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| Greetings! |
The Maine Women's Fund invites you to come celebrate - 20 years of creating lasting change, 20 years of investing in women and girls, and 20 years of building women's leadership. As we gather at our Anniversary Weekend Celebration May 1-3, I hope that you will join me in thanking our Founding Mothers. They envisioned the long-term independence and sustainability of the organization and built an endowment to ensure it. They defined a mission and core beliefs that have not wavered in twenty years. In doing so, they created an organization that depended on shared values to organize women and action and invested in the power of women's cooperation. Many women have carried the organization forward in these twenty years - board chairs, executive directors, donors and volunteers. These are our stewards who have navigated the changing economic and political climates. These are the women who refused to give up and who have championed twenty years of progress and social change. Join us in thanking these women, and all women who champion our values in their families and workplaces every day and who work tirelessly to expand our resources and programming.
We look forward to seeing you in May,
Eli |
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| 20th Anniversary Weekend Celebration |
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Friday, May 1
State Farm Insurance Red Portfolio VIP Reception
5:00 - 6:00 pm
Susan Maasch Fine Art Gallery
29 Forest Ave., Portland
By invitation only
State Farm Insurance invites Maine Women's Fund event sponsors, leadership donors and volunteers to celebrate 20 years of lasting change!
Dux Femina Facti: A Woman Is In Charge Art Show
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Susan Maasch Fine Art Gallery
29 Forest Ave., Portland
Free / Open to public
Participating Artists:
Keliy Anderson-Staley  Angela Bacon-Kidwell Nicole Costas June Grey Mary Harrington S.J. Hart Penelope Jones Jennifer Judd-McGee Isa Leshko Karen Lewis K. Lee Mock Rose Olson Kelly Sue Rioux Kathleen Robbins Susan Schwake Kelly Jo Shows Julie Shaw Lutts Nancy Simonds Ann Slocum
Saturday, May 2
Who Does She Think She Is? Film Screening & Women in Art Panel Discussion
1:00 - 4:00 pm
SPACE Gallery
538 Congress St., Portland
Ticket: $15 Purchase tickets!
From the producing team that won an Academy Award for Born Into Brothels, comes Who Does She Think She Is?, a film that examines some of the most pressing balancing-act issues of our time: parenting and work, partnering and independence, economics and art. Who Does She Think She Is? follows five women artists as they navigate the economic, psychological and spiritual challenges of making work outside the elite art world. Q & A with local artists will follow the screening from 3-4 pm. Film introduced by Brenda Garrand, Garrand. Women in art panel: Ann Barrengos, Moderator; Tammie Grieshaber, L/A Arts Gallery 5; Laurie Hyndman, Port City Life; and Kate Philbrick, Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.
Brew Girls Live Benefit Concert
8:00 pm - midnight
SPACE Gallery
538 Congress St., Portland
Ticket (21+): $10
Ticket & pint glass: $15 Purchase tickets!
Sunday, May 3
Celebration Brunch
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Ocean Gateway Terminal
Commercial St., Portland
Adult ticket: $45 Purchase tickets!
12 years & under ticket: $20
2 years & under ticket: free
10:00 am Opening
Join us for a delicious brunch and inspiring rhythmic drum session by Inanna
10:30 am Welcome
Judy Groth
11:30 am Celebrations
Founding Mothers Tribute and Awards Presentation
12:00 pm Fund Accomplishments and Challenge
12:30 pm Closing Remarks
Elizabeth Stefanski
Girl Scouts
Beach Celebration
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Willard Beach, South Portland
Free / Open to public
Come share memories and make new ones. If you were ever or are presently a Girl Scout, join us at 2:00 pm for sign-in, song and fun together. We'll be there from 1:00 - 3:00 pm rain or shine. Contact Troop 1921 with questions: 207-775-7501.
And check out the bold women and girls who participated in developing a video adaptation of the original Mother's Day Proclamation - a powerful document calling forth the feminist principle that women have the responsibility, ability and power to heal society - written in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe. We invite you to create your own version!
If you are interested in volunteering leading up to or during the weekend, please call 774-5513 or reply to this email!
