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As the result of the significant increase in the number of households determined eligible for the Home Energy Assistance Program and fuel assistance benefits issued this program year, Maine’s HEAP program will discontinue taking new applications after Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

ACAP will continue to certify 2023 HEAP applications received prior to April 12, 2023, and MaineHousing will process benefit payments until HEAP fuel assistance funding is exhausted.

ACAP and other Maine Community Action Agencies will continue utilizing State Winter Energy Relief Program funding to assist households. The start date for intake appointments for the coming HEAP program year of 2023-2024 is still to be determined but will commence this summer.

MaineHousing and its Community Action Agency (CAA) partners, including ACAP, have served an additional 30% more households this heating season than last year, equaling more than 9,000 additional households than at this point in last year’s program. 

The Aroostook CA$H Coalition has completed over 1,000 tax returns county-wide!

Thank you to our partners United Way of Aroostook and The County Federal Credit Union and all of the volunteers who make this program possible!

With the sudden closure of the Aroostook Center Mall in late February, the Aroostook CA$H Coalition moved its Presque Isle tax preparation appointments to ACAP's Customer Service Center near the Walmart facility at 771 Main Street in Presque Isle to complete this year's filing season. Volunteers with the program began preparing taxes again this year on February 8th. IRS tax law certified volunteers provided free tax preparation and financial checkups for low to middle income households earning less than $58,000 in 2022.

In addition to free tax preparation, Aroostook CA$H Coalition Sponsor, The County Federal Credit Union, along with Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), helped individuals access financial resources and services to support the basic needs of the household. 

Acme Monaco employees continue with their tradition of commitment to our local community. This year their team collected enough donations to put together 30 Spring Baskets, allowing the ACAP Family Coaches to distribute the baskets and bringing some sunshine to the spring season for many of the families we serve. THANK YOU!

Acme Monaco is a world class manufacturer of metal formed products with two manufacturing facilities in the Skyway Industrial Park in Presque Isle. Their team employs a unique mix of equipment, much of which is designed and built in-house, to provide product offerings including custom guidewires, orthodontic archwires, medical grade springs, stampings, fourslide parts and wire forms.

Pictured above (far left) is ACAP Coach Nick Weeks receiving the baskets from Acme Monaco Plant Manager Mark Jarrett (second from left) and members of his team.

Changes are happening with MaineCare. To make sure people receive this information, the state is asking all MaineCare members to make sure their contact information is complete and current. 

MaineCare recipients are encouraged to log in to My Maine Connection or call 1-855-797-4357 to confirm or change your contact information. Read More...

This week's ACAP Today features a conversation about all things Broadband across the state of Maine. ACAP CEO Jason Parent is joined by Jared Tapley from Northern Maine Development Commission, Myles Smith from Maine Broadband Coalition, Kendra Jo Grindle from Maine Connectivity Authority and Jamie Chandler, ACAP Chief Operating Officer. The guests discuss efforts to get more Maine and Aroostook County households connected with high speed internet.

The Maine Connectivity Authority is producing a Broadband Action Plan (BAP) to access unprecedented federal funding. This plan will identify priorities for investment in broadband and digital equity, and will serve as the state’s five-year roadmap to bring the economic, health, educational, and social benefits of high-speed internet to all Mainers.

To develop that plan, we are collecting feedback from Maine people, communities, businesses, and organizations through the new Maine Broadband Survey. Click below to share your voice and broadband priorities.

ACAP will have a booth at two upcoming popular springtime trade shows in southern Aroostook and the St. John Valley. Attendees at the Southern Aroostook Trade Show in Houlton and Top O' Maine Trade Show in Madawaska are encouraged to stop by the ACAP booth to learn more about programs and services and for some free giveaways. Among those participating in both shows are members from Energy and Housing, Early Care and Education, Youth Homeless Demonstration Project, Prevention Services, Coaching and Workforce Development. Details on each show are below:

ACAP will offer its next hoMEworks approved 8-hour homebuyer education class taught by industry professionals (lenders, home inspectors, and real estate agents). The next scheduled class is set for Sunday, April 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be held virtually via Zoom.

The hoMEworks homebuyer education classes provide an opportunity to learn about the home buying process in a neutral environment. The course is open to the public and registration is required.

·   Participants will receive a certificate of completion for Homebuyer Education which can be presented at participating local Maine State Housing lenders.

·   Local lenders, realtors, and title companies participate in our live classes to provide participants with information around what to expect when buying a home and its processes.

·   Participants may be eligible for up to $5,000 through the MaineHousing Advantage Program that could be used toward closing costs or down payment.

·   Those eligible upon completion may qualify for a matched savings account. The program will contribute $4 for every dollar put in the program by the participant.

To register or for more information, including future class dates, contact Theresa Dow at 207-554-4148 or tdow@acap-me.org.

On Friday, May 19, 2023, Prom for All will be held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Sponsored by Pride Aroostook, music will be provided by Hands Up Entertainment & DJ Cory Tilley.

Prom for All (for high school aged youth) is one night when youth can wear what they like and dance the night away in safety and around other LGBTQ+ youth from Aroostook, Washington, and northern Penobscot Counties.

A chocolate and candy bar will be featured refreshments. Any and all students of high school age are welcome to attend (state or school id will be required).

May 20, 2023, Pride Aroostook will host a Gala & Silent Auction: We Are Family! Come As You Are, Dress As You Want. Dinner music will be provided by the Pelletier Lovejoy Jazz Ensemble! Dancing at 8:00 p.m. with Hands Up Entertainment & DJ Cory Tilley.

