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Present:

Christine Laurel, CCC / Angela Fochesato, Healthy Acadia
Charley Martin-Berry, CCC / Terri Woodruff, Healthy Acadia
Ellen Savage, CFO / Lisa Suarez, WHCA
Nikki Busmanis, United Way, 2-1-1 / Marilyn Nickson, ME Seacoast Mission
Jen Peters, SCEC / Aldene Saucier, A Family for Me
Julie Redding, CCC / Eli Redfern, Mano en Mano
Ida Davis, WHCA / Jocelyn Storey, WHCA
Tracy Parker, CHCS / Marcie Dean, Next Step
Samantha Coffin, Families First / Dawn Carter Coffin, Families First
Vicky Ward, Grange
Next meeting:September 6, 2017, 1-3:30 pm
SCEC, 7 Ames Way, Machias

Introductions and Announcements

New Members and Guests:

  • Aldene Saucier, Recruiter for A Family for Me (Maine foster families)
  • Dawn Coffin, Families First Community Center
  • Samantha Coffin, Treasurer and Web Admin for Families First Community Center
  • Nikki Busmanis, United Way/2-1-1

Sunrise County Economic Center: The Gracie fund is accepting applications until July 15th – provides$5k for up to 3 years to pay off student loans.

Families first Community Center – life skills, parenting classes, job skills, medical & therapeutic assistance for homeless families – see more below.

Agency Needs & Offers

Washington Hancock Community Agency – offer: Tip on SNAP eligibility - Evenif heat is included in your rent, you must apply for LIHEAP in order to retain/gain food stamp eligibility. Also contact LIHEAP for help with electricity if behind on bill over $500.00 that is more than 90 days past due.

Child & Family Opportunities – offer: It’s not too early to apply for Head Start or Pre-K services in the fall. CFO also has openings in infant & toddler programs at Calais and Ellsworth Centers.

Family Futures Downeast – offer: FFD is still accepting applications for students for this fall. FFD is a barrier removal, 2 gen program to help parents seeking college education gain up to 15 credits in Family Studies. FFD operates on the campus of WCCC and UMM. Read more about this program on FFD’s website. SCEC (FFD’s fiscal agent) is hiring a transitions coach now to help students continue with their education and career goals after graduating the program.

A Family for Me – Maine Foster Families

Aldene Saucier provided a summary of this program: Statewide initiative to increase resources availableto children who need a safe and loving home, under DHHS Adoptive & Foster Families of Maine.A Family for me, Maine is the initiative title, contracted with Spurwink. Terminology has changed: Resource familiesf/k/a foster families. There is a deficit of licensed foster homes for children. As a recruiter for District 7 & 8 (Washington, Hancock & Aroostook Counties) Aldene attends events displaying materials, puts rack cards in hospitals and other community spaces. She is looking for volunteers to help with tables at summer events. A Family for Me also coordinatespart-time resource families to provide respite for licensed foster/resource families – functioning something like a foster grandparent, but no parenting experience required. Look for Aldene on July 21st at the Calais Hospital.

Families First Community Center

Background: Dawn Coffin and her daughter Samantha provided an overview of this initiative to help homeless families in Hancock and Washington Counties, working with the MDI Ellsworth Housing Authority: The plan is to purchase a home for homeless parents with children (only parents or grandparents with children). Young women 18-25 are statistically their population. They can house up to 6 families at present. All families create a life plan they work towards with help from FFCC staff who teach basic life skills such as balancing a checkbook, driving, cooking, and parenting. 51 collaborative agencies in Hancock County are assisting with the life skills classes, but most are volunteers. Other classes offered to parents include topics like Safety & Stability (relationships), advocating for children, and medical/MH issues. Families work 40 hours per week on their life plan while in the home. A passenger van is being donated to help with transportation issues. Outreach includes homeless families in Washington County. Dawn may be contacting work group members for ideas.

Status: They need a total of $130k to fully renovate the house and have raised $80k. FFCC is accepting donations of furniture, appliances, linens, and is a 401(c)(3) non-profit organization. Inmates coming out of prison with custody would qualify for housing, and without custody would qualify for their outreach program. FFCC is currently working with landlords and emergency shelters in Hancock County to house people while they are renovating their building. They receive many referrals and have about 30 people on the waiting list – these folks must also sign up with MDI Ellsworth housing authority. They are hoping to be open by January, April at the latest. They just received permission from the state to hire a case manager. Families from Washington County who are homeless can get on the MDI/Ellsworth HA list – just indicate they are relocating to Hancock County.

Discussion on other programs that could work with FFCC to help homeless parents. Definition of homelessness – FFCC’s definition is less restrictive than HUD’s definition, including people couch surfing, living in storage containers, or in imminent danger of homelessness.

Engagement with 2-1-1

Background: Nikki Busmanis provided a summary ofUnited Way’s involvement in the 2-1-1 service, which 2-1-1 Maine is a free & confidential statewide directory of over 8000 resources for health & human resources, like heating assistance, substance abuse counseling, medical services, etc. 24/7/365 days. Users can call 211 on a phone, visit the 2-1-1 Mainewebsite and search the directory, or text their zip code to 898-211 to get resources. One of biggest challenges is keeping resources in the directory up to date and accurate. They’re working on making it more user friendly for providers to keep updated electronically (providers are listed for free). Callers are not asked demographic information, and Nikki stressed the confidentiality of the calls. Calls to 2-1-1 are connected to a live operatorbased in Maine who providesa warm handoff to people seeking crisis help and pregnant women seeking opiate dependency treatment/supports. They have interpreters for non-English speaking callers.

Status:United Way has observed a low utilization of 2-1-1 services in Washington County. What can they do to better support users in WC? Feedback from work group members included:

  • Searching by zip code can often yield little results as organizations are listed under the zip code of their headquarters.
  • Suggestion: Try searching by type of service instead.

Nikki encouraged people to send her feedback on any negative experiences they might have had with 2-1-1. There is also a contact form on the 2-1-1 website where you can leave feedback.2-1-1 also collects data on unmet needs and sends that info to United Way, which can then be provided to community groups.

Dream Fund Update

This sister to the Hope Fund, designed to assist children ages 8-18 to pursue an activity or hobby that will help build esteem and provide positive experiences, is up and rolling. The Dream Fund committee has received 31 applications to date.

Neighbor Group Update

Neighbors continue to meet (congratulations to Joan on the birth of her baby!). Food security is one of their passions and different members have been involved with tending the UMM community gardens, helping with food pantry deliveries and distributing leftover produce from the Machias Marketplace to those in need. Regina Grabrovac, the Washington County Food Programs Manager at Healthy Acadia, is reaching out to them about ongoing work with the community gardens.

Addiction Summit

The CCC along with SCEC and other partners is gearing up for the Addiction, Recovery & Workforce Summit next Thursday, July 13th from 8-3 in Science 102 at UMM. The summit is designed for small or large business owners & human resource staff in Washington County with the goal of reframing addiction & substance abuse as workforce development and business development issues. An exciting array of presenters and panelists has been assembled with opportunities for Q & A sessions and feedback from businesses. People can still register – Christine will not take down the registration site until after the event.

Discussion on outreach for the summit. Planners have reached out to the downeast lobster council. Who else should we contact?

Next Meeting

There will be no Work Group/Poverty Buster meeting in August, so we’ll see you all on September 6th. Have a great summer!

Meeting ended at 3:40 pm

Respectfully submitted by Christine Laurel