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When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn't always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn't broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
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Here are a couple sections of Ms. Gorman’s poem that spoke to me about the work we are doing. |
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“The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it”
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“When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it”
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So many of my colleagues in the nonprofit space are dedicating themselves to understanding the role they/we have played in the present we have created and how to best step into that past and be brave enough to see it, be it & repair it.
MaineShare continues to be inspired by the difficult and slow work of our membership and the support of all of you.
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This January distribution is the first of two distributions we will do in 2021. MaineShare collects funds through workplace giving campaigns and non-workplace related fundraising throughout the year and distributes these funds to our current and recently lapsed members twice per year. The next distribution will be in June.
Thank you to all our donors & workplaces!
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Feb. 7th - Table Tour @ Viles Arboretum:
SOLD OUT! Viles Arboretum’s annual trail side meal featuring hot Soups & Chowders, a fireside Turkey Dinner, a taco bar, and Artisan Desserts is sold out this year, but you can still enjoy this Maine treasure any other day this year - just BYOP (picnic).
Hike it.
Ski it.
Snowshoe it.
The Table Tour is an important fundraiser for Viles. Visit their website if you would like to learn more about how to support the Arboretum.
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Call to Action & February 7th Talk On Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant
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Sign the petition asking President Biden to sign and then the Senate to ratify the treaty, and
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Send a letter to Representatives encouraging them to co-sponsor related legislation.
The treaty is based on treaties that successfully control chemical weapons, biological weapons, anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions. It bans the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession or stockpiling, transfer, control or receipt, use or threat to use, stationing or deployment of nuclear weapons.
The treaty is a milestone for peace and MPF expects to be celebrating it for years to come.
Join Maine Peace Fund/Maine Peace Action on February 7th from 2-3PM on Zoom.
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New Ventures ME Announces New 5-Class Career Course
Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:00am beginning February 9th
“The Career Planning class was instrumental in steering me in a direction that brought me great satisfaction and professional success” - Laurie
Are you interested in learning more about what career best fits you? Maybe you’re transitioning out of a job that no longer works for your lifestyle, family, or goals or you’re just starting out “My Next Career Move” Career course will prompt you to think about what kind of work you might enjoy, how it would fit into your life and how to pursue your chosen career.
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Ruckus Roundtables is a series of online conversations specifically designed for middle-school & up, but all ages are welcome. We want to spark curiosity, encourage conversations, and promote ways to challenge the status quo. This month, we'll hear from three YA authors and two, young, local authors about writing our voices, looking at different aspects of identity on the page. Click here for more information.
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MECASA'S Maine Human Trafficking Survivor Fund Provides Critical Support to Survivors
The Maine Human Trafficking Survivor Fund provided over $55,000 of support to 106 survivors, meeting 140+ needs in 2020. These needs include shelter, transportation, healthcare, clothing, phones, food, childcare, and home needs. This additional help fosters a victim's ability to find safety and to move towards healing.
You can donate to the fund and learn more about fighting trafficking in Maine at mainesten.org. Maine Sex Trafficking & Exploitation Network (Maine STEN) is a program of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
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Get the Kids Outdoors this Spring with Maine Audubon
If you have young children or know anyone who does, we’ve got great outdoor activities with some nature education thrown in! Maine Audubon’s Chickadee Club is a monthly subscription program for children ages 3-8 and their families. Digital club members get access to downloadable, printable activities, art prompts, templates, and more.
From scavenger hunts to nature arts and crafts, camouflage games to easy experiments, these are ready-made things to do with the little ones to interact with nature and get outside! Or, if you’re in Maine, you can purchase an activity kit available for pick-up at our nature centers in Falmouth and Holden. Kits are chock full of all the information, materials, and tools you’ll need for outdoor play and exploration, nature-inspired art, and more! More info: maineaudubon.org
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Genesis Helps Rockland Organization Expand to Better Serve Knox County
A few short years ago, Area Interfaith Outreach (AIO) was a small community service organization with big dreams. Assisting hundreds of Knox County households through its food pantry, weekend backpack meals program, and energy assistance program was becoming increasingly challenging to do effectively from their existing base of operations. They began to envision how much better they could serve their neighbors with a new, upgraded facility.
That’s when the Genesis Fund stepped in to help create a plan for the site’s acquisition and AIO’s eventual expansion, and eventually provided AIO with the financing to purchase the property as well. “If we hadn’t connected with Genesis when and how we did,” adds Jenkins, “we definitely wouldn’t be where we are right now.”
AIO officially opened its brand-new, state-of-the-art facility in 2020 just in time to address the over 850 new individuals the pandemic has sent to their door. Read the full story here.
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This is just a small sampling of the critical work MaineShare members do to build a better Maine. Please join us in supporting and learning from the great work of ALL our member groups.
Happy 2021 & here's to climbing that hill together.
In solidarity,
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Brenda Peluso, Interim Director
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