NEWS & UPDATES
Federal grant will cover nearly 47,000 more meals at Cumberland County soup kitchens
PORTLAND, Maine — U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced Monday that $93,000 in federal grant money will be used to pay for 46,500 meals at soup kitchens and food pantries in Cumberland County. The news comes three days before a community forum held by Portland’s task force on homelessness, a group created by city officials to
Ending Hunger, One Garden at a Time
Last week, I read a story in the Portland Press Herald that was perfect for this Philanthropy Friday series. The story, written by Avery Yale Kamila, was about how businesses in Maine were using employee-managed gardens to help stock local food pantries. Not only are companies like Harvard Pilgrim and Idexx Laboratories donating fresh produce
Letter to the editor: Numbers of homeless climbing
Make no mistake about it, homelessness in Maine is on the rise. Continued cuts to MaineCare and General Assistance programs mean only one thing: more people on the streets of our communities. Here in Portland, the streets are exactly where people will end up; we simply don’t have room in our shelters for any more
Hannaford president to receive Muskie award
PORTLAND, Maine – The president of Hannaford Bros. Co. was scheduled Wednesday to receive the 2012 Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access to Justice Award. Beth Newlands Campbell has supported many initiatives that promote equality and well-being, according to a press release issued Wednesday by Pine Tree Legal Assistance. The award is presented annually to recognize
Natural Foodie: Employee gardens encourage dirty hands, warm hearts
For the second year, Patty Cook is gardening on company time. A manager at Idexx Laboratories, Cook is one of hundreds of employees cultivating crops for local food pantries behind the global veterinary testing company’s sprawling corporate headquarters in Westbrook. "We delivered to the Sagamore (Village) Food Pantry last year," Cook said. "It was amazing
Telling the Truth About Homelessness
Foreclosures and unemployment are pushing middle class and low-income Americans out of their homes, and emergency shelters and food pantries are seeing record increases in demand for their services. Yet some recent reports suggest that homelessness is not increasing significantly. This is due to both flaws in the data they rely on and the narrow
Portland businesses, city have little recourse to deal with increase in panhandling
PORTLAND, Maine – Don Deitz labored to get to the driver’s side window of a small red car, damaged nerves in his legs making even the short walk difficult. He accepted a few dollars and a passing conversation from the driver, then returned to his cardboard sign and the corner of State Street and Park
Amidst Protest, Republican Backed Budget Passes Senate Vote
Augusta – Republican lawmakers in Augusta plan to use their majority to pass a state budget rewrite that makes up for an $80-million shortfall largely through cuts in social services. But Tuesday’s vote did not come without a fight. The Maine Senate has given the proposal initial proposal with a 19-to-16 vote along party lines.
Summer Starts Early for ‘Community Matters in Maine’ Fellows
Recently selected for summer placements in nonprofits throughout Maine’s midcoast, this year’s Community Matters in Maine fellows gathered recently to hear more about what to expect from the best source: alumni of the program. The students selected for the program met in Adams Hall with last year’s fellows Dan Peckham ’12 and Amar Patel ’13.
Maine Voices: Human-services nonprofits must take lead on knitting new safety net
PORTLAND — The somber news that Chicago’s Hull House had to close its doors after 122 years is as big a story in the human service sector as the collapse of Lehman Brothers was to the investment world. And, as the banking industry still struggles to right itself, so too social service agencies are trying
Citizens Tell Lawmakers: ‘Put Maine First’
More than 150 people from all over Maine brought a simple message to state lawmakers on Monday: “Put Maine First.” These citizen-lobbyists attended a legislative briefing organized by a coalition of groups working in the public interest and then made their way to the State House to have their voices heard. EngageMaine’s Ben Dudley: “In
General Assistance cuts could hurt veterans
PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — There are concerns that cuts in General Assistance funding could have a negative impact on veterans who are trying to get back on their feet. A number of veterans qualify for GA funding, which provides them with a temporary home while they wait for a place to live permanently. A
