The Downeast community celebrated Wendy Harrington with songs, speeches, and food at the Mission’s Downeast Table of Plenty (DETOP) on Sunday, August 28. Wendy semi-retired from the Mission in early 2022 and transitioned from being the Mission’s Director Downeast Service Program into the position of Scholarship Program Coordinator. Wendy said of the celebration “I was overwhelmed by the kind words, the music, the gifts, and the love coming my way. You created a day that touched my heart and my soul. It made me laugh, cry and left me full of gratitude for having the opportunity to work and play with you and so many other wonderful people.”
Wendy joined the Mission, with her husband Charlie, in 2002 and was instrumental in the creation of EdGE program. In 2007, Wendy became Downeast Services Program Director and began developing programs to support that community including supporting EdGE families. These initiatives including food security programs, housing rehabilitation, and community events on the Downeast campus have become a cornerstone for the Mission’s work. Wendy said previously of her role at the Mission, “My work was, and is, centered on families and community and the belief that children thrive when they have the support of the people around them.”
As the Scholarship Program Coordinator, Wendy will build on the work she started at the Mission 20 years ago. Working directly with students, Wendy provides support to those who need it, facilitating gatherings between some of the 80 scholars who receive funding from the Mission, reaching out to students, and much more.
The Maine Seacoast Mission’s Downeast Director Dr. Melvin D. Adams, III, EdD will leave his position on August 5 to pursue the role of Dean of Student Life at Maine College of Art & Design in Portland. His role on the Mission Downeast campus, in Cherryfield, and the wider community of Washington county has been meaningful. In his time with the Mission, Dr. Adams’ built on the existing team’s strengths and empowered them with greater responsibility to live the Mission’s commitment to serving the youth, families, and communities of Washington and Hancock counties through programs that leverage individual’s strengths and deep partnerships with schools and community organizations to serve more than 900 youth, families, and seniors. The Mission Downeast team has a deep commitment and passion for those we serve; lifting their voices; and cultivating connections.
President John Zavodny praised Dr. Adams for his contributions, “Mel has been the exact leader Mission Downeast needed at this point in time. He came in during the pandemic and led the team admirably through adaptation after adaptation. Mel’s love and respect for Maine and its people is clear in everything he does, and I’m certain that he will excel in his new role.”
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Adams ensured access to youth programs and expanded programming to meet increasing demand. He also deepened partnerships with Downeast nonprofits and education institutions. By focusing on such entities, Dr. Adams contributed to building a stronger network in local communities.
Dr. Adams said, “The heart of the Mission is the people we work alongside, serve, and that become part of the Mission family. Our work is rooted in compassion for others and finding their strengths to fulfill their life goals. Maine Seacoast Mission has afforded me an opportunity to know the wonderful, resilient, hardworking, and welcoming people of the Downeast region, especially Washington County. It is these qualities that connect us to each other, our neighbors, and our communities. I’m grateful for the individuals, Mission partners, and townships that have welcomed me into their communities. I will always carry the kindness and spirit of Washington County with me.”
Dr. Adams’ leadership has better prepared the Mission to meet community members’ needs. The Mission would like to express its gratitude to Dr. Adams for his dedication and hard work, and its staff wish him the best in his endeavors.
Learn more about Mission Downeast. An announcement for the open job position will be announced soon.
The Maine Seacoast Mission’s Sunbeam joined a fleet of boats circling Little Cranberry’s Bunker Cove in a somber goodbye to Ashley Bryan as his ashes were scattered into the sea. Ashley was known to the world as an award-winning author, illustrator, and artist. But too many people gathered, he was more than that: he was a friend, neighbor, and resident of a tightly knit community that called Islesford home.
Boats in Bunker Cove
Earlier that day, the Sunbeam delivered Mission staff members to Little Cranberry for a celebration of Ashley’s life. On Wednesday, July 13, on what would have been Byran’s 99th birthday, friends, family, and community members came together to honor Ashley. The Mission provided a livestream of the service for those who could not be in attendance and more than 1,300 people watched the event. During the memorial, family members and friends remembered Ashley’s community spirit, his love for the children growing up in Islesford, his famous grilled cheese sandwiches, and his ability to make everyone feel like family.
While Ashley’s impact was worldwide, his relationship with the people who lived and worked in this small sliver of Maine was truly special. To the people of Islesford, he was a loving neighbor who would help shovel driveways and pick up groceries on the mailboat. Reflecting on Ashley’s passing earlier this year, Douglas Cornman, Director of Island Outreach and Chaplain, wrote, “Ashley was the most human and humble of people. He wore his talents, recognition, wisdom, and intellect as casually as he wore his cardigan. I would be remiss if I ended without mentioning just one more of Ashley’s qualities that I admire. Upon reflection, perhaps, it is the one I admire most of all. Perhaps, Ashley’s most virtuous virtue and his most precious gift was his modeling for us that being authentically kind and giving and selfless and loving is obtainable.” A longer remembrance by Cornman, as well as a reflection by Director of Island Health Sharon Daley, can be found here.
