The employees of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently donated $2,780 to the Mission through the bank’s “Casual for a Cause” charitable giving initiative. Employees who participate in “Casual for a Cause” dress casually on Fridays in exchange for a payroll deduction to collectively fund a charity. The bank matches 50% of the total donation made by its staff. Each quarter, the employees vote on which nonprofits will receive their contributions. In the fall of 2023, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees selected the Mission as a recipient.  

The Mission will apply the donation to its Journey program, which serves 7th to 12th graders in Washington County. Downeast youth participating in Journey explore the outdoors and their communities to develop the tools needed to successfully transition to high school and through higher education and career pathways. The program provides individual support, outdoor excursions, immersive experiences, access to professionals, college exploration opportunities, preparation workshops, and help applying for scholarships. Participating students benefit from the Mission’s close partnerships with local middle and high schools, colleges, and community organizations.  

Since the “Casual for a Cause” giving program began in 2018, the bank and its employees have donated more than $250,000 to more than 115 nonprofit organizations serving Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont residents. In addition, each year, the bank donates to more than 450 community organizations across Northern New England. The bank works to partner with nonprofits to enhance local projects and programs that provide crucial services for those in need. The bank’s partner organizations support affordable housing, economic development, financial literacy, arts and culture, youth and family, and health and human services. Since the Mission’s founding in 1905, Bank Harbor & Bank & Trust has been a committed support of the Mission.  

“Casual for a Cause is a great opportunity for our employees to be philanthropists together,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “By combining their individual contributions, our employees are able to make significant donations to nonprofit organizations that are, in turn, making a difference in our communities. This is truly a testament to our belief that good things happen when we work together.”   

Their answers touched on both the academic and social changes they experienced. Marissa, Joseph, and Laney noted the academic challenges they encountered with their college courses being quite different than their high school classes. Their responses stressed the importance of asking for help, making new study habits, taking detailed notes in class, and going to professors’ office hours. Marissa, who is attending Clark University, writes “I was surprised to find that my biggest challenge was studying for mid-terms and finals. I had to devote a lot more time studying for exams.” Joseph, at UNE, and Antonio, at Clark, both said scheduling and time management were new things they had to figure out during the semester. These answers were similar to those of last year’s cohort of Davis Maine Scholars, who also remarked the change in academic demands from high school to college was sometimes overwhelming until they figured out a system which worked best for them.  

And knowing they had this support, the Scholars tried new things. Tori, who is attending Clark, says she tried new foods and hobbies, even things she never thought she would try. She says this “can be enjoyable even if the experience of the new thing is bad, like having boba tea for the first time and getting it in matcha, a double whammy of things I never tried before.” She also started volunteering for an afterschool program. Antonio found out he had a passion for making music and started playing squash. Marissa started cooking and was “able to develop a great circle of new friends who supported her.” 

And with this help from the Davis Maine Scholarship, the Mission, their colleges, and their families and friends, these students are more likely to succeed and graduate from college. First-generation students are less likely than their peers to graduate from college and access the resources their institutions provide from studying aboard to career counseling. However, with more support, this changes. UNE offers a First Generation Bridge program for students and Clark has an Office of Identity, Student Engagement, and Access that supports first-generation students and helps them learn more about what opportunities are available for them.  

The Davis Maine Scholarship program is also trying to help students succeed by creating a series of workshops for high school students. These workshops focus on many of the topics the Scholars have highlighted as things they wanted to learn more about time management, how to transition from high school to college academics, and more.  

Juniors at Narraguagus Jr/Sr High School, Sumner High School, and students participating in Bowdoin Upward Bound in Washington County can apply for the Davis Maine Scholarship starting on March 1. 

To learn more or apply for the Scholarship, visit the Davis Maine Scholarship web page. 

The Mission’s Housing Improvement program works to make homes warm, safe, and dry. Each summer hundreds of volunteers fan out across Downeast Maine replacing drafty windows and doors, creating easier access to homes with decks and stairs, and much more. Homeowners in Washington and eastern Hancock Counties can now apply for this year’s program.  

Since the program began in 2003, hundreds of volunteers have traveled to Downeast Maine to help with the program. “This program has allowed community members to stay in their homes which is vital to our mission of supporting and strengthening communities,” says Jennifer Kempthorne, Housing Improvement Program Director.  

In addition to providing repairs, the Mission partners with Downeast Community Partners (DCP) who identify homes DCP can weatherize after Mission volunteers make improvements. This work lowers homeowners’ heating costs over time. This partnership between the Mission and DCP is supported by the C.F. Adams Charitable Trust. The Mission also works to connect homeowners with other resources and services offered by the Mission and other community partners.  

Homeowners qualify for Housing Improvement program if they:  

• Self-identify as low to moderate income 
• Provide proof of homeownership 
• Own one home  
• Live in the home receiving repairs  
• Live within a 30-minute drive from the Mission’s Cherryfield campus  

Homeowners can apply online through the Housing Improvement web page. For assistance in applying, call (207) 546-4466 or visit the Mission’s Cherryfield office.  

