VOA Fall Newsletter

A note from our CEO

Dear Friends of VOA!

Welcome to our first VOA Northern New England newsletter! We are thrilled to hear that you have an interest in the work and mission of VOA in Maine and New Hampshire.

Summer saw another wonderful Camp POSTCARD program that granted over 100 youth a free summer camp experience. For over 30 years VOA has managed Camp POSTCARD with first responder volunteers to give you the opportunity to explore life on the lake and in the woods. This year the biggest hit was our inflatable trampoline in the lake which allowed the kids an opportunity to jump and soar into the lake! Please see the article below about how donate to Camp POSTCARD or free school supplies to Maine children to help families feeling the pinch of rising household costs.

I'm getting a lot of questions about how the national economy and public funding is impacting our nonprofit services. Every family, veteran, youth and persons with disabilities VOA serves is impacted by our region's housing crisis and struggling to meet rising costs to maintain a home. In response, VOA has stepped up to build more housing and offer increased outreach to people experiencing homelessness. VOA was chosen as one of only 5 nonprofits in Maine to launch a new housing program (25 new apartments) in Augusta! In collaboration with MaineHousing and the Developers Collaborative, we hope to break ground next year to help people get off the streets, out of shelters, and achieve long term stability!

We could not reach our goals with friends and supporters like you! I remain convinced that our VOA team offers some of the highest quality health, housing, and social services in our state. We couldn’t do this alone, and your support means the world to us. I hope you will share this newsletter with your friends and neighbors. Have a wonderful fall season in New England!

Rich Hooks Wayman

CEO, VOA Northern New England

Donate Now

Team Depot at Cabin in the Woods

Volunteers and community supporters play a vital role in helping our residents thrive. Their time, skills, and generosity make an incredible difference in maintaining safe, welcoming spaces for those we serve. One outstanding example is Team Depot, The Home Depot’s volunteer crew dedicated to uplifting local nonprofits through hands-on service projects. This year, Team Depot once again spent the day at Cabin in the Woods for a Day of Caring. The team removed an old fence from the property and installed a beautiful new pressure-treated enclosure that is ADA-compliant for the residents. Thank you, Team Depot, for your continued support and commitment to our mission!

Click here to learn more about volunteering with VOA!

Operation: Brew & 'Que 2025

We celebrated five years of Operation: Brew & ’Que on October 2 at Erik’s Church in Windham, raising over $14,000 to directly support previously unhoused veterans in Maine. These funds help sustain housing and social support services through VOA’s veterans programs—including safe, supportive housing, case management, transition services, and job training—for veterans experiencing homelessness in our state. You can still make a difference: please consider donating today to support our veteran housing and reintegration programs.

Mark your calendars now for Operation: Brew & ’Que on October 1, 2026!

Learn more at brewquemaine.org

Uplifting Families Together in York County

Did you know that Maine has thousands of children who are impacted by the fact that a parent is in jail or prison? The disruption to a child’s life can’t be understated, yet very few resources exist to support these families and the children left behind.

VOA, through a grant from the Department of Justice and in partnership with the York County Sheriff’s Office, has launched the Uplifting Families Together program. For the next two years, we will deliver parenting skill training and support to parents in the York County Jail and deploy a Youth Advocate to work with children and local schools, counselors, and community resources to make sure children's needs are met!

We are excited to begin these services in 2025 that will serve several hundred families over the next year! Please, let us know if you wish to make a donation to some of the children and youth for the holidays this year!

Donate to Maine's Youth

Operation Backpack

It's more than just a backpack

Operation Backpack helps provide essential school supplies and other resources to kids in need across Maine—because every student deserves the chance to succeed, starting with the right tools on the first day of school.

This effort is powered by a partnership with local law enforcement officers who support youth in their communities. It begins with providing backpacks for 120 Maine 5th and 6th graders attending Camp POSTCARD, and continues as officers distribute additional backpacks to families across the state who may otherwise go without.

You can help us make sure every child is ready to learn! Your donation supports Operation Backpack and Camp POSTCARD, giving Maine youth the supplies and encouragement they need to thrive.

Buy a backpack!

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