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A family of eight in Caribou, Maine was facing significant challenges with high heating bills which were exacerbated by their home's poor condition. With three children with challenging needs in the home, most of their income was dedicated to their care, so little was left for home improvements. The family reached out to ACAP for some help. The family's home, with windows dating back to the 1900s, had severe drafts, cracks, and biological materials on the inside window frames. Additionally, the basement lacked insulation entirely, and the attic had minimal insulation, creating a situation where the money they were spending on heating was almost quite literally flying out the window. Read More...

Portland Television Station WGME reported the following story last week, featuring an interview with ACAP Executive Director/CEO and Maine Community Action Partnership Energy Community of Practice Liaison Jason Parent on where the state stands in distributing Maine's Home Energy Assistance Program funds for the current Heating Season:

Demand is higher than ever in Maine for home energy assistance, now that relief is running low. The groups that administer that federal money say the cold winter and high demand has already depleted about 70 percent of those funds. Read More...

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a program that provides a fixed amount of funding to Maine each year from the federal government. Based on most current projections, we will stop processing new applications for the program at 5:00PM on March 28, 2025. We will make every effort to provide assistance to eligible applicants who submit a completed application by the deadline but cannot guarantee that assistance will be available.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

If you need assistance after the deadline, apply and we will keep a waiting list should there be funding available. We will work through the pipeline as quickly as possible, but please know that assistance is not guaranteed.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps qualified homeowners and renters pay for heating costs. Benefits include help paying for fuel and emergency fuel delivery. You can also qualify for energy-related repairs if you are eligible for HEAP.

The Home Energy Assistance Program has appointments available as soon as same day! Call 207-764-3721 to schedule your appointment.

NOTE: If you receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), any household members on the benefit letter are automatically income eligible for HEAP. If you are receiving federally-funded SNAP, any household members on the benefit letter are also automatically financially eligible for HEAP and receiving HEAP benefits could directly impact the amount of SNAP benefits your family receives!

*Household members not on the benefit letter will need to provide income statements and will be subject to income verification.

• In-Person Appointment: Schedule an in-person appointment at one of our ACAP offices, or by calling 207-764-3721. Appointments are now available as soon as the same day!
• Online Application: Complete an online application through an online portal that allows customers to complete their applications from the comfort of their own homes and upload the necessary supporting documents! Go to: https://ecos.mainehousing.org/

Thank you to our friends and partners at Waldo Community Action Partners for their generous sharing of around 300 beautiful new and new to us gowns!

Are you or someone you know in need of a prom dress? The Cinderella Project is here to help! We are offering free prom dresses to students for one day only. This is a fantastic opportunity to find the perfect dress for your special night without any cost.

Event Details:

• Date: One day only: March 22 from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm
• Location: Opportunity Training Center at 25 Lombard Street Presque Isle
• Donations Accepted Until: March 21 at ACAP Customer Service Center at 771 Main Street Presque Isle

How to Participate:

• For Students: Simply come to our event on the designated day to browse and choose from a variety of beautiful prom dresses.
• For Donors: Drop off your gently used prom dresses at our Presque Isle office by March 21.

Family Community Connections is an opportunity for parents to meet, ask questions, learn, and identify resources in their community to improve or enhance quality of life for families. Each meeting will have general topics like connecting to resources, breaking down goals into manageable steps, and meal planning on a budget! After the planned discussion topic, there will be an open discussion for parents to be able to connect with resources that might be available to them in their area and discuss topics that are important to them.

Meetings will physically take place at ACAP's Presque Isle Customer Service Center at 771 Main Street (near Walmart), but families can join remotely if needed! The first planned meeting will be April 2nd from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Attendees interested in attending should send a message to: RSVP@acap-me.org.