The Mission is also currently accepting applications for volunteer groups. Interested groups can contact Jennifer at [email protected] or call (207) 460-9322.

The Mission is now accepting volunteer groups for the 2024 season. Housing Improvement Program Director Jennifer Kempthorne shares, “Volunteers make this program possible. Their support and commitment to the program allow us to focus our resources into repairing more homes.”

William Mennell has been coming to volunteer with Mission for three years with his church group. The group includes a mix of adults and teens, and William explains while people might be unsure if they can help without knowing much about building, anyone can make an impact. “You do not have to be a ‘weekend warrior’ or even handy. You do not have to be an expert,” he says. “There is always a leader you can look to.” With the teens he volunteers with, they often show them how to do a piece of the project and then let them go to work, providing guidance when needed. He adds the Mission always provides support and there is always a Mission staff member on hand at each site. 

Jennifer pairs volunteers with projects that fit their skill sets with many properties having multiple needs. This means everyone has a role and task for the day and throughout the week. Volunteers with more building experience can tackle larger projects like building ramps or replacing doors, while other volunteers can work on mudding or painting. 

William says he has continued to volunteer at the Mission and in Downeast Maine because the group sees the impact they are having on the community. There are often multiple groups volunteering at the same time which is “great for the kids to interact with and learn from each other.” 

 The Mission is now accepting applications for the Housing Improvement program. Interested groups can reach out to Jennifer. 

On a cold morning on Islesford, island residents walk into the Neighborhood House with thermoses and water bottles in hand. A father together with his young son explained his family’s reluctance to drink the water that comes from their tap that may or may not contain chemicals or contaminants. When the preschool class came to the library for story time, a school aide brought a water bottle and wondered what might be in the school’s tap water, which was in her water bottle. 

This is why Sunbeam Nurse Simone Babineaux and Island Services Program Coordinator Margaret Snell are on the island this morning. Six community members arrive to have their well water tested and learn more about safe water, while another test was left for pickup. 

Statewide, around 40% of Mainers rely on wells. On outer islands, that number rises to nearly 100%. Well water, unlike public drinking water, does not need to be tested for chemicals, which means islanders are unsure if their well water is safe to drink. 

After catching the mailboat over, a bag of test kits in hand, Island Institute Fellow Morgan Karns sets up at the Neighborhood House. She helps islanders through the Lab’s questionnaire, which asks about their knowledge about, and opinion of, their water, filtration systems, arsenic, and more. Alongside the water results, the questionnaire provides valuable information to the Lab’s Associate Professor of Environmental Health Jane E. Disney, the lead researcher for the All About Arsenic + program. 

Morgan walks residents through the questionnaire, and then gives islanders a kit to take home to test their water. For residents who already brought a sample of their water, Morgan helps them do the test. Once a test is completed, the kits are deposited at a central collection point on the island, where the Mission retrieves them. The kits then go to Dartmouth Trace Element Analysis Core for testing. The Lab and the residents receive the results and are counseled on mitigation measures they can take to improve water safety.  

The Sunbeam be travel to Frenchboro and Isle au Haut to meet with island residents to offer well water testing and Mission staff are working on visiting all 15 islands this spring.  

This initiative is part of Island Health’s partnership with the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory for their Health Water, Healthy Aging program.  

Moira, a sophomore at Wheaton College, still remembers when she received the call she was awarded a Mission Scholarship. “I could not stop saying thank you before I ran to tell my mom” she adds, “The Mission Scholarship has allowed me to study at an academic institution I love.” Every year, the Mission awards scholarships to approximately 20 new students, and at any time there are roughly 75 active Scholars receiving more than $200,000 in support. Recent high school graduates and adults who have received their GED or HiSET can now apply for scholarships for the 2024-2025 academic year.  

Moira first heard about the Mission Scholarship program from the administrator at Charles M. Sumner Learning Campus, who thought the Mission’s program was a good fit for Moira. She says, “The application process was a little nerve wracking, like most new experiences,” but throughout the process Mission staff were kind and encouraging. Belinda, a junior at Husson University, agrees the application process was made accessible by Mission staff. And once they received the scholarship, both Scholars say the Mission was instrumental in helping with their transition to college.

Belinda says the Mission gave her resources and a cohort of students she could talk to about transitioning from high school. She adds before she started college the Mission, “Offered me a lot help getting my schedule and financials in order.” Moira says the Mission staff “were always happy to chat with me if I had any questions, connect me with resources that might help my academic career, and show their support in little ways that mattered, like an email or phone call every now and then to check in.”  

“The application opened January 1, which gives applicants nearly three months to complete it, and applicants can look forward to a clear and streamlined application process,” says EdGE Secondary and Post-Secondary Program Director Christy Oliveri. “We also offer regular workshops for our scholars once they enter college, on topics ranging from time management to graduate school.” 

The Mission accepts applications through Friday, March 29. Applicants must submit an application, transcript, and a letter of recommendation. Scholarships will be awarded in May. To learn more or apply, visit the Mission’s Scholarships web page.