It’s Thank you Thursday. Today’s shout out of Mission love goes to our Thinklab friends in Colorado.
Many people first learned of the power of telemedicine — the art of providing health services by internet — when outdated federal restrictions were lifted in the fight against Covid-19. Yet, telemedicine has been a part of Maine Seacoast Mission’s work among remote island communities for several decades.
Just within the last few years, advances in telemedicine equipment have enabled Island Health Services Director Sharon Daley, RN to carry across the islands 12-pounds of gear offering as many health options as Sharon’s equipment aboard the Mission’s 74-foot Sunbeam.
More recently, Thinklabs gifted four island elder care homes digital telemedicine stethoscopes. The Thinklabs One stethoscope is called “the smallest most powerful stethoscope in the world.” The stethoscope data is deliverable in real time to medical doctors or other health professionals on the mainland, which, in turn, saves elder patients time, travel, and expense.
State to State, this is what community looks like.
After studying Richard Rorty’s philosophies, John Zavodny shifted his career from university professor to president of the Maine Seacoast Mission. In this episode, John describes the work the mission does, how members of Down East Maine communities are impacted and how you can help.
John also talks about the importance of relationships to the work the Maine Seacoast mission does. From teaching quietism to community conversation, learn how to build meaningful relationships in your community in this episode.
Whatever Floats Your Boat – Island Reader 2020 is a beautiful anthology reflection of Maine island life and culture.
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME — The Mission’s Island Outreach Director and Chaplain, Douglas Cornman, is one of seven co-editors of The Island Reader and provides administrative oversight. He tells us submissions for the upcoming 15th Anniversary Edition are fantastic, as always. He and the other co-editors are perusing submissions now and will soon begin the exciting process of putting the edition together. Look for it on the Mission’s website June 1, 2021. The 2020 edition of The Island Reader is still available. Click here.
“The Maine Seacoast Mission does a lot for people in Down East communities and on our islands. And one thing they do that benefits all of us is publish books of poems, stories, and beautiful photos by Maine islanders. Their latest book, published in the summer of 2020, is really great,” Maine columnist and outdoor enthusiast George Smith wrote about the Mission’s 2020 edition of The Island Reader. (Bangor Daily News, 8/7/20).
We changed our distribution method for The Island Reader in 2020. Print copies of the multi-arts anthology showcasing Maine’s unbridged island writers and artists, were free for the asking, donations accepted and welcome. We also offered a PDF version for people to download or read online.
While we don’t have a count for Island Readers downloaded, we did ship copies to people in Maine, Texas, New York, Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, and the United Kingdom. And people graciously donated a total $750 which helps to cover costs associated with creating and printing the anthology.
It’s Thank you Thursday. Today’s shout out of Mission love goes to The Community Caring Collaborative (CCC) of East Machias, ME.
The CCC, founded in 2007, focuses in a growing number of areas, “to address the issues of at-risk infants, young children, and their families” in Washington County. The CCC is doing that work by finding ways to help nonprofits, government agencies, and other entities do their own work inside Washington County to address “the challenges of poverty, trauma, substance abuse, major health issues, the process of aging, or other factors can make people vulnerable.”
Mission Director of Services Programs Wendy Harrington said, “By building the CCC we have been better able to see the ways we can work together and strengthen what’s going on for the people in our county.” Wendy praises CCC as mentors, a partner organization, and for their generosity. “They’ve just been a good friend,” she summarizes. “Washington County is stronger because of the work CCC has done.”
The Sunbeam crew aboard Moonbeam in 2019 as it is lowered into the water for it’s maiden Mission voyage.
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME — Last month, Moonbeam, was sold to a wonderful organization, OceansWide, whose mission is to put students and scientists together at sea in the Gulf of Maine. Moonbeam did a great job for the Sunbeam crew members and island communities as the Mission’s interim boat during the refit.
Moonbeam will forever remain among the Mission’s list of hard working, dependable, boats. Thank you, Moonbeam.
CHERRYFIELD, ME — EdGE 4th and 5th graders learn basic drawing skills, via Zoom, from artist Kat Logan with Schoodic Arts For All in Winter Harbor, ME. Kat is teaching a You Can Draw! February Virtual Workshop this month.
In this photo, from EdGE Site Coordinator Jen Kearns, Kat is explaining how to shade correctly, based on how light falls on objects.
