In 2020, we awarded grants for the following proposals from organizations making an impact in UMC’s focus areas:
FOOD
- Area Interfaith Outreach, Rockland – Meeting the rising demand for emergency assistance while respectfully and compassionately providing food to Knox county adults and children who are food insecure.
- Belfast Soup Kitchen – Providing nutritious meals as well as hope, comfort, and access to necessary services to hungry people of Waldo County
- MCH Inc., Rockland: Meals on Wheels -Providing hot, nutritious meals to homebound Knox County seniors and disabled adults.
- Penquis, Rockland: R.S.V.P. – Developing a system for delivering fresh food to Penobscot Bay island communities through collaboration and training of existing community organizations.
- St. Bernard’s Soup Kitchen, Rockland – Providing nourishing meals to the needy five days a week.
HOUSING
- Knox County Homeless Coalition, Rockport – Assisting the chronically poor and homeless to achieve and maintain self-sufficient lives through comprehensive care models and programs.
- Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, Rockport – Constructing safe, affordable, efficient homes for low to moderate income singles, couples, and small families.
- The Ripple Initiative – Furniture and household goods for people transitioning to stable housing to increase likelihood of remaining housed.
- Volunteers of America Northern New England – Multi-program housing and services for 12 vulnerable-population Waldo County residents.
HEALTH & SAFETY
- Belfast Public Health Nursing Association – Disease prevention, health education, early intervention and emergency services to low income, uninsured people who lack access to regular medical care.
- Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County – Free, confidential, nonmedical support to those at the end of life including direct care, bereavement support and end of life planning.
- Knox County Health Clinic, Rockland – Low cost preventative, restorative, and prosthodontic dental care for uninsured adults and for children with MaineCare who cannot otherwise access a provider.
- Maine Family Planning – Providing a full range of reproductive healthcare services to Knox and Waldo County residents.
- Maine Youth Alliance (dba Game Loft) – Promoting compassionate youth and public-spirited communities in Waldo County through mentoring and volunteer opportunities.
- New Hope for Women, Rockland – Providing support, advocacy, and prevention for domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking services in Knox and Waldo Counties.
- One Less Worry – Tens of thousands of pads, tampons, toilet paper, soaps & toothpaste delivered monthly to 1,500 residents in Knox County.
- OUT Maine, Rockland – Improving safety, health and mental health of Knox and Waldo counties’ at-risk, vulnerable LGBTQ youth.
- Parent Program of Mid-Coast Maine, Knox County – FImproving health of parents and children though in-home screening, education, and referral for postpartum depression, domestic violence, safe sleep, and home safety.
- Rockland District Nursing Association – In-home nursing services for seniors living independently in Rockland and nearby communities.
- Soap Closet – Personal hygiene products not covered by food stamps to low-income families and individuals.
- Volunteers of America Northern New England/Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center – Connecting men leaving incarceration with medication-assisted treatment to reduce recidivism.
- Waldo County Dental Care – Improving health, wellbeing, and employability through critical preventative and restorative dental care and patient education for those who cannot access other care.
ECONOMIC SECURITY
- Belfast Area Child Care Services – Provides affordable, high-quality child care for 70 children and 60 families in Waldo County.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine – Recruiting, training and supporting school-based mentors for youth in the UMC service area.
- Penobscot Bay YMCA, Rockport & Rockland – Stimulating economic security for working families by providing childcare at an increasing number of accessible locations around Knox County.
- Restorative Justice Project, Belfast – Helping offenders regain or retain employability through restorative conferencing to achieve meaningful accountability.
- Trekkers, Thomaston – Preparing students for success in college and trade school through professional development coaching, education planning support, and career exploration opportunities.
- UMA Rockland Center – Scholarship funding for new or continuing university students to help them on a path to success, with a degree completion rate of 75%.
- Waldo County Woodshed – Providing supplemental emergency firewood for heating homes.
- Waldo County YMCA – Providing year round affordable preschool, Childcare and Summer Day Camp program options for working families.
- Wayfinder Schools: Passages Program – High school completion, life skills, career planning and parenting support provided to teen parents in the stability of their home.