In 2006, a thinly bound, black and white collection of pages was stapled together, and copies were given out. Inside the cover, beautifully crafted poetry, stories, and artwork leapt off the page. What today looks strikingly similar to a ‘zine, The Island Reader began as an opportunity for artists on four of Maine’s unbridged islands to share their work. Over the years, The Island Reader evolved into a beautifully produced, perfect bound publication featuring the work of artists and writers from 16 unbridged islands. The Island Reader serves as a meditation on islanders and their creative spirits.
As of this fall, all 16 editions are archived in the physical collection of the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States—and extensive materials from around the world. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
Abby Yochelson, reference specialist for English and American Literature at the Library of Congress, shared, “I had just returned from a lovely vacation in Maine when I was asked about adding The Island Reader to our collections. I’ve always been impressed that Maine is one of those states where visual artists and writers seem to grow from the soil! Along with the Maine State Library, the Library of Congress is pleased to be a repository for these examples of creativity from a special corner of our country.”
The Library of Congress’ archives contain millions of books, films and videos, audio recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps, and manuscripts in its collections. For any piece of American media to be preserved with this federal institution, the material must document American history and culture. Mission President, John Zavodny says, “This is a special moment for the Mission and the islanders who design and contribute to the journal. The poems, stories, words, images, drawings, and paintings of Maine islanders will be archived for years to come not only in The Island Reader, but also in this country’s most important cultural institution.”
The Mission’s Director of Island Outreach, Douglas Cornman, one of The Island Reader’s editors, shares, “I am over-the-moon with excitement, and so full of gratitude, knowing that The Island Reader is now housed in the Library of Congress. I have always thought that The Island Reader is a sweet collection of island stories and experiences. Having it accepted into the Library of Congress’ collection confirms that my feelings are not simply biased, but truth.”
In 2021, 69 artists and writers submitted work to be included in the 16th edition. Once the submission deadline closes each year, the publication’s editors—who are also islanders—create the layout aboard the Sunbeam. Printed in small print runs each year, the Mission receives requests from across the state and the U.S. Now The Island Reader has come to reside in Washington, D.C., too.
The editors of The Island Reader are now accepting submissions for the 17th edition. Anyone who lives on one of Maine’s unbridged islands can submit their work by December 31, 2022. The theme of the edition is “Our Island Families.” For more information on how to submit poetry, prose or artwork, click here.
To receive a printed copy of the publication, please complete the form here. A digital edition is available at the same link. To learn more about the Mission’s Island Outreach program to understand the depth of work Douglas does with islands and aboard the Sunbeam, click here.
Beginning in October of 2021, Megan Smith, Food Security Program Coordinator, started seeing familiar faces more often at the Mission’s food pantry. As everyday costs, such as home heating oil and rent continue to rise, many must adjust their budgets to make ends meet. This decreases the amount of money they can spend on other necessities, like food, and can present real challenges for many Downeast families.
“Most of the general public thinks people utilizing pantry services are people in deep poverty, but that isn’t true in today’s economy. The average pantry recipient today is working—usually more than one job—and earns too much income to qualify for federal or state support programs,” explains Jenny Jones, the Mission’s Interim Downeast Director. “So, they turn to local organizations where income isn’t a barrier to services. More and more low- and middle-class households are needing the pantry.”
Increased pantry use is something that has been seen at food pantries across the country. A study from the Urban Institute found that food insecurity has steadily increased since 2021 and Feeding America, which supports food banks across the country, found that 90% of food banks reported seeing increased or steady demand for their services amid record food price increases.
These increases are felt more acutely in places with high food insecurity levels and a little over 17% of Washington County’s residents are food insecure, according to statistics from Good Shepherd Food Bank. Washington County’s level of food insecurity was one of the highest in the state and much higher than the national level of around 10%.
“As a low- to no-barrier pantry, we really work to let our community know they can come each week,” says Megan. “We want our pantry experience to feel as normal of a grocery experience as possible.”
The Mission’s pantry has fridges filled with fruit, vegetables, protein, and other perishable items, shelves with other staples including bread, pasta, canned goods, and a section of toiletry and baby items. If a community member cannot physically visit the pantry, they can request certain items that can be delivered. The Mission also partners with the Eastern Area Agency on Aging and the Good Shepherd Food Bank to offer commodities boxes to seniors once a month which include selection of fruit, juice, vegetables, milk, cheese, grains, and protein.
Smith works to create a place where pantry customers feel welcome and comfortable. Through this, the pantry is a place where they can talk about their worries openly and share both their hopes and accomplishments. The connections Smith makes with customers allow her to support them in other ways including suggesting other services they might benefit from.
With the Sunbeam out of the water for its yearly painting, Sharon Daley, RN, Director of Island Health had to find different ways to travel to the islands this fall in order to administer flu vaccines and Covid boosters. To reach each island, Sharon and Director of Island Outreach and Chaplain Douglas Cornman, as well as the nurses who helped in the effort, traveled by five different boats and one plane. Collectively, they administered more than 300 shots over six weeks.
