When This Day is Over – Read ‘The Island Reader’ Online
‘Whatever Floats Your Boat’ – The Island Reader 2020 is a beautiful anthology reflection of Maine island life and culture.
Read it online or own a copy. Click here.
Remembering Penobscot Island Air’s Kevin Waters
ISLESBORO, ME — Kevin Waters ran Penobscot Air as he did his own life always the best he could do with hard work, respect and love. He expected the same of his employees and that makes Penobscot Air so special. Kevin’s big heart was evident in all he did. His work ethic, kindness and willingness to do what ever it took to make things happen. He gave himself and his love freely and was never afraid to show his emotions, his eyes filled with tears over happy and sad occasions.
He loved the islands and the people and was certainly loved in return. Kevin did so much good that he did quietly because it was the right thing to do and no one ever knew about it. He would be amazed to hear how people are honoring him, he was so humble. Kevin leaves a big hole in our lives, but I think he leaves an even bigger lesson for us as to how we should be, the world would be a better place with more Kevins. To remember Kevin with his great smile, his bear hugs and his “God loves ya you do good work” will always be there for us and many others.
Sharon Daley, RN – Island Health Services Director
Douglas Cornman, MA, BC-DMT – Director of Island Outreach and Chaplain
Journey Program Coordinator Delivers ‘Graduation in a Box’ to 8th Grade Journey Students
BAR HARBOR, ME — Congratulations Class of 2020 students and best wishes for high school!
Journey Program Coordinator Briana West ended the academic year with heart and spirit, delivering Graduations in a Box to our 2020 8th grade Journey graduates. Bri used this project to catch up with her students in person for the first time since schools shifted to remote learning as a Covid-19 precaution. The students loved their creatively decorated boxes that included leather journals, sweet treats and other celebratory bits!
Bri said she is looking forward to follow-up meetings, albeit physically distanced, with her students this summer.
Journey is a six-year youth mentoring program. Made possible by the Lerner Foundation and its mentoring-based initiative, Aspirations Incubator, Journey is designed to raise/sustain aspirations of rural Maine middle and high school students.
Mission Builds, Gives Away, Gardens in a Box
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Building and offering gardens in a box was a new way for the Mission to meet the food requests for its Downeast community families. Local Folklore Farm provided seedlings, such as the tomato plant pictured here, as a starter pack. All forty gardens in a box found new homes.
Covid-19 Fast-Tracks Mission Family Food Center Plans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2020
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact – Scott K Fish, Communications and Marketing
sfish@seacoastmission.org or 207-458-7185
CHERRYFIELD, ME — When Maine Seacoast Mission Director of Service Programs Wendy Harrington read the news about Covid-19 restrictions in March 2020, she knew it meant big changes for the Mission’s food programs Downeast. She also knew the Mission has helped communities through crises for as long as it’s been around. This latest crisis would be a chance for the Mission to help and to grow.
Months earlier, the Mission had started bringing together all its food security programs within a Family Food Center that would make it easy for families to access education, food, community, and resource support in one place. The food pantry, Downeast Table of Plenty (DETOP), Weald Bethel garden, and child/senior hunger programs would be part of an integrated continuum of services supporting family resiliency.
Covid-19 precautions caused a spike in the number of people turning to the Mission food pantry for help. Wendy Harrington said, “To meet the need, we recruited staff from other Mission programs which were on hold because of Covid-19.” Mission staff, including EdGE instructors, and volunteers stepped up to fill the need at the pantry.
Before, customers shopped at the Mission food pantry as they would any food market. As a coronavirus defense, the pantry doors were closed to the public. Instead, customers are now served by a new drive-through system. It includes an online food order form and the ability to call in food orders to Mission staff. Customers place their orders; volunteers and staff box them up and then place the boxes in cars as customers move along the drive-through.
The Mission also increased food deliveries to people unable to get to the food pantry, or who relied on meals served at the DETOP suppers.
As more and more people lost wages, experienced layoffs, and relied on the food pantry for daily sustenance, long-time Mission food pantry partners became even more important. Good Shepherd Food Bank, Shaw’s and Walmart in Ellsworth and government programs and private donors either provided funds to buy more food, or increased the variety and amounts of donated produce, meats, and dairy products.
The Mission’s food distribution partnership with nonprofit Mano en Mano in Milbridge also grew. The Mission worked with Mano en Mano staff to acquire and offer food staples to over 150 Latinx family households. An initial donation from McKays Public House in Bar Harbor, followed by a grant from Good Shepherd Food Bank, helped make this happen.
The Mission food pantry also teamed with Folklore Farm in Milbridge to provide local produce. Intervale Farm in Cherryfield offered dormant blueberry freezers to accommodate a large donation of fresh meats for the pantry. As a new Family Food Center initiative, also in tandem with local farmers, the Mission built and distributed 40 Gardens-in-a-Box, and 150 tomato plants in containers to local families.
The Mission Family Food Center is well underway and embracing new opportunities to strengthen community. We encourage you to watch and share our new video short depicting our work with our emerging Family Food Center programs.
Learn more about Maine Seacoast Mission’s food security programs.
Mission July 2020 eNewsletter Now Available to Read or Download Online
BAR HARBOR, ME — The Mission’s July 2020 eNewsletter is available now online (PDF). Includes updates on our MissionTogether August 14 Virtual Event, Mission 2020 Scholarship recipients, new Mission Directors, a Sunbeam update, a Downeast Maine Tiny House Project update, and more.
You can also subscribe to our eNewsletter. Click here.