On a cold morning on Islesford, island residents walk into the Neighborhood House with thermoses and water bottles in hand. A father together with his young son explained his family’s reluctance to drink the water that comes from their tap that may or may not contain chemicals or contaminants. When the preschool class came to the library for story time, a school aide brought a water bottle and wondered what might be in the school’s tap water, which was in her water bottle. 

This is why Sunbeam Nurse Simone Babineaux and Island Services Program Coordinator Margaret Snell are on the island this morning. Six community members arrive to have their well water tested and learn more about safe water, while another test was left for pickup. 

Statewide, around 40% of Mainers rely on wells. On outer islands, that number rises to nearly 100%. Well water, unlike public drinking water, does not need to be tested for chemicals, which means islanders are unsure if their well water is safe to drink. 

After catching the mailboat over, a bag of test kits in hand, Island Institute Fellow Morgan Karns sets up at the Neighborhood House. She helps islanders through the Lab’s questionnaire, which asks about their knowledge about, and opinion of, their water, filtration systems, arsenic, and more. Alongside the water results, the questionnaire provides valuable information to the Lab’s Associate Professor of Environmental Health Jane E. Disney, the lead researcher for the All About Arsenic + program. 

Morgan walks residents through the questionnaire, and then gives islanders a kit to take home to test their water. For residents who already brought a sample of their water, Morgan helps them do the test. Once a test is completed, the kits are deposited at a central collection point on the island, where the Mission retrieves them. The kits then go to Dartmouth Trace Element Analysis Core for testing. The Lab and the residents receive the results and are counseled on mitigation measures they can take to improve water safety.  

The Sunbeam be travel to Frenchboro and Isle au Haut to meet with island residents to offer well water testing and Mission staff are working on visiting all 15 islands this spring.  

This initiative is part of Island Health’s partnership with the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory for their Health Water, Healthy Aging program.  

Moira, a sophomore at Wheaton College, still remembers when she received the call she was awarded a Mission Scholarship. “I could not stop saying thank you before I ran to tell my mom” she adds, “The Mission Scholarship has allowed me to study at an academic institution I love.” Every year, the Mission awards scholarships to approximately 20 new students, and at any time there are roughly 75 active Scholars receiving more than $200,000 in support. Recent high school graduates and adults who have received their GED or HiSET can now apply for scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year.  

Moira first heard about the Mission Scholarship program from the administrator at Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus, who thought the Mission’s program was a good fit for Moira. She says, “The application process was a little nerve wracking, like most new experiences,” but throughout the process Mission staff were kind and encouraging. Belinda, a junior at Husson University, agrees the application process was made accessible by Mission staff. And once they received the scholarship, both Scholars say the Mission was instrumental in helping with their transition to college.

Belinda says the Mission gave her resources and a cohort of students she could talk to about transitioning from high school. She adds before she started college the Mission, “Offered me a lot help getting my schedule and financials in order.” Moira says the Mission staff “were always happy to chat with me if I had any questions, connect me with resources that might help my academic career, and show their support in little ways that mattered, like an email or phone call every now and then to check in.”  

“The application opened January 1, which gives applicants nearly three months to complete it, and applicants can look forward to a clear and streamlined application process,” says EdGE Secondary and Post-Secondary Program Director Christy Oliveri. “We also offer regular workshops for our scholars once they enter college, on topics ranging from time management to graduate school.” 

The Mission accepts applications through Friday, March 29. Applicants must submit an application, transcript, and a letter of recommendation. Scholarships will be awarded in May. To learn more or apply, visit the Mission’s Scholarships web page. 

“We are happy to have a positive place for families to stop in and have a good time together,” EdGE Primary Program Director Isaac Marnik says. “We are excited to be able to offer these sessions to the whole community.”

Winter activities will continue if the weather permits, and the ice rink stays frozen, which is usually through the end of February. To find out if activities are happening that weekend, contact the Downeast campus at (207) 546-4466.  

Every year the Mission measures its programmatic work by putting a number to some of the work we do: the number of students attending a session of EdGE, the number of meals served on the Sunbeam, the number hours Davis Maine Scholars spent receiving one-on-one support. Our 2023 Impact Statement provides these output figures and more than 60 other numbers. These figures illustrate just a few of the many ways the Mission works with Downeast and coastal communities. 

Here are a few other numbers that might surprise you: 

• 276 miles. The distance between two of the Mission’s 23 partner schools, Davis Maine Scholarship partner Clark University (in Worcester, MA to the west) to EdGE partner school Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School (to the east).  
• 1 Hippo. The weight of the amount of food donated by community members to the Mission’s food pantry.  
• 330 days. How long Mission volunteers worked if we converted the number of hours to days.  
• 80 pages. The length of The Island Reader which features the work of residents of 11 unbridged islands.

From the island of Monhegan to the town of Machias in Washington County, Maine Seacoast Mission’s programs are hard-working and participating community members are invested. “Communities depend on Mission programming, and it is a privilege to be part of the lives of those we serve,” says President John Zavodny.  

The Mission is proud to have continually served Maine’s coastal and island communities for nearly than 120 years. Each year, the Impact Statement puts this work into context and highlights the unseen effect here in Maine.