Carol Ransom

          Carol Ransom is enjoying her retirement, but she is far from living a life of leisure. She is wholeheartedly engaged in the needs of her community, in following her inspiration and passions, and in the wider world around her. She said retirement has afforded her the opportunity to "...take an overview of my life and the world around me." She feels that it is important to give back, which she does by working with kids, the elderly, the environment, and by promoting health.

          Carol volunteers with Karl's Kids, a program of the Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotary Club that was created by fellow Encorps member Mary Berger, to honor the legacy of her husband and longtime Rotary club member, Karl Berger. Karl, who passed away suddenly in 2007, was active in the outdoors, athletics, coaching and mentoring. Karl's Kids is a tribute to Karl's lifetime passion for supporting community youth and their development through athletics and the outdoors. The program, through a network of donors, considers any request to cover sports-related expenses for Lincoln County kids 18 and younger. They aim to eliminate any financial barrier to playing sports. Carol was drawn to the program through her appreciation for the need to develop strength in youth and to maintain it as we age through life. She spoke passionately about the importance of sports for youth: "Sports are the best way to develop strong bodies and maintain our strength over the years while having fun. Kids also learn great team work and social interaction skills through sports."

          She has been active all of her life as well. She snowshoes and downhill skis. She also stays active in other volunteer activities such as working with the Damariscotta River Association youth program on Wabanaki tribal history. They scour the land for edible roots and berries that would have been natural sources of food for the Wabanaki people, they make mat huts, and work with an expert birch wood canoe maker. Carol is also involved with the Pemaquid Watershed Association and Damariscotta River Association doing water sampling for their water monitoring programs. The data they gather is charted and submitted to the State of Maine for use in creation and guiding of policies to maintain healthy water.

           Carol brings a lifetime of experience and enthusiasm to all of these endeavors. She has worked as an actress in New York City, owned her own business, worked as Director of National Accounts for AIG Financial Services, and then as Director of Marketing for a rural Maine assisted living facility. She lived in Vermont, Connecticut, New York, and several other places, before settling for 20 years in Manhattan Beach, California. Maine has always been a part of her life, though, having spent every summer in Bremen (where she currently lives) since she was 6 months old. She always wanted to retire in Maine, and she moved here ten years ago to spend time with her father in the last years of his life. She has two daughters who remain in California. Another fun fact: Carol has had her pilot's license since 1976. She has flown across the country many times to Canada, Mexico, and the Virgin Islands, and was a member of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots. She does not fly any longer, but still maintains her license.     

          Carol has been an ENCorps member for 4 years and feels that the program's biggest strength is getting the members together several times a year. In these meetings ideas flow freely and the networking opportunities are great. In fact, she attributes the relationship between Karl's Kids and the local food bank to the "cross-fertilization of ideas" that ENCorps inspires. They have reached more kids through their post at the food bank and there has been an increase in food being donated. When asked if Karl's Kids would expand to other counties she said no, that they will remain local, because they believe in grassroots efforts, and taking care of their home. Carol said, "If everybody did that, everybody would be taken care of."

We're excited to announce that planning for the 2015 Summit is underway!  

Next year's summit will be held on:

 May 18 and 19, 2015 

at the Wells Conference Center at the University of Maine in Orono. 

We're looking forward to seeing you there! More details coming soon!

The Telling Room, Portland, ME 

The Telling Room is a nonprofit writing center in Portland, Maine, dedicated to the idea that children and young adults are natural storytellers. Focused on young writers ages 6 to 18, we seek to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide real audiences for our students. We believe that the power of creative expression can change our communities and prepare our youth for future success.

Contact: Sonya Tomlinson, (207) 774-6064  

225 Commercial Street, Portland, Maine 04101 

The Telling Room Volunteer Experience

AARP Tax Preparation Assistance 

Listen here to the reason others have become involved!

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum 

It's time for the Polar Express to make its annual appearance at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad.  Volunteer elves are needed for this enchanted holiday ride. As elves, volunteers make the hot chocolate, deliver cocoa and cookies aboard the train and help Santa to give out the first gift of the season.  We are looking for people to help make magic aboard this special train.

This is a great way to give back to the community, have a fun time with friends and experience the magic of the season!  Join the fun and make kids of all ages smile and Believe this holiday season.

MNGRR Polar Express

Other volunteers are needed for:

• Restoration of Train Cars
• Join the Crew on The Maine Narrow Gauge RR
• Museum Archives Volunteer
• Get on the right track! Become a MNGRR history docent!

Search for technology (and other) classes statewide:

Maine Adult Education

https://maineadulted.coursestorm.com/browseCategory/computers-and-technology?sort=date&page=5          

Maine Senior College Network

http://www.maineseniorcollege.org/mscn%20colleges/osher-lifelong-learning-institute.htm

For online computer instruction, try out these websites:

SeniorNet

www.seniornet.org

A nonprofit organization that specializes in computer and Internet education for older adults. SeniorNet's mission is to provide older adults education for and access to computer technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom. 

Learn the Net

www.learnthenet.com

A privately-held company based in San Francisco, California. The company focuses on delivering high quality educational products and services in print, digital media, and to the desktop and mobile devices via the Internet and intranets. 

EveryoneOn

www.everyoneon.org

A national nonprofit working to eliminate the digital divide by making high-speed, low-cost Internet service and computers, and free digital literacy courses accessible to all unconnected Americans. We aim to leverage the democratizing power of the Internet to provide opportunity to all Americans - regardless of age, race, geography, income, or education level.