On March 3rd, Mike Paddleford and Omar Edgecomb from ACAP's Substance Use Prevention team participated in Caswell's "Literacy Day" event at the Dawn F. Barnes Elementary School. 35 students were separated into 6 groups that rotated throughout the school, finding a different activity at each station. Mr. Mike and Mr. Omar became an early fan favorite by offering the students Glow-in-the-Dark cupcakes and cheese sticks, while being read the children's story "Glow" by Kayla Diamond. The story shows that even a broken glow stick can find his own beautiful internal glow, while his unique external glow makes him even more special. Each group also participated in Restorative conversations while waiting to move to the next activity station.  

ACAP's Prevention Team is recruiting a local teen and an adult to participate in a commercial series that will be produced with WAGM TV and be broadcast on air as well as posted online.   

For more information contact: Theresa Dow at 207-554-4148 or tdow@acap-me.org.

The UMPI Education Club is excited to announce a community book drive and fair this April! The club is collecting used books from the community to support their upcoming D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read) event at UMPI.

Collection boxes will be placed in various community locations starting at the end of February. One of the donation boxes will be located at ACAP'S Customer Service Center at 771 Main Street in Presque Isle. Community members can drop off their used books in these boxes throughout the month of March. The collected books will be used at a community book fair on April 12 at UMPI.

The UMPI Education Club appreciates the community's support and looks forward to seeing everyone at the book fair!

Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month is recognized each March and is all about celebrating nutrition and its importance in our lives. It’s a reminder that making informed food choices and developing sound eating habits are crucial steps towards a healthier, happier life. On this month's edition of ACAP Today, Rachelle Roy, ACAP Program Coordinator, and Renee Bragdon, ACAP Community Educator, join Executive Director/CEO Jason Parent to talk about National Nutrition Month and the programs and services ACAP offers to support community members to gain access to healthy and nutritious foods across the lifespan.

In response to the recent announcement of a pending closure by a large Presque Isle-based childcare provider, and the continued childcare shortage throughout the region impacting parents and employers alike, Aroostook County Action Program is taking measures to add up to two school aged childcare classrooms at its Gouldville Early Care and Education Center on Park Street in Presque Isle within the coming months. The program expansion, which would provide after school and school break childcare for children 5 to 12 years of age, is contingent upon ACAP securing additional staff to operate the classrooms. The school age program would be similar to the one ACAP currently operates at the Caribou Community School, in partnership with RSU 39. Trained staff would engage youth in fun educational activities as well as provide time and support for school homework. Healthy meals and snacks would be provided. More information, including an exact start date for the program will be available soon. 

Parents are encouraged to apply now through our online application at https://acap-me.org/programs/earlycareeducation/ or by contacting ACAP’s enrollment specialist at 207-554-4175. 

AROOSTOOK CA$H COALITION FREE TAX PREPARATION APPOINTMENTS FULLY BOOKED: FREE ONLINE TAX FILING OPTIONS AVAILABLE

IRS has launched DIRECT FILE, a groundbreaking new service that will allow taxpayers to file their taxes online QUICKLY, EASILY, and FOR FREE.

Filing taxes is an important responsibility, and also a source of critical help for many of us who get hundreds or even thousands of dollars every spring in our tax refunds. Direct File is an exciting opportunity for you to access free, safe, and easy tax filing services. It’s time to say no to corporate greed and finally have a free solution that will allow you to file your taxes with respect and dignity.

The Easy Enrollment Tax Referral Program is the "check the box' option on your Maine state tax return form 1040ME to opt-in to receive more information about the health insurance options available to you. When you opt-in, you authorize the Maine Revenue Services to share your name and contact information with CoverME.gov. They will use this information to send you a communication about how to get enrolled. FMI visit: https://www.coverme.gov/learn/how-to-enroll/special-enrollment-periods

SNAPSHOT OF THE WEEK

ACAP Executive Director/CEO Jason Parent (left) and fellow Community Action Leaders Carter Friend of York County Community Action Corporation, and Joe Everett of The Opportunity Alliance in Portland spent part of last week meeting with members of Maine's Congressional Delegation and their staff members in Washington, D.C. to update the federal elected officials on the work of Community Action in Maine. The three CAP Leaders were representing Maine Community Action Partnership.

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