Maureen Giffin, RN and Sharon Daley, Director of Island Health, with the pilot flying them to Matinicus
While the Sunbeam delivers the team to most islands, doing vaccine clinics without her means complex planning and timing. In addition to not having a place to store supplies, Sharon explains that the Mission boatprovides a lot of the things she needs on a day-to-day basis. “I have no base, there is nowhere to leave equipment, there is nowhere to have meals, there is nowhere to sleep at night, there is no printer, and no internet.”
With the Sunbeam, Sharon has everything she needs onboard. Without, she packs everything to bring to each island. This fall, she used a house in Surry as a staging location while keeping supplies—from syringes and needles to gloves and vaccine cards—stashed in bins in her car for replenishment after each trip.
And while the Sunbeam can come and go as needed, mail boats and ferries run on a strict schedule and are susceptible to inclement weather and staffing changes. Bound for a clinic on Monhegan in early October, Sharon was left without a way to get to the island when the afternoon ferry was cancelled. The Mission was forced to reschedule the clinic for the following day, which required notifying each clinic registrant of the schedule change. By noon the next day, the vaccination team administered 91 shots in the span of four hours—roughly one vaccine every two and a half minutes.
For each clinic, Douglas and Sharon put out the word on Facebook and made posters alerting people to clinic times and registration information. They also make calls to community members who are homebound or do not use social media or email. From there, the Mission team determines how many vaccines are needed on each island.
To administer vaccine clinics on Matinicus, the most remote island that the Mission visits, Sharon jumped in a plane with needed supplies. She ran two clinics in a single day, including one for lobstermen after they finished work on their own boats. When high winds kept some islanders on the mainland, Sharon stayed until the next morning to administer vaccines to returning residents in the plane hangar of Penobscot Island Air.
Since the first Covid shots were available, Sharon and the team have given more than 1,300 Covid vaccines to island residents. With the last clinic complete, Sharon is already onto the next round of Island Health initiatives, including this fall’s Eldercare retreat, telemedicine appointments, and regular phone calls to island residents. You will find her back aboard the Sunbeam in November, making her regular, biweekly visits to the islands.
Community dinners, yoga, open mic nights, and more are happening at Weald Bethel in Cherryfield this fall and winter. These programs are all open to the public.
“I always feel that Fall is a season of renewal and rejuvenation, so it’s fitting that we are beginning to reconnect and reengage with community as we navigate opening the campus,” says the Mission’s Interim Downeast Director Jenny Jones.
Downeast Table of Plenty (DETOP) will continue into the winter. This weekly, homecooked meal is served every Sunday afternoon from 3:30 to 5 p.m. This event is a time for the whole community to come together to enjoy conversation and music.
Yoga classes are on Tuesday mornings from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and occur through October until December 6. Participants should wear comfortable clothing, bring a mat, and if possible, two yoga blocks. This is a drop-in class with donations accepted to benefit the Mission.
Open Mic nights are on Wednesdays from 6 to 10 p.m. Open Mic gives local musicians and others a chance to gather every week for song and fun. Impromptu performances range from sea shanties and spoken word to rock n’ roll, and the audience often plays cribbage while singing along.
There will also be a Pride Night on the second Friday of every month from 6 to 10 p.m. This event welcomes the LGBTQ+ community and includes potluck and campfire. Bring your own dish to share with the group.
Weald Bethel is also open to community groups and organizations that would like to use the space for trainings, meetings, and events. If you would like to schedule an event, please contact Community and Family Engagement Program Manager Stephanie Moores at [email protected] or by phone at (207) 546-5868. Interested individuals may also complete the online community event form.
Thanksgiving came a little early last week at the Bayside Market Milbridge as Mission staff members, volunteers and students in the Journey program collected donations for Healthy Acadia’s Turkey-a-Thon. Dressed up in their turkey finery (as well as a few other fruits and vegetables), the Mission collected more than $1,800 in donations. In all, the Turkey-a-Thon raised more than $39,000 that will go to food pantries throughout Washington County. The Turkey-a-Thon is a joint effort between WQDY-FM Classic Hits 92.7 & 95.3FM and Healthy Acadia.
The Mission has been involved in the Turkey-a-Thon for 18 years. Each year money allow our pantry to purchase gift cards which can be used by community members to purchase turkeys or hams for Thanksgiving dinner. Throughout the month of November, the Mission’s pantry hands out around 150 gift cards to families and provides sides for a complete Thanksgiving meal.
“The Turkey-a-Thon is very impactful fundraiser for multiple reasons for the Mission. It helps raise necessary funds to help our food pantry program purchase turkeys for community members that may need extra support,” said Jenny Jones, Mission Interim Downeast Director. “It also an opportunity for students in our Journey program to help volunteer. And lastly, it is a county-wide effort showing that we are a strong community partner.”
The event is also an exciting time for many of the staff members at the Downeast campus who spend time at the Bayside Market. Katie Mahoney, EdGE Youth Development Coordinator, was excited to don a turkey costume and help families have a happy Thanksgiving.
“Before I worked at the Mission, I had seen other people raising money for the turkey a thon in Machias. They always looked like they were having such a fun time! As soon as I learned that we participate in the Turkey-a-Thon I was excited to sign up, Mahoney said. “During the Turkey-a-Thon one of our donors said, ‘Your costume is so adorable, I just had to come over and see what this was all about.’ That really made me smile to know that I helped get people’s attention about this amazing cause.”
Find out more about our food security program here.
