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Newsflash
Maine Sea Coast Mission
January 31, 2011 |
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| Greetings! | |
Welcome to the January 2011 online version of the Maine Sea Coast Mission's Newsflash. It has several timely article which we believe you will find interesting. We have also provided several links to other items. I look forward to staying in touch with you by using this means of communication.
Sincerely,
Scott Planting
Executive Director
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| Island Elder Care Conference Tackles Tough Issues Facing an Aging Population |
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Representatives from 12 island communities |
Representatives from 12 island communities, with year round populations and no bridge access to the mainland, gathered at the Point Lookout Conference Center on November 9 and 10. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the issues facing the aging populations on the islands, what resources are available, what different island communities are doing to meet the needs of their elderly residents, and to identify the next steps that could be taken to address these issues. The conference was hosted by the Maine Sea Coast Mission and led by its Director of Island Health Services, Sharon Daley, R.N. Funding support for the conference was provided by the Maine Health Access Foundation and the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust. A total of 26 people attended the conference. Resources for the attendees were Noel Merrill, Director of the Eastern Area on Aging, and Kathy Poulin, Director of Community Services in the Office of Elder Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The participants at the conference agreed that they needed to collaborate in order to address the challenges they face in responding to the needs of the elderly. Two committees were established - one researching grant funding and a second group exploring the feasibility of a one or two bed boarding type home or respite facility. The participants agreed to stay in touch through conference calls for the committees and a quarterly conference call for all of the island representatives. The Maine Sea Coast Mission also agreed to set up a group e-mail for ease of communication. |
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IRA Charitable Rollover Extended
Enables Gift to Scholarship Endowment |
A popular charitable gift planning vehicle was included in a tax bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on December 17, 2010. This bill extended the IRA Charitable Rollover retroactively for 2010 for IRA Rollovers made by January 31, 2010, and extended the IRA Charitable Rollover until December 31, 2011. The IRA Charitable Rollover allows individuals 70 1/2 and older to donate up to $100,000 from their IRAs to public charities without having to count the distributions as taxable income.
As a result of the IRA Charitable Rollover provision in the recent tax legislation, Linda Thompson of Addison, Maine, was able to make an IRA Charitable Rollover to an organization that she cares deeply about - the Maine Sea Coast Mission, for its scholarship endowment. Linda observed that: "The gift of an IRA is a wonderful way to support an organization or program dear to one's heart. I had three compelling reasons for donating my IRA now. First, I wanted to honor Gary DeLong, who recently retired, for his transformational leadership of the Mission. Second, it was beneficial from a tax standpoint in that I will not have to count the distribution as taxable income. Third, my gift will provide funding for the Mission's scholarship program in perpetuity. Each year, three students will receive scholarships as a result of the gift of this IRA. What a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy for future generations of Downeast Maine students who aspire to a college education."
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Holiday Open House Raises Funds for Christmas Program |
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Karl Karnaky and Sue Turner holding the wreath they purchased which was decorated with local natural materials: shells, moss, twigs, and cones. |
The Colket Center looked very festive on December 3 for the annual Holiday Open House. Hundreds of guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres provided by committee members and local businesses, music by Jesse Holladay, and tours of the Colket Center. Guests also had the opportunity to bid on wreaths donated and decorated by artists and local businesses.
The Open House raised $15,000 for the Christmas Program which provides 16,000 gifts to about 3,000 children, families, and elderly in need in Downeast Maine and on coastal islands.
his year, three wreath companies in Washington County served as sponsors. Kelco Industries was the lead sponsor. Maine Mountain Man Christmas and Sargent Farms Home of Sugar Hill Wreaths also served as sponsors.
"The Holiday Open House is a time for our community to come together, support our neighbors in need, and celebrate the beauty of the holiday season," said Erin Fogg, chair of the volunteer Holiday Open House Committee. "The Christmas Program touches so many families along the Maine coast and brightens their holiday."
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Breakfast on the Sunbeam V | 
On a bleak mid winter day, Sunbeam V docked at Matinicus for its bi-monthly telemedicine visit. During this visit, all seven Matinicus students and their teacher and teacher's aide enjoyed a delicious breakfast and a chance to get together with the Sunbeam V staff aboard the Sunbeam V. |
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Middle School Students from Seven Islands Enjoy Retreat | |
Between January storms the Maine Sea Coast Mission held its seventh annual Middle School Retreat, gathering 15 students and eight chaperones from seven islands. The retreat took place at Camp Kieve in Nobleboro, Maine, and was facilitated by their staff.
After eighth grade, each student leaves their island for high school: taking an early ferry, living on the mainland, or going to boarding school. These retreats aim to build confidence and strengthen peer relationships to ease this often challenging transition. Facilitated group activities, shared meals and lodging, and the ever-popular rock climbing, allow students to practice making strong friendships, take positive risks, and discover sources of strength - from positive peer support to inspired personal aspirations - that build confidence for the challenges and opportunities of high school and beyond.
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Where Can You Find the Best Gift Planning Information? | |
Simply visit our Web site, www.seacoastmission.org/giftplanning you will find a complete array of information and tools to plan a gift to Maine Sea Coast Mission As you begin the journey to determine the best gift to fit your situation, we give you all the tools you will need to make an informed decision.
Let's go on a brief tour:
- Ways to Give and What to Give contain articles that give you firsthand knowledge of the many ways you can satisfy your philanthropic intentions.
- Build Your Gift and Compare Gifts put your knowledge and goals to use to make a plan of action.
- Estate Planning goes over the four key documents needed to have an effective estate plan.
- Want more specific information? Just click to receive a FREE eBrochure on the topic of your choice.
- Once you've compiled the information you need, you're ready to calculate your personal benefits with our online Gift Calculator.
Articles at www.seacoastmission.org/giftplanning are monitored daily to provide you with the most up-to-date information available-information you can access 24/7. Remember to stop by often; we have new articles each month!
We appreciate your visits and want to hear from you. Please call Sarah Clemens at 207-288-5097 if you have any questions or would like to further discuss how you can help the Maine Sea Coast Mission.
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Help the Maine Sea Coast Mission Win a Grant! Vote Now! |
You can help the Maine Sea Coast Mission win a "Community Matters More Grant" from the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation. - Just click this link. Community Matters More
- Click the "Cast Your Vote Today" box
- Scrooll down to the Downeast section
- Enter "Maine Sea Coast Mission" in the 'other' box
That's all it takes! Now your vote may help the Mission win a grant. Pass this on to your friends and family. The more votes the better! Note from Bangor Savings Bank: At Bangor Savings Bank, we believe in giving back to our community. And we believe that by focusing on the needs that matter most to our neighbors and friends-from developing housing for our poor to direct charitable contributions-we matter more in the daily lives of our fellow Mainers. In March, the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation will give a total of $100,000 to 68 local non-profit organizations. We are looking to you, our community, to assist us by deciding how to best distribute these funds. We want to hear from as many Maine residents as possible, so please invite your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to participate as well. Voting ends March 7, 2011.
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