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.
The Mission recently welcomed Dean Lunt and Jaime Weir as new members of our Board of Directors. Lunt and Weir are Maine natives dedicated to the communities that the Mission serves.
“We are happy to welcome Jaime and Dean to the Board of Directors,” says Dan McKay, Board Chair. “They both bring with them deep connections to our coastal and island communities. We look forward to having them help plot the course of the Mission.”
Dean is an eighth-generation islander who grew up in Frenchboro on Long Island, which has been visited regularly by the Mission’s Sunbeam over the past century. He attended Frenchboro’s one-room schoolhouse and remembers how the Mission made school trips to Boston as well as other expeditions possible. Dean, who now lives in Yarmouth, founded Islandport Press in 2000. Islandport Press is an award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. A former journalist, Dean is the author of two books, Hauling by Hand, a first-hand look at life on a Maine Island, and Speakin’ Maine about the language and stories of Maine.
Jaime is general manager of the John Williams Boat Company in Mount Desert. He has co-led the Mission’s EdGE Tennis Tournament, which supports the Mission’s education programs in Washington County, for 11 years. Originally from Camden, Jaime graduated from Maine Maritime Academy and was chief mate on a tug and barge unit that sailed from Canada to the Caribbean. He also served as a captain of a 464-passenger vessel on Lake Champlain. Jaime has served on the board of the Maine Marine Trades Association and is a member of Bar Harbor’s Harbor Committee.
Mission President John Zavodny says, “Dean and Jaime bring experience and knowledge to an already amazing group of board members. The Mission is lucky to have such smart, compassionate, and committed people at the helm.”
Starting in 1971, Captain David Allen made thousands of trips to islands along the Maine coast, first aboard the Mission’s Sunbeam IV and later Sunbeam V. David and his wife Betty, who joined him aboard Sunbeam as the steward in 1978, were the personification of the Mission for many islanders. David captained the boat until his retirement in 2007. David passed away on October 3, 2022, with his family by his side.
Sunbeam’s current Captain, Mike Johnson, who started at the Mission as David’s engineer, shares his reflections on his time with David.
Captain David Allen with Mike Johnson in the background
Michael Johnson, Captain Sunbeam V:
“I recently unrolled an old paper chart from the Sunbeam and noticed course lines and dead reckoning plots written in Captain David Allen’s handwriting. I realized that when Dave began his career for the Maine Seacoast Mission in 1971 that the only piece of electronic equipment on the Sunbeam was a basic radar. During Dave’s remarkable thirty-five years as captain, he had seen the biggest jump in marine navigational technology in human history.
When I was his first mate, I was in awe of his ability to both understand the past and embrace the present. If there was a new piece of equipment available, he researched it and learned to use it. It was not unusual for him to have a full course plotted on the computer, but still stop in the fog to listen for a particular bell buoy. He was the perfect blend of old and new. He was also unflappable when he encountered difficult weather. He rarely showed any outward sign of stress and could often maintain a lighthearted conversation with others in the pilothouse.
Dave knew being a crewmember on the Sunbeam meant much more than the job at hand. He made deep friendships in the island communities and was always available in the salon to share a laugh or a fishing story. Of particular significance to Dave were funerals. He was aware of the Sunbeam’s importance in this role both symbolically and practically, and he was proud to transport mainland residents back to their islands to pay their respects. Another quality of Dave’s and one that resonated greatly with me, was his ability to understand the prominence of the Sunbeam. When we were in small harbors, he knew that we could be in somebody’s way. We frequently moved to allow lobstermen to hoist traps or for the mailboat to unload passengers. At sea, he never insisted on his right-of-way be it with a yacht in the summer or a scallop dragger in the winter. He would always open the pilothouse door to give an enthusiastic wave. “Keeping it friendly” was forever his motto.
I consider it an honor to have served with Dave for seven years. This was a period of growth for me as I transitioned to a larger year-round vessel, and Dave could not have been a better mentor. He was not always academic in his teaching but would let me know in a respectful manner if I was making a mistake. I sometimes wish he were still standing next to me so I could ask his advice about a particular docking situation or rough offshore passage. One of Dave’s complaints was that many of his good friends that he made during his career were passing away and making him sad. I hear you, Captain. This is clearly happening to me as well.”
