Maine Ties

Maine is the oldest state in the country where 21 percent of residents are over the age of 65. It is also the most rural state, which can make it difficult for older people to access services.

In this podcast Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging, discusses the challenges older Mainers face from transportation to housing, and how the network is supporting diverse older Mainers.

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to educate and reduce the stigma of mental illness.

Camp Beech Cliff (CBC) on Mount Desert Island is a traditional Maine day camp, offering classic camp  activities for ages 6-18, from swimming and boating to rock climbing and crafts.

But what happens when a child is experiencing big emotions that prevent them from enjoying the day? CBC has implemented a series of mental health supports, including hiring a camper support specialist and offering Youth Mental Health First Aid training to the community.

Camp Director Matt Cornish and Corrie Hunkler, youth engagement coordinator at Healthy Acadia, talk about the importance of mental health services for young campers and offer practical tips for caregivers on how to support children's mental health this summer.

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.

Access to clean drinking water has long been an issue at Sipayik, home to about 700 people who live at the Passamaquoddy reservation near Eastport. Residents for decades have lugged water to their homes because water from their taps is discolored, smells bad, and contains high levels of a contaminant that increases the risk of cancer.  

Now a new Maine law will provide Sipayik residents more control of their drinking water.

Podcast guest Lisa Sockabasin, co-CEO of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, talks about the water issue and shares how the organization serves Wabanaki people across the state.

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.

April 22 marks the 52nd annual Earth Day, a celebration of the beginning of the modern environmentalism movement.

Guests Red Fong and Olivia Griset, co-directors of the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA), talk about the history of the field, how Maine educators are teaching it today, and how MEEA is looking at environmentalism through an equity lens. 

Maine Community Foundation donors helped fund the Relearning Place Convening, a summit this May that will bring together Black, Indigenous, other people of color, and other folks with white privilege from across the Northeast for three days of building relationships, sharing resources, and developing cross-racial coalitions and solidarity networks.

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.

Local entrepreneurs and community leaders discuss the revitalization efforts of downtown Skowhegan. 

Matt DuBois, co-owner of The Bankery and Skowhegan Fleursite & Formalwear, and Amber Lambke, co-founder of Maine Grains, share what drew them to Skowhegan, the goals of the nonprofit organization Main Street Skowhegan, and how the "gateway to the North Woods" is becoming an attraction all its own.

The Maine Community Foundation has awarded multiple grants to Main Street Skowhegan projects. 

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.

In this episode of Maine Ties, Terri Ouellette of Families First Community Center in Ellsworth discusses homelessness in Hancock County, and how the transitional home is working to break the cycle of homelessness. 

Grants from Maine Community Foundation's Community Building Grant Program have supported FFCC. In 2020, the organization was awarded $10,000 for the renovation of its transitional home for families. In 2021, FFCC was awarded $10,000 to create a service coordination program for adults who lost employment due to COVID-19.

The "Maine Ties" theme is "Blue Heron" by 317 Main.