Sit-down dinner, cash bar, dancing and silent auction all to support the work Pride Aroostook is doing to build a welcoming and inclusive community affirming the experiences of rural, small town and country LGBTQIA2S+ folks. Pride Aroostook aims to support County residents as they provide spaces to thrive as their whole and authentic selves with support from our allies. 

All ACAP services, programs and administrative functions that called their home for the better part of the past two years at 1 Edgemont Drive in Presque Isle have relocated to 480 Main Street in the heart of Downtown Presque Isle. The Hope and Prosperity Resource Center, prevention services and agency administrative offices are now located on the corner of State and Main Streets in the iconic four-story Vision Care of Maine building, known by many as the former home of Key Bank. The one exception is ACAP's Human Resource Team which has relocated to the Agency's Presque Isle Customer Service Center at 771 Main Street in Presque Isle, near Walmart.

The move for the HPRC is a temporary one while construction on the 1 Edgemont Drive building is underway over the next year to transform it to The County's first-of-its-kind supportive housing facility that will include the resource center on the ground level.

ACAP's Hope and Prosperity Resource Center is now located on the second floor at 480 Main Street in Presque Isle.

Looking to support others in your community? If so, consider jumping on the meal train to provide a meal to residents at the Hope and Prosperity Resource Center. Lots of dates to choose from and each meal is so appreciated.

Between 20 and 30 individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity access the services of ACAP's Hope and Prosperity Resource Center each day. While on-site, participants work on searching for housing and employment, as well as other skill building efforts. Lunch and snacks are provided daily. The new, temporary facility is equipped with a standard home kitchen-sized oven (no stovetop), so dishes in oven-safe containers can be cooked or heated up on site. The facility is also equipped with two refrigerators if community members need to drop off items for staff to later cook or heat up.

The Hannaford Community Bag Program, which launched in October 2015, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. 

ACAP was selected as the April 2023 beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Hannaford located at 33 Ludlow Road in Houlton. ACAP will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 Hannaford Community Bag is purchased at this location during April, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag. For more information on the Hannaford Community Bag Program, visit hannaford.2givelocal.com.

A new video highlighting a charitable matching program between ACAP, Penquis, Downeast Community Partners and Versant Power that provides electrical bill credits to customers in need has been produced and released to the public. Versant Power has agreed to match all donations up to $200,000 and has provided an additional $60,000 seed fund to immediately begin helping their customers. 

Power Match will be facilitated and administered through community action programs in Versant Power’s service areas. These programs include ACAP, Penquis and Downeast Community Partners (DCP). Of the $60,000 seed fund, each community action agency initially received $20,000. The matching fund amount of $200,000 will be distributed amongst the three agencies as donations received through their individual donation portals. Read More...

SAFE DRUG DISPOSAL AVAILABLE AT COUNTY POLICE STATIONS

Dispose of your unwanted or unused mediations at any Aroostook County Police Department. For details and times when medications can be dropped off contact your local station. Medications can also be dropped off at select Aroostook County pharmacies. FMI visit: hacap-me.org/programs/preventionwellness/

Visit: https://safemedicinedrop.com/locations/maine/ to view a current list of Inmar Drug Takeback Boxes.

Improving ventilation at home can help protect you and others from getting and spreading COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

Here are some ways you can improve ventilation in your home:

• Bring as much fresh, outdoor air into your home as possible—for example, open windows
• Consider using a portable air cleaner
• Use fans to improve air flow

CDC’s interactive tool can help you see how much you can improve ventilation in your home.

Free at-home COVID tests are available:

• Households can request free at-home rapid COVID tests from the federal government. Visit COVIDtest.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).
• Maine Households may also order free COVID-19 tests once a month through Project Access COVID Tests (Project ACT). Households in Maine may place one order per month through the Project ACT website and receive one free kit of five rapid tests mailed to their home address

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at preventing severe illness and can help limit the spread of the virus that causes it. For the best protection, everyone 6 months and older should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting boosters if eligible. Primary series and updated booster vaccinations are available at locations across the state.

Visit: https://www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines/vaccination-sites to find vaccination site near you.

WELCOME TO THE ACAP TEAM

Amanda Lamoreau

Ed Tech

Jess Atkinson

Coach

Amie Gagnon

Ed Tech

Haley Perkins

Teacher Aide

JOIN THE ACAP TEAM

ACAP has a dedicated team who work to help keep people warm, safe, and dry in their homes with a variety of programs that offer education or assistance in areas of heating and energy efficiency, home purchase, repair, and assistance for people facing foreclosure or eviction. We assist job seekers with going back to school, or developing skills and help people overcome common barriers that might stand in their way in areas such as transportation and childcare. ACAP is helping to build a stronger, healthier community by collaborating with local and statewide organizations to offer prevention services that focus on nutrition, oral health, substance use, tobacco, obesity and youth engagement. Join the ACAP team and help to make life better in Aroostook County!

SNAPSHOT OF THE WEEK

We are supporting our friends at Aroostook Council For Healthy Families and helping to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month. National Child Abuse Prevention Month (NCAPM) recognizes and acknowledges the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment. Captured in our Snapshot of the Week are (left to right) Executive Assistant Gloria Duncan, Director of Advancement Sherry Locke, and Executive Director/CEO Jason Parent holding a container of Whoopie Pies and a sign both delivered by Healthy Families Aroostook.

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