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ACAP is among several community organizations across Maine that will share in a $990,992 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Diaper Distribution Pilot. This award will help the Maine Community Action Partnership (MeCAP), of which ACAP is a member and key partner on this initiative, support caregivers with young children who are facing economic hardship and are working toward self-sufficiency, with a focus on families in eight Maine counties, including Aroostook, and tribal areas. MeCAP will also take advantage of the diversity of home visitation and other family-facing programs available through partner agencies, focusing on Maine families that have historically been marginalized by poverty, disability, geographic location, substance use disorder, and other external factors.

With this new funding, the Maine Community Action Partnership participating members and partner organizations will help caregivers who struggle to maintain enough diapers to keep their children safe, dry, and healthy, and will lift barriers to connect low-income families across Maine.

On top of the average cost of $11,700 per year for childcare in Maine, diapers alone can cost 8% of a person’s total income if they are making the federal minimum wage. In Maine grocery stores, a 100-pack of diapers costs around $30. 

The consequences of diaper need extend beyond the physical health of children; without a sufficient supply of diapers, families with low incomes face significant obstacles to their economic mobility and security. Diaper need can prevent children from attending childcare, caregivers from going to work, and families from achieving self-sufficiency.

The Diaper Distribution Pilot, within HHS’ Office of Community Services (OCS), is awarding $8.1 million to support seven new grant awards. Maine is a part of the third cohort of grant recipients. With this award, the Diaper Distribution Pilot, which is the first-ever federally funded program for diaper assistance will now serve 18 states and three tribal nations, through more than $24 million in grant awards. The Diaper Distribution Pilot helps caregivers with diaper need and connects families to wraparound social services to address the causes and consequences of poverty. 

The Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot is a federal program within the Office of Community Services (OCS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Diaper Distribution Pilot focuses on making it easier for families with low incomes to get the diapers they need by funding the expansion of existing diaper distribution services through a robust network of community partners that provide anti-poverty services.

In addition to providing diapers, grant award recipients and their partners, including community action agencies, social service agencies and diaper banks, will connect families to economic mobility and family support services such as job training, educational support, Early Head Start, housing services, and more.

For more information about the Diaper program, visit: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/diaper-distribution-pilot

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.

On the late September edition of ACAP Today, CEO Jason Parent catches up with members of the Agency's Early Care and Education Program Leadership to talk about the current state of childcare in Aroostook County and ACAP's response to help meet some of the need which grew significantly last month with the announced closure of a large provider of services in Caribou. To view the recording, click on the image above.

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

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Join us to learn more about your electricity bill, available assistance programs, and more. Refreshments will be provided. Don't wait, register today by calling 764-3396 or emailing to events@aroostookaging.org.

MaineHousing’s First Generation Pilot Program (First Gen) is a mortgage program for borrowers who have never lived in a home owned by their biological parents or legal guardians. The program is also available to borrowers who have been in foster care at some point in their childhood. This program makes it easier and more affordable to buy a home of your own by providing a low fixed interest rate mortgage, down payment and closing costs assistance, and education classes that offer valuable information to help you become a successful long-term homeowner. You must apply for a MaineHousing loan at one of our approved lenders. 

MaineHousing mortgage options include: 

• Education Classes - First Gen Applicants must take a MaineHousing approved Financial Literacy class and a hoMEworks or MaineHousing approved Homebuyer Education Class prior to closing. 
• Down payment and closing cost assistance - Once a First Generation borrower has completed a Financial Literacy class and hoMEworks or MaineHousing approved Homebuyer education class, the First Gen option provides $10,000 toward the cash you need for closing. First Gen Applicants must make a minimum borrower contribution of 1% of the loan amount. The cost of the homebuyer education class counts toward the 1% contribution.  
• Low fixed interest rates - MaineHousing’s low-interest rates can save the average homebuyer thousands of dollars over the full term of the loan. For the First Gen program, MaineHousing offers a zero-point mortgage option with a 1.00% discount on our already low First Home Loan interest rate. Current Rate Sheet
• Financing for mobile homes - MaineHousing offers mortgages for single- and double-wide mobile homes located on owned or leased land. With this program option, there is a purchase price limit statewide of $250,000 for mobile homes on owned land, and $200,000 on leased land. Interest rates are a little higher, and the term of the loan is based on the age of the mobile home.

For more information visit the MaineHousing.org.

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/

Anthony Noe, ACAP Navigator, and Theresa Dow, ACAP Program Coordinator, attended Aroostook Agency on Aging’s Document Shredding and Drug Takeback event this past Saturday. They were on hand to pass out information about ACAP services, at home safe medication disposal, and Deterra safe medication disposal bags. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network handed out educational information to help protect community members against identity theft. The Aroostook County Sherriff’s Department was available to collect any unused or expired medications.  

The Recovery Celebration at Riverside Park was a wonderful gathering of the community, mental health providers and organizations, recovering addicts, and behavioral science students and faculty. Those who spoke shared their stories of recovery. The consistent theme was the importance of breaking down barriers to access care and reducing different types of stigmas.

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...

Maine had no trouble meeting a 2019 goal of adding 100,000 new heat pumps to homes by 2025, so Gov. Janet Mills unveiled a more aggressive benchmark in July.

However, an additional, less-talked-about goal of installing 15,000 heat pumps in low-income households by 2025 has been harder to meet. A review of state data show Maine progressed about a third of the way to that goal in the last three years.

With 15 months left, the state has plenty of work to do. Still, leaders expressed optimism at reaching the target thanks in large part to another infusion of federal funding to help Mainers acquire heat pumps, which heat and cool homes using little energy. They typically cost about $4,000 but can save about $1,000 annually compared with fossil fuel-burning heaters. Read More...

Join us October 2-6 for #DigitalInclusion Week! Embrace the power of technology to bridge divides and empower lives. Let's make a difference, one connection at a time. @netinclusion #DIW2023

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

ACAP's HR Team - Carey Nelson, Jamie Guerrette and Roger Pelletier - attended the Northeast Society for Human Resources Management Annual HR Conference last week in Presque Isle. It was a great day of networking with other local HR professionals and education about topics concerning the management of human resources and business in general.

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The ACAP Community Closet at the Customer Service Center at 771 Main Street in Presque Isle is open 24/7 and available to anyone in need. Thank you to everyone who donates to the closet for helping us to make this free resource available to County residents.

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