News You Can Use from Project GRACE - November 2025 | | |
| We're looking forward to the holidays and celebrating with friends, family, and neighbors. | Check out the Scarborough Community Calendar for what's going on: holiday craft fairs, charity benefits, and special events like Sparkle in the Park on December 6th and the Maine POPS Holiday Concert on December 14. |
Below are links and reminders of resources you or a neighbor can use. Please stop by our website or social media for more news and updates. | | Experiencing Nature Improves Resilience and Connection | How are you looking after yourself? Are you connecting with the natural beauty all around us? Research underscores the positive impacts of nature on our social, psychological, and emotional life. "...Being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions." | Experiencing nature helps us to cultivate greater openness, creativity, connection, generosity, and resilience. We're fortunate to have public parks and beaches, the marsh and nature center, land trust trails... so many wonderful opportunities to get outside close to home in every season. | |
| Pantries Feeding Neighbors | |
The South Portland Food Cupboard, Judy's Pantry, Gorham Food Pantry, and the Scarborough Food Pantry serve individuals and families throughout South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Gorham and Scarborough. Communities, businesses, and families are pitching in with donations to help meet the need.
Scarborough Food Pantry
Tuesday & Thursday afternoons: 1:30-4:00
scarboroughfoodpantry
South Portland Food Cupboard
Tuesdays: 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Thursdays: 8:30 am – 11:00 am, first Wednesday evening of each month 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm.
southportlandfoodcupboard
Gorham Food Pantry
Thursdays, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
200-B Main Street Gorham
gorhamfoodpantry
| | Maine food pantries are welcoming and ready to help anyone who needs groceries. | | Community Thanksgiving Dinner | Scarborough's annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner is accepting reservations. We are glad an event we helped start 10 years ago is still going strong! Held at Wentworth School on Thanksgiving Day (11-1), Chef Peter Esposito and his talented team will serve a traditional roast turkey dinner with all the sides. Free. Open to the public. | RSVP online or call 730-4171. | Prefer to cook your own holiday meal, but need help with a turkey or the fixings? Stop by the Scarborough Food Pantry. Scarborough Kiwanis donated turkeys and Project GRACE and friends collected ingredients for classic sides. | | | Check out the offerings from the Scarborough Library, too. They have books and more: content to download, stream or borrow as well as fun programs and special events. Thanks to the Friends of Scarborough Library, with your library card, you can borrow passes to museums and area attractions. >>More Info | |
Have you heard? Community Services guide to winter programs and activities is available! Book winter programs and save the date for fun events! | | Winter is Coming: Heating Help | |
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP or LiHEAP) helps qualified homeowners and renters pay for heating costs. Benefits include help paying for fuel and emergency fuel delivery and energy-related repairs. The application process can take several weeks to complete, so don't wait to apply.
For an appointment, call the Opportunity Alliance at (207) 553-5900 or email energyassistance@opportunityalliance.org
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| Santa's Elves are Collecting Wish Lists Now - Apply Before Nov. 30. | |
Friends of Project GRACE and neighbors will be hosting community giving trees and donating special gifts for kids. Contact us at 883-5111 or email pgme@projectgracemaine.org for more info.
Requests for holiday help for families with kids living in Scarborough or Cape Elizabeth will be accepted now through November 30th. >>Application for Holiday Assistance.
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| Save the Date: Maine POPS Holiday Benefit Concert | Each Christmas holiday season, the Maine Pops Concert Band performs holiday benefit concerts for local charities.This year, the Maine Pops returns to the Westbrook Performing Arts Center on Sunday, December 14 (2:30 - 4:00 p.m.) Project GRACE is honored to be a beneficiary alongside the Animal Refuge League's pet food pantry. | |
| Schools Help Families with Weekly "Backpack Program" | Scarborough Public Schools’ "Backpack Program" can help a family's food budget go further, with food available every week on Wednesdays, Wentworth kitchen door (9:30-1:00). | To sign up, contact your child’s school or reach out to Tai Shao at 730-4703 or by email at tshao@scarboroughschools.org. FMI about the program and how to help. | | | METRO BUS COMING TO SCARBOROUGH | Greater Portland Metro is partnering with the Town of Scarborough and Maine Turnpike Authority to provide a new bus service between Scarborough and Portland along Route One in 2026. Read the Town's e-Newsletter to stay informed about this project and up to date on what is happening in town government and around town. FMI "Stay Connected" or click to subscribe. | | The Scarborough Public Library is having a swap! Share your washed, gently used children's clothing Friday, December 5th, 10:00-12:00. Help with the self-sort onto labelled tables, and then take what you like! Registration is not required, but it's helpful to know if people are interested. FMI: www.scarboroughlibrary.org | | NEW BEGINNINGS THRIFT SHOP | Blue Point Church's thrift shop (236 Pine Point Road) is open Thursdays and every 1st & 4th Saturday. >>FMI on FaceBook | "FRUGAL FRIDAYS" WITH TCFCU | |
Feeling frugal? Looking for ways to save money? Get great tips from Town & Country's Kate Kaden every Friday, including ideas for saving money during the holidays. Having a plan can help you stay on budget. Click the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9TLpWpuxa8
| | Could you use help minding your checkbook? Southern Maine Agency on Aging's Money Minders program matches trained volunteers with adults 60+ to organize financial resources, sort bills, make payments, keep checkbooks balanced, and avoid late payments or overdraft fees. | Community Cafes serve seniors in communities throughout York and Cumberland County, including here in Scarborough on Wednesdays. | |
Quick Links to Scarborough Resources | | We're Neighbors Helping Neighbors | | | | |
883-5111
pgme@projectgracemaine.org
www.projectgracemaine.org
| The best way to reach us is to call 883-5111 and leave a message. Volunteers will call back within a few days. | | | | |
