Bay Ridge Elementary School Student Council set up their Mystery tree at the Wesley Foundation Tree Festival. Check the Updates section of this newsletter for more about this special holiday festival.
Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
Elder Abuse Awareness Prevention & Response
Healthy Acadia is partnering with the Elder Abuse Institute of Maine to bring this virtual presentation to community volunteers, social service providers, law enforcement, medical providers, faith communities and anyone interested in preventing elder abuse on February 17th from 12 Noon to 1 pm. Register here. Download a flyer to share. Contact Christine Wolff for more information.
Understanding Strength Based Dementia Care
Daughterhood.org invites you to join us virtually on Thursday, December 16th 4 PM PT/ 7 pm ET for a special Daughterhood nationwide virtual meeting, “Understanding Strength Based Dementia Care” live on Zoom from San Diego, California with guest Judy Cornish, creator of “The DAWN Method®.” Learn more and sign up for this event here.
Grand Connections
Zero to Three invites you to Grand Connections: A New Program to Support Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren Under 5, December 15, 2021, 2-3 pm EST. Join us for this free webinar describing the joys and challenges of grandparents caring for young grandchildren and learn about the new, one-of-a-kind curriculum we’ve designed to meet grandparents’ needs. Seven 90-minute workshops provide a chance for grandparents to connect and learn from each other, explore the latest child-rearing advice, and develop strategies for collaborating with their adult children on child care. Each workshop also includes a 30-minute picture book and activity grandparents and grandchildren can enjoy together. Learn more and register here.
Let’s Talk About Care Workers
On December 16th from 12 Noon to 1:30 pm, the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging will be hosting a webinar in collaboration with the FrameWorks Institute to talk about their recently released report, “Public Thinking About Care Work in a Time of Social Upheaval.” Presentation by Nat Kendall-Taylor, Executive Director, FrameWorks Institute, moderated audience discussion, State reactor panel. We hope you join us for this important conversation! Register here.
Parent’s Forum: Children and the COVID-19 Vaccines
Join us on December 13th from 6-7 pm EST for a Zoom forum featuring Washington County children’s health professionals as they share information about children and the COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, and give advice on what to consider when making the decision to vaccinate children against COVID-19. Speakers will include:
- Alfred Wakeman, PA-C, Pediatric provider at Down East Community Hospital
- Julie Redding, LCPC, Clinical Director at Community Caring Collaborative
Moderator: Madeleine DesFosses, Public Health Associate, U.S. PIRG Education Fund. Register here.
Circle of Security
The Prevention Council is excited to launch a new parenting education curriculum called Circle of Security. Circle of Security is a program designed for parents and caregivers of children aged 0-12 years who want to strengthen the bonds with their children and would like support to help their children to build secure relationships. The Circle of Security is an innovative intervention program designed to improve the developmental pathway of children and their parents. The Circle of Security program helps promote that security. Check out this video on Youtube for an excellent summary of Circle of Security. The program is an 8 week course with classes meeting weekly for one hour via zoom. We invite you to join our Washington County Class and Hancock County Class! Please contact Monica Olivares at molivares@sun-rise.org or 263-5270 for more information about the Circle of Security Parenting Course.
MCF 2022 Community Building Grant Program
Maine Community Foundation is pleased to announce the 2022 Community Building Grant Program is now open! Visit the Community Building wepage to:
- Learn about the new criteria and types of funding
- Register to attend our December 14th webinar
- View and download a Microsoft Word document listing the application questions and additional guidance
- View and download a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document
If you have questions, feel free to reach out to the appropriate staff member (and scroll down for a list).
UWEM Strategic Investment Grants
Strategic Investment Grants are United Way of Eastern Maine’s primary vehicle for funding programs that meet our community goals. UWEM funds programs that demonstrate positive changes in the lives of 1 in 4 individuals in Eastern Maine. All applications must be submitted through the online portal. Applications are due by 4 pm on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Drop-In Sessions available. Find the schedule here. Application LInks:
- ORGANIZATION APP (complete once per organization) PDF Preview
- IMPACT GRANT APP (program applications of $10,001-$50,000 annually) PDF Preview
- FAST TRACK APP (program applications of $2,500-$10,000 annually) PDF Preview
Recruiting a Staff Accountant
Healthy Acadia currently has an opening for a staff accountant. Learn more and apply here.
Communication Access: Telephones, Relay and Hearing Aids
Debra Bare-Rogers of Disability Rights Maine invites you to learn about Maine Relay and TEP. Maine Relay is a service for people with hearing loss or a speech disability to communicate by telephone. Maine Relay also allows businesses and service providers to connect with people in the community, improving access to services. Additionally, we have a Telecommunications Equipment Program (called TEP) that offers qualifying individuals to get a specialized telephone equipment OR a hearing aid. Join our monthly community presentation via Zoom* and learn about Maine Relay Services and the Telecommunications Equipment Program (TEP) available through Disability Rights Maine. Join Zoom Meetings:
- Online: Meeting ID: 883 5420 8083. Please email DRogers@DRME.org for passcode.
- by phone: 646-558-8656 US (New York): Meeting ID: 883 5420 8083. Please email DRogers@DRME.org for numeric passcode.
Update on Status of CMS Vaccine Mandate
Attorney Anne-Marie Storey from Rudman Winchell has this update: on November 5, CMS issued a vaccine mandate which applied to defined “staff” at Medicare- or Medicaid-certified facilities (which were detailed in the mandate) be vaccinated against COVID-19 by certain deadlines, the first of which was December 5, 2021 and the second of which was January 4, 2022. As of yesterday [December 1st] a federal judge in Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction staying that mandate in all States. The preliminary injunction will remain in effect pending the final resolution of the case in Louisiana or “until further orders from this Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, or the United States Supreme Court”. Of course, as you also know, the OSHA ETS is in a similar holding pattern. We will continue to keep you updated with any new developments on either mandate.
Update to MEJ’s Basics of Unemployment Guide
When asked about people who are unemployed due to the vaccine mandate, Sue Hamlett from Maine Equal Justice had this to offer: Based on news reports from mid-October, it does seem that most workers who are unemployed because they quit or were fired due to vaccine mandates will not be eligible for unemployment benefits. Failure to follow an employer’s health and safety guidelines is considered “misconduct” and would probably be disqualifying. However, the Maine Department of Labor has made it clear that people can apply for benefits and exceptions are possible based on individual circumstances. Employers cannot tell people whether or not they are eligible for unemployment benefits. Check out the guide here.