CCC Wednesday Communique — January 11, 2023

January in Maine

Happy Wednesday!

New this week:

Impacts of Poverty Training
The CCC is excited to welcome all staff from partner organizations to a free, 3-hour Zoom training: “Understanding the Impacts of Poverty,” on February 8th from 9 am to 12 pm, presented by Charley Martin-Berry and Julie Redding.  This training will cover the definitions & different types of poverty and its physiological effects; bias and systemic barriers; and include a special presentation by Sunrise County Economic Council Director, Charles Rudelitch, on the continuum and overlap between the concepts of poverty and living wage.  CEUs from UMM will be available for a $5 fee, and all participants will receive a certificate for 3 contact hours.  Register here.


National Substance Use Disorder Virtual Summit

Join the Brazelton Touchpoints Center (BTC) for its second National Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Summit, a virtual event, Families in Recovery: The First 1,000 Days – Pregnancy, Newborns, and the First Years, on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 11 am — 5:30 pm.  Families in recovery are the experts on their families and their children — and on the unique challenges and opportunities of their first 1,000 days. This year, BTC is inviting family members with lived experience with SUD, including those who now devote their lives to supporting other families in recovery, to share with us their expertise.  This all-day virtual summit will feature three nationwide conversations on peer-recovery approaches to centering family voice; building on families’ strengths, resources, and wisdom; and shifting power to overcome racial and economic inequities in access to treatment and other resources.  Learn more here.


4-H Engineering Club
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H is accepting registrations for a special interest club where youth ages 9-18 can explore basic engineering concepts. This online club will be held on Thursdays, Jan. 26–March 2 from 4–5:15 p.m. Required registration closes Jan. 17.  The 4-H Engineering Club will introduce basic engineering skills by exploring a different topic each week. Participants will work through a hands-on engineering challenge and will have an opportunity to connect with other 4-H engineers across the state. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the challenges. The club is free and limited to 20 participants. Register by Jan. 17 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207-581-8206 or sarah.sparks@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.


4-H public speaking tournament

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H is seeking youth between the ages of 5 and 18 to participate in the Washington County 4-H public speaking tournament on March 4, beginning at 10 a.m., at the University of Maine Machias.   Youth ages 9-18 who participate in the tournament, and receive the required score, will be invited to the state tournament in Orono on April 8.  An informational session about the tournament will be held Jan. 28, 1–3 p.m. at the Edmunds Consolidated School, 21 Harrison Road, Dennysville.  For more information, to register or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Gabrielle Brodek at 207-255-3345. More information about the 4-H public speaking program is available here.


Friday Play Group

Cobscook Institute’s Friday Play Group restarts February 3rd | Fridays 10:00 am – Noon.  Join us for a morning of child-directed free play! We will alternate between Bold Coast Adventure Play and Art Stories.  Learn more here.


Director of Donor Engagement

Maine Equal Justice is searching for a Director of Donor Engagement to help build MEJ’s relationships with individuals who support our work through their donations.  We encourage people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and those with lived experience of poverty to apply!  As we gear up for the 131st legislative session and the beginning of 2023, we’re excited to share this immediate, full-time opening. Full job description, salary and benefits information can be found on our website. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applications are due by January 13th  (Friday!). If you know someone who would be interested in knowing about the position, please forward this info asap!


Farris Foundation Funding Opportunities
The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation is pleased to continue its behavioral health funding program in Maine. Please share this announcement with your allies in Maine as appropriate.  The Farris Foundation’s Behavioral Health program supports innovations that increase access to care and integrate mental health and wellness promotion with primary care and other human services.  The capacity building program grants up to $50,000 to support practical “building block” projects that help behavioral healthcare organizations.  Deadline: online concept application January 30th.  Informational Call:  Contact Anna Doggett,  ADoggett@gmafoundations.com, if you want to register for a voluntary information call with foundation staff.


What Happens When a Family Caregiver Needs Caregiving?

From: Salon.com | Published: January 2,2023.  Mary Ann Evans, now 82, was a long-time caregiver to her 102-year-old mother. Evans experienced a crisis when her mother’s ability to be independent suddenly changed. “My mother had lived with me for 15 years and her health had started to decline,” she says. Then, as Evans relays, her mother suffered a serious fall. The aftermath was grave.  Read article here.

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