Douglas Cornman, Director of Island Outreach and Chaplain, looking on from the Sunbeam
He was an islander until the end, and it was truly fitting for the Sunbeam to see him off. Ashley’s work continues to be shown across the country with a show featuring Ashley’s paintings alongside the poetry of Langston Hughes at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, a show at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, as well as a permanent exhibit at the Children’s Museum + Theatre of Maine in Portland.
Maine Seacoast Mission was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, to fund the Mission’s Island Health program. The overall objective of the Mission’s Island Health program is to improve the health and well-being of low-to-moderate income and under-served island residents by helping to build healthy, strong, and resilient communities.
Led by Director of Island Health Sharon Daley, RN, the program makes available basic medical and behavioral care, free of charge, to about seven hundred people on seven remote, unbridged islands lacking health care and related services: Frenchboro, Islesford, Isle au Haut, Great Cranberry, Matinicus, Monhegan, and Swan’s Island.
The Mission’s initial award of $10,000 was increased by $20,000 in late June. As part of the TD Charitable Foundation’s 20th anniversary celebration, employees were given an opportunity to choose their favorite out of four possible initiatives, each aligned to one of the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank’s corporate citizenship program. The initiative ranked highest in its metro region and was awarded $20,000.
Upon receiving the grant award, Mission President John Zavodny said, “TD Charitable Foundation’s grant supports the continuity of care that the Mission has provided for decades. The Foundation’s award ensures the Island Health program will help residents in need have affordable access to vital health care and we are most grateful for the support.”
“We are proud to support to Maine Seacoast Mission and this grant will break down some of the barriers to care for these island communities and improve health outcomes so residents can feel more confident not just about their health, but their future,” said Sheryl McQuade, Regional President for the Northern New England Metro and Board Member of the TD Charitable Foundation.
Based in part aboard the Mission’s 74-foot boat Sunbeam, Nurse Daley’s team provides telehealth appointments, health education, screening clinics, mental health counseling, in-home visits, professional referrals, and follow-up care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program administered vaccinations and boosters on the islands. Of the islands visited by the Sunbeam, over 90 percent of year-round residents depend on its programs in some way.
The Program also supports facilities and caregivers for the elderly on seven additional unbridged islands in southern Maine. Helping island residents successfully age in place is important to the health and vibrancy of island communities. The Mission sponsors an annual Eldercare Conference for these island caregivers and maintains a year-round network for sharing information and resources.
The TD Charitable Foundation’s generosity will help the Island Health program achieve its goals for 2022. The work happening this year includes:
Administering flu vaccines across islands
Providing Covid-19 boosters as necessary
Telemedicine access via Sunbeam
Visits by medical specialists for consultations
Referrals for mental health counselors and AA meetings
Continuing the Eldercare Network
Care management by phone and digital channels
Bridging islanders to off island resources for health insurance information
Covid-19 testing
Helping patients get off-island treatment
Providing financial and food assistance
The Mission looks forward to continued improvement through evaluation of the Island Health program’s impact and success in 2022. That evaluation is taking place, and will continue, through various methods. For example, Island Health has an annual program review, island public meetings, and informal check-ins following events. Partnerships with other health care providers help measure/monitor progress. The program is part of a Mission-wide initiative to become a more data-informed organization.
Maine Seacoast Mission thanks the TD Charitable Foundation for its belief in, and support of, its Island Health program. Learn more about the Mission’s Island Health services.
Maine Seacoast Mission is thrilled to announce the inaugural Davis Maine Scholarship receiving full, four-year scholarships have selected their colleges. Through the generosity of Andrew Davis and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund these six students from Washington County and eastern Hancock County have earned the opportunity to pursue undergraduate studies with full, four-year scholarships at one of three partner colleges: Clark University (MA), University of New England (ME), and Wheaton College (MA).
The Davis Maine Scholarship was created to ensure more students who are among the first from their families to attend college and are from rural Washington County and eastern Hancock County can pursue and complete undergraduate degrees untethered by financial burden. The Mission credits these students’ success to their perseverance, family support, guidance from high school mentors, and funding provided by Andrew Davis and The Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund.
Mission President John Zavodny said, “Each one of these deserving young people have already had an inspiring educational journey. The Mission is proud to be a part of supporting them on the next important leg. Our partnership with Mr. Davis and the Fund is grounded by a shared belief in Downeast youth.” The inaugural Class of 2022 Davis Maine Scholars include:
Mya Abbott of Franklin, the daughter of Chris and April Abbott, completed her education at Sumner Memorial High School this spring.
