card anywhere; Hannaford, Walmart, Maritime Farms, Citgo, Target, or Reny’s. Please mail gift cards, by Dec 15th to:
Wayfinder Schools
Attn: Erica
PO Box 555
Camden, ME 04843
Be sure to include your contact info so we can send a note of appreciation. If it’s more convenient, Fern Hilyard (207-542-8144) is willing to pick up gift cards in Washington County.

Community Christmas Giving Tree: coordinated by elves in memory of Helen Vose, founder of the program, at Holy Name Parish Hall on Broadway in Machias. Opening day is Tuesday, November 27th and the program will close on Friday, December 14th. For more information see their facebook page or  contact Janelle Look (259-4411) or Debra

Let’s All Have a Merrier Christmas: coordinated by Rhonda French in Jonesport, this program seeks to match gifts with requests using an online form (must be submitted by parent or legal guardian) up until November 30th.  Requests (up to 3 toys) are for children 15 and under.  Parents can pick up gifts at 2 locations:https://www.facebook.com/The-Community-Christmas-Giving-Tree-497800970232943/

  • Jonesport Pentecostal Church – 10 Lamson Road, Jonesport, Thursday, December 20 – 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. & Friday, December 21 – 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Washington County Community College Assembly Room – One College Drive, Calais, Friday, December 21 – 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Donations may be made online here.  Contact Rhonda (call or text) with questions at 207-446-0723 or email:  rhonda@merrierchristmas.com.

Maine Seacoast Mission Christmas Program: coordinated by Marilyn Nickson, this program provides clothing, toiletries and fun gifts for children and adults on the islands and in Hancock and Washington counties over the holidays.  Download the Christmas Wish List here with instructions on what items are most needed and where to send donations.  Contact Marilyn with questions at mnickson@seacoastmission.org or 207-546-5867.  The Mission also operates the “Elves’ Workshop” in the Weald Bethel Community Center, where people can choose the gifts they would like to give to their families.

Photo courtesy of Susan Bennett, Downeast Thunder Farm