His full obituary can be seen here. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in David’s name to the Mission. The Sunbeam will be taking his ashes to sea, for a final resting place, in early spring.
Photos of Captain David Allen during his time at the Mission
Right before Christmas in 1905, we delivered our first Christmas presents to residents and lighthouse keepers living on Maine islands. More than a century later, the we still delivers gifts, wrapped in white parchment paper tied with red string, to island residents and people living in Washington County. Last year, because of the generosity of donors to the Christmas Program, 1,264 people received gifts. Now we are looking for your help to fulfill our 2022 Christmas Wishlist and brighten the holiday season for so many individuals and families who might not have presents to go under the tree.
“Giving those white-paper-red-string gifts is an incredible Christmas tradition that goes all the way back to the beginning of the Mission,” said President John Zavodny. “With the help of donors and our amazing ‘elves,’ the volunteers who wrap and distribute each gift, we are grateful to be able to be a part of so many people’s Christmases.”
We distribute presents to kids, families, and the elderly as well as to nursing homes and prisons, making sure that every person who needs a gift for Christmas will receive one. The items needed for gifts are separated into three different categories: all ages, seniors, and children and teens. The wishlist includes everything from toys and games to bodywash and socks. Since 1905, the Mission’s gift giving tradition has included distribution of knitwear. For knitters and crocheters who wish to donate their wares, mittens, hats, prayer shawls, scarves, socks, and lap robes are appreciated.
How to Donate
The 2022 Christmas Program wish list and Amazon wish list are available for those looking to donate specific items of need. Stephanie Moores, Family and Community Engagement Program Manager, who runs the Christmas Program, says that gift cards to Walmart and Amazon as well as monetary donations are also welcome, which will help the Mission fulfill specific requests.
Gifts and cards can be mailed to Maine Seacoast Mission Christmas Program to PO Box 428, Cherryfield, ME 04662 (USPS) or 39 Weald Bethel Lane, Cherryfield, ME (UPS). Checks should be addressed to Maine Seacoast Mission Christmas Program, P.O. Box 600, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662. The Mission would like to properly acknowledge all contributions, so please include a full name and address on any package or letter sent to the Mission.
While dangling 10 feet in the air, a student in the Marion Kane Leadership program, worked with her friends on the ground to figure out how to climb up the next obstacle. Looking down at them for support and guidance, they helped and encouraged her as she pulled herself up and threw her leg over the next platform.
Communication was just one of the skills students in 7th grade from eight Washington County schools practiced during the Marion Kane Leadership program at the Mission’s Cherryfield campus. This two-day retreat, in the fall, brings students to a neutral place and gives them opportunities to practice leadership skills in a fun, low-pressure setting. The first day focuses on working on effective communication and the second day focuses on trust building exercises.
“Staff always look forward to having students on campus and being able to challenge them through a variety of activities and on the ropes course,” says Isaac Marnik, EdGE Program Director. “Being able to make connections with the students over the two days and then throughout the year is a valuable part of the program.
Students first hit the ropes course and did a spotting and balancing game which got them comfortable on the ropes course and helped them work on communicating. Later in the day, the group played a series of games that focused on different types of communication including one that has everyone work together to create the right combination to open a lock.
For the second day, students focused on building trust amongst each other. On the ropes course, they learn how to belay, or to counterbalance a climber, which requires teamwork and trust between the climber and the belayer. After, they played teambuilding games which built on the communication skills they worked on the day before. One of the games included the task of getting across a river using limited resources. To succeed, everyone must work together as a team to get everyone safely across the river without falling in.
After each day, the groups came together to debrief and talk about what they learned focusing on how they can use these skills going forward. Throughout the year, Mission staff will follow up on these programs with in-school activities at each participating school that will build on what the students learned over these two days. Overall, the Marion Kane Leadership helps students think critically about topics like bullying, peer pressure, and decision-making, and how to address these subjects in their schools and lives. During the previous school year more than 140 students went through the Marion Kane Leadership Program.
Learn more about EdGE and the Marion Kane Leadership Program here.