Mya has enrolled at Wheaton College in Massachusetts for the 2022-2023 school year.
This past spring, she shared her aspirations with us. Watch her interview to learn more about Mya.
Lisett Anderson of Harrington is the daughter of Rachel Vincellette.
Lisett graduated Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School this past June and has enrolled at the University of New England to continue her studies.
In May, we interviewed this young Scholar. Watch her video to learn what drives her.
Rachel Colby of Gouldsboro graduated from Sumner Memorial High School in June of this year.
She is the daughter of Jason and Laura Colby and has chosen to attend the University of New England this fall.
In Rachel’s interview, she graciously shares her hopes and aspirations for her future.
Emilee Hutchins of Winter Harbor. The daughter of Jeff and Tracey Hutchins, she graduated from Sumner Memorial High School in June.
She will attend the University of New England this fall alongside Mali Smith, Rachel Colby, and Lisett Anderson.
At her high school in April, Emilee shared her hopes for the future as well as gratitude for becoming a Davis Maine Scholar. Watch her interview to learn more.
Ana Rosa Valencia Jungo of Sullivan is the daughter of Elio Valencia Guzman and Rosalba Jungo Zavala.
After graduating from Sumner Memorial High School this spring, she will attend Wheaton College in fall 2022.
Ana interviewed with us this spring to share what motivates her. View her video to learn more about her incredible journey and her collegiate aspirations.
Mali Smith of Columbia Falls, daughter of Jason and Kimberly Smith, graduated from Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School this June.
She will attend University of New England in the fall.
In between classes this past April, Mali shared her excitement about being selected as a Davis Maine Scholar. View her interview to learn more about Mali.
In addition to the extraordinary financial support they receive, Davis Maine scholars benefit from program guidance and opportunities to ensure their successful transition to college, persistence through college and completion of their undergraduate degrees in four years.
In celebrating the Scholars, Davis Maine Scholarship Director Christina Griffith said, “Ana, Mya, Lisett, Mali, Emilee, Rachel – your story is a muscle. Use it, tend it and it will carry you far and always safely home again. And as our first Davis Maine Scholars, know that your footsteps already matter for those coming up behind you. Your courage to persist toward your 2026 college graduation will unquestionably inspire their own.”
Maine Seacoast Mission congratulates its Class of 2022 high school graduates and Davis Maine Scholars, their families, and their communities. To learn more about the program as well as the incredible partnership between the Mission and the Shelby Cullom Davis Fund, please visit the Davis Maine Scholarship web page.
Isle au Haut’s Union Congregational Church is a visible landmark to anyone coming to the island. Since 1857, its white steeple peeks through the trees to the shoreline. However, with a small congregation, the funds to continue upkeep on the building are limited. When the roof in the parsonage started to leak, the church turned to the Maine Seacoast Mission. The Mission’s Island Church Fund provided a grant that helped them fix the leak and cover the surprise expenses.
The fund provides grants to churches and established faith communities on outer islands that have a year-round population. Each year, between 15 to 20 churches are invited to apply for a grant of up to $500. The grant is part of the Mission’s Islands of Grace program which provides spiritual support for island residents and partnership to their spiritual leaders.
Seven churches were able to make much needed updates to their buildings including fixing broken windows, reducing mold, and replacing kitchen appliances after receiving a grant from the Island Church Fund. On Maine’s outer islands, churches can serve more than spiritual purposes: these sacred places also serve as community gathering spaces.
Monhegan’s Community Church is open to the whole community. The church brings in minsters-in-residence during the summer months, hosting chanting for peace and healing sessions, as well as being the space for the island’s jamboree which is an open-mic for island residents and visitors. When windows in the building broke, they approached the Maine Seacoast Mission for a grant to cover the expenses.
Douglas Cornman, Director of Island Outreach and Chaplain at the Mission says, “Island churches are a vital part of island communities. Not only do they serve as gathering places for the sacred and spiritual, but they are also beacons of hope in a broken world to all who see them. I am filled with gratitude for the Mission’s continued support of these beautiful, and often historic, buildings. My gratitude also goes to the dedicated women and men who work tirelessly to keep the church doors open. They are the real heroes of this story. Make certain to peek inside the church on your next visit to a Maine island. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.”
List of Churches Receiving Grants:
This year’s grants were given to Monhegan and Isle au Haut’s Churches as well as: Matinicus Congregational Church for a new hot water heater; Islesford Congregational Church to replace gutters and down spouts; Swan’s Island Baptist Church for a dehumidifier to reduce mold in sanctuary; Outer Long Island Congregational Church (Frenchboro) to replace kitchen appliances; and for the Pleasant River Chapel on Vinalhaven to replace the church’s front doors.