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| Thank you to our Event Sponsors! |
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Lead Sponsor ($15,000)
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| Thank you to our Tribute Book Sponsors! |
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| Making Change Happen |
 Dawn Carrigan:
Advocating for Kids and Creating Community
Written by Michaela Cavallaro
Dawn Carrigan always knew she wanted to be a teacher. And she stuck with her dream even as she entered college during a period when pursuing an education degree was discouraged, due to a glut of recent education grads and a dearth of teaching positions. But Carrigan didn't charge ahead naively; instead, she decided to pursue a degree in special education, figuring that the specialized training would improve her chances of finding a job upon graduation. And she was right: After graduating from the University of Southern Maine, she was hired by the Bangor schools to teach a self-contained classroom of emotionally disturbed children from kindergarten through second grade. Read Dawn's full profile.  Shalom Odokara: Paying it Forward
Written by Bethany Hutchinson Shalom Odokara doesn't see herself as a leader. "I'm just Shalom," she says. With humility and quiet confidence, Odokara describes her role as founder and director of Women in Need Industries (WINI), a resource hub for women seeking to better their lives and the lives of their families. Because these women face difficult hurdles-financial distress, language and cultural barriers, domestic violence, and drug addiction-Odokara often works seven days a week, including Christmas and New Year's. She knows that those who contact WINI can feel particularly vulnerable during the holidays and says, "If it were me making that call on Christmas Day, I would want someone to answer." Read Shalom's full profile. |
| Mark Your Calendars! |
April 8: Volunteer with the Maine Women's Lobby
Room 438, State House 1:00 pmFor more information, please contact Charlotte Warren at cwarren@mainewomen.org or 207-622-0851
Join the Maine Women's Lobby at a public hearing by the Judiciary Committee regarding LD 962 "An Act to Protect Family Caregivers" Share your story. If you have time for a 15 minute interview, you can have your story told at the hearing. Testify. Have you experienced this kind of discrimination? Do you know someone who has? Stories are the most powerful tools we can use at a public hearing. Place a letter to the editor. If you live in the area of the Lewiston Sun Journal or the Journal Tribune, we can provide you with the text.
April 10: Actions You Can Take in a Volatile Market (Flyer)
12:00 - 1:00 pm (lunch provided) OR
April 11 from 9:30 - 10:30 am (bagels provided)
Presented by: Judy A. Groth, CFP®, CLU®, CRPC® Senior Financial Advisor
Isaac Farrar Mansion
166 Union Street, Bangor
Agenda:
- How we arrived where we are today
- Putting today's markets in historical perspective
- Fundamental investment strategies to help you deal with and even find opportunity in volatile markets
- Managing emotions as part of the investment process
- Steps to consider taking now
April 14: Women Standing Together Lunch
Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland
11:45 am -1:45 pm
Members Only (Guests are welcome to attend 2 lunches before becoming members.) RSVP: 207-774-5513 or thewomen@mainewomensfund.org
The gathering will showcase Jeanne Hackett of A Running Conversation. Jean provides running program development, consulting and coaching services to organizations, groups and individuals in the greater Portland area. Jeanne, a 2008 New Ventures graduate, brings years of experience in marketing, coaching, counseling and competitive running to the business, which was formed in 2007. A Running Conversation is a resource for anyone looking to explore or create change and use running as the vehicle. This WST gathering will serve as a focus group for Jeanne's current business challenge.
April 25: Women's Basic Self Defense
Full Circle Synergy, 500 Forest Avenue 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Maine Women's Fund!
May 9: SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION: Strategies for Standing Out in a Highly Competitive Marketplace
USM's Abromson Community Education Center, Room 213
9:00 am - noon
COST: $75
You want to get ahead. The fact is, there is someone equally qualified to do the job you're interested in sitting in the next office, cubicle, home office or offshore. So what are you doing to stand out and make lasting impressions that are uniquely yours? Whether you're positioning for a promotion, changing industries, job hunting, or just looking to more clearly define and differentiate yourself in a professional context, this workshop is for you. Establishing and maintaining your competitive edge is critical to capitalizing upon leadership, career advancement, and business development opportunities. Full description.
May 30: Embracing Beauty
North Deering Grange Hall, 1408 Washington Avenue, Portland
10:00 am - 4:30 pm
6:30 - 8:30 pm (evening showcase featuring performances by instructors and workshop participants)
Cost: $15 for the day's workshops, which includes one ticket to the evening showcase. Additional tickets for the evening show are available. There are a limited number of scholarships available.
In today's society so many girls and young women struggle with the issue of body image, an issue that is compounded by the female stereotypes enforced by commercial sources. The goal of Embracing Beauty is to offer girls and young women ages 8 to 18 the opportunity to re-think their concept of beauty and become more comfortable with their own self-image. Naya's Trance Belly Dance in conjunction with several of Southern Maine's most proficient Middle Eastern dance instructors has developed a series of workshops and guided activities that use the empowering art of belly dance to encourage girls and young women to embrace their individual beauty, increase self-acceptance and promote a healthy body image. More information can be found online or by e-mailing Kimberly at kalyani@nayastrance.com. |
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Thank you for reading,
Eli, Kristin, Lauren and Jess |
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