Greetings!,

As I write this, the U.S. Supreme Court has just handed down a historic 5-4 decision upholding the controversial healthcare law known as the Affordable Care Act.  Messages on Facebook and in my email accounts are numerous and celebratory. Many remind us how very important this law is for millions in the U.S. - and especially for women.   

At the Fund, we have focused our recent investments on building economic security for women and girls by providing funding to programs addressing education, self-esteem, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, preventing poverty through asset-building, and public policy to achieve lasting social change.  Access to health care is critical to any individual's or family's ability to maintain economic security. That's especially true for women, who tend to be primary caregivers for both children and the elderly. If caregivers can't maintain their own health, they can't provide care for others, nor can they earn the income necessary to support themselves and their families. If girls lack necessary healthcare as they grow, they can't develop into healthy adult members of society who work, give birth to and help raise the next generation. That's why the Supreme Court decision is good news for all of us.

Recently we lost a remarkable woman in the creative world: Nora Ephron. Generations of us have enjoyed her films and witnessed their impact on society: Never before had a woman's experience of orgasm become both publicly acknowledged as desirable ("I'll have what she's having") and award-winning entertainment for millions - not until When Harry Met Sally, which she directed. And I bet many women "of an age" were consoled and amused, as I was, by her confessional memoir I Feel Bad About My Neck, which focused on the loss of conventionally recognized  women's 'beauty' in the aging process. So long as we have movies and print, Nora will remain a mentor to us about wit, laser-sharp humor and grace. Thank you, Nora.

In June, I traveled with board members to Machias, Maine, to experience the Mighty Women of Washington County. We were fortunate to witness the powerful dynamic that occurs when women come together both in the virtual and real worlds to support each other, their families and their communities. These women are undeniably making Down East Maine a better community in which to live, work and play. Our "hats' off" to founder Susan Corbett of Axiom Technologies, her fellow committee members and this year's award recipients, not to mention all of the Mighty Women who live and work in the region. Learn more about them at www.mightywomen.org.

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, CEO, and Layne Gregory, Board Co-Chair, Maine Women's Fund, Machias, Maine, June 20, 2012. Photo credit: Sarah Ruef-Lindquist

We're growing! We're planning an office-warming in Camden for September! We'll be inviting folks from Lincoln, Knox and Waldo Counties to come see and celebrate the first office location for the Fund outside of Portland. Stay tuned, and let us know if you'd like to be invited by sending me an email.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know if there are topics you'd like to see addressed here. We'd love to hear from you!  

All best to you, and thanks for all you do to invest in the power of women and the potential of girls in Maine.  

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist

CEO

Photo: Jamie Bloomquist