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All ACAP Programs and Services will be closed on Monday, October 9, 2023

in observance of the Indigenous People's Holiday.

With news of the anticipated reduction in Federal Home Energy Assistance Program dollars for households heading into the 2023-2024 heating season, and the more recent announcement that the Low Income Assistance Program will increase eligibility for households having difficulty paying their electric bills in Maine, understanding what is what when it comes to key assistance programs this winter can be challenging to follow. To help clear any confusion, and speak about new programs and services available to the residents of Aroostook County, ACAP will host two Community Information Sessions on October 12 and 19 to brief community leaders and members.

Community members in need of assistance often turn to County municipalities, elected officials, non-profit organizations and churches for help. Representatives of each of these groups are especially encouraged to join in one of the two sessions.

To help community partners better serve families and individuals who call asking for assistance in the coming months, ACAP has scheduled two virtual (video conference) informational sessions to provide an overview of the programs currently available to support people across Aroostook County. 

Community Information Sessions will be held via Zoom on Thursday October 12, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm, and Thursday, October 19 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The same information will be shared in both sessions. If you are interested in participating, click on the button below for the date that best works with your schedule.

On the Early October edition of ACAP Today, CEO Jason Parent speaks with leaders of ACAP's Energy Assistance Program to learn what assistance is available for County residents in the heating season that is upon us. From reductions in benefits from the 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 heating season to ACAP's new Comprehensive Intake approach with customers, it's a wide-ranging conversation with Energy and Housing Program Coordinator Josh McAtee, Energy Program Manager Rebecca Bell and Program Associate Priscilla Steeves.

To view the Early October Edition of ACAP Today, click on the image above.

Join us in spreading awareness about the vital role Head Start programs play in nurturing the well-being of America’s families! By helping parents achieve family goals, such as housing stability, continued education, and financial security, Head Start programs are changing lives in communities across the U.S.

Learn more: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-support-well-being

For more information about ACAP Head Start services, visit: mhttps://acap-me.org/programs/earlycareeducation/

Versant Power will hold an Energy Literacy Day event in partnership with the Aroostook Agency on Aging on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the Aroostook Agency on Aging office at 260 Main Street in Presque Isle.

The event will include a one-hour presentation and Q&A session with information about understanding electricity bills, rate changes, and more. Versant Power representatives will be available to answer questions following the presentation. A representative from the Aroostook County Action Program will be present to answer questions about assistance programs and materials will be available from Efficiency Maine.

To RSVP to the event, please call the Aroostook Agency on Aging at 207-764-3396. Attendees without an RSVP are welcome if space permits.

Thank you to our friends at University of Maine at Fort Kent for the invitation to your 2023 Community Fair. Emily Kenyon, Family Coach, along with Community Educators Magen Leikam and Amanda Riopelle, attended the event last week and were able to connect with staff, students and community partners.

ACAP TEAM JOINS CARY MEDICAL CENTER'S 2023 FALL HEALTH FAIR

Health Fair Season is in full bloom and ACAP team members, Jessie Cote, Tony Noe and Kelly Edgecomb spent Saturday, September 30th at the Caribou Recreation and Wellness Center sharing information about ACAP programs and services at the Cary Medical Center Health Fair. Among the information and resources the team shared were those available to help local families navigate the roadblocks that Aroostook County winters can bring.

As work on the inside of the ACAP Supportive Housing Project continues for the facility that will soon house 13 one bedroom and studio apartments, and the future home of ACAP's Hope and Prosperity Resource Center, outside work on the complex took a very visible step forward last week when the upper and lower parking lots were both paved before cold weather sets in. The new facility is set to open in Winter 2024.

With an exact starting date to be announced soon, ACAP will be providing licensed school aged childcare to the Caribou community. The expanded partnership with RSU 39 is the latest effort to respond to the growing childcare shortage in Aroostook County, following the recent closure of a large Caribou-based provider. Highly trained staff will engage youth in fun educational activities as well as provide time and support for school homework. Healthy meals and snacks will be provided. The program will serve children 5 to 12 years of age. Open Monday- Friday during the school year from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm, and during school breaks 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. The School Age Childcare Program will be located at the Caribou Community School at 24 Bennett Drive. Parents interested in enrolling their children should complete the online application using the button below. To view/read the media stories on the planned expansion, click on the images/links below.

ARTS recently updated route schedules for the Northern, Central and Southern Aroostook regions. For information about rates, scheduling a ride, or any other questions, please call (207) 764-5246 or (800) 621-1011 or visit You've been... - Aroostook Regional Transportation System, Inc. | Facebook

VIEW SOUTHERN SCHEDULE

VIEW CENTRAL SCHEDULE

VIEW NORTHERN SCHEDULE

Beginning September 25, every U.S. household can again place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. Before You Throw Out "Expired" Tests: Check to see if your COVID-19 tests' expiration dates have been extended.

The COVIDtests.gov program has distributed over 755 million tests directly to more than two-thirds of American households, 310 million of which went to households in underserved communities. The U.S. government will continue to make COVID-19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Please contact a HRSA health center, Test to Treat site, or ICATT location near you to learn how to access low- or no-cost COVID-19 tests provided by the federal government.

Local area vaccine clinics for the fall season have been set. The schedule, shared with us to date, can be viewed by clicking on the button at the bottom of this article.

Vaccines have saved lives for over 100 years, but serious disease is still a threat. Vaccines have greatly reduced diseases that once routinely harmed or killed babies, children, and adults. People all over the world—including in the United States—still become seriously ill or even die from diseases that vaccines can help prevent. It is important that you stay up to date on recommended vaccines.

Vaccines help your body create protective antibodies—proteins that help it fight off infections.

By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself and also avoid spreading preventable diseases to other people in your community. Some people cannot get certain vaccines because they are too young or too old, or they have a weakened immune system or other serious health condition. Those people are less likely to catch a preventable disease when you and others around them are vaccinated against it. For more information talk to your Primary Care Provider or visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

Versant Power's charitable matching program to provide electricity bill assistance to customers in need is continuing to provide assistance to area residents. Through Versant’s partnership with Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), Penquis, and Downeast Community Partners (DCP), over $50,000 in electricity bill credits have been provided to customers in need.

The Team at ACAP is so appreciative of the partnership with Versant Power allowing us to meet a growing community need. This has been a challenging time for so many households in our community and through this partnership we are able to assist those who are need of support. To hear the relief in someone’s voice when you tell them that we are able to assist is so rewarding. This partnership has provided us the ability to lift that weight for households of all shapes and sizes in our community Read More...

High-speed internet helps you connect to the things that matter — like work, school, health care, and more. Nearly seven thousand households in Aroostook County have access to internet savings thanks to the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program.

Want to see if you’re eligible? Visit GetInternet.gov. 

If you need assistance contact ACAP at 207-764-3721 or help@acap-me.org

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SNAPSHOT OF THE WEEK

Members of our ACAP Human Resource Team stopped by the Caribou Center last week to share some coffee, donuts and smiles with the hardworking team at that location. We appreciate all this dedicated team does for children and their families each day.

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