ENCorps eNews - August/September 2015 - In This Issue:
Top

VOLUNTEER IN ACTION

Bruce Rockwood

Bruce L. Rockwood has been a summer resident in Edgecomb, Maine since 1947. After retiring from 27 years teaching business law, environmental law and international law at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, he moved with his family permanently to Damariscotta in 2012. He served as Chair of the Department of Finance and Legal Studies in the College of Business, and created an interdisciplinary minor in legal studies, which he advised. He spent a sabbatical at the University Of Maine School Of Law in the fall of 1995 while editing a book: Law and Literature Perspectives. He team-taught law and literature in the University Honors program, served as Vice-President of the Science Fiction Research Association for two years, and continues to be active in that organization as well.

The Rockwoods moved to Maine for many reasons. Their youngest child was ready for high school, and they wanted to take advantage of the excellent education available at Lincoln Academy.  They had many friends in the community from their involvement with the Midcoast Friends Meeting (Quakers) in Damariscotta. And they felt that Maine is the kind of state where you can make a difference. So, newly retired and transplanted, Bruce set out looking for opportunities to become involved.

In the fall of 2012 he visited the Common Ground Fair where he was introduced to both ENCorps and the Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast. He joined their mailing lists. Soon after he was invited to an ENCorps luncheon where he met some members and became acquainted with our work. He has been an ENCorps member since October 2012. Bruce was also called on by Restorative Justice, an organization that works to keep kids out of the court system by focusing on offender accountability and the impact of the juvenile's offense on the victim and community. He's been a mentor to three kids in the last two and a half years. When a juvenile in Knox, Waldo, Lincoln, or Sagadahoc Counties has a run in with the law Restorative Justice may be called ifthe situation is one that could be better handled through a process of repair and community service rather than traditional juvenile offender approaches. In those cases, an officer, judge, or parole officer will contact Restorative Justice staff. To enter into the program, the youth, their family, the victim and their family (if appropriate) agree to the process and come together for an opening circle during which they talk about what happened, the impact of what happened on people and the community, and what can be done to make amends. Based on that conversation, a contract is developed which may involve community service or raising money to pay back the costs of property damage. Bruce's job as a mentor is to meet with the young person weekly to help them complete their contract, a process that usually takes about three to six months. When complete, they have a closing circle, discuss what has happened since they last met, and, if the contract has been fulfilled, all charges are dismissed and the kid has a clean record.

"We need to do more to make sure teenagers don't get sidetracked by minor offenses." Bruce discussed the greater cost of treating people as criminals and the long-term impact of that approach in contrast to helping individuals become restored members of the community. The cost of the criminal justice system far outweighs the cost of the educational system, for instance. He believes we need to do more to give kids adequate support for their career choices, vocational training, and higher education and sees an unfortunate lack of commitment and funding in higher education that needs to be addressed. He goes on to say "are there jobs in the community that will pay a living wage? Will they be able to stay in Maine and support a family someday? So, this [restorative justice] is only a small piece of the problem solving that needs to go on."

Restorative Justice is only one aspect of Bruce's volunteer work. He also serves on the board of directors and teaches for the Coastal Senior College which serves Knox and Lincoln counties. The Coastal Senior College offers eight to ten courses each session, of which there are three annually (fall, winter, and spring). He appreciates that the senior college gives people a reason to get out of the house, get to know each other, and learn from one another. "I think lifetime learning is important and, in particular, I think Maine is a state which really depends, for its economic and educational well-being, on the environment." We face a host of environmental challenges in Maine including ocean acidification, climate change, and sea level rise. Bruce's course at the senior college addresses these issues and gets people talking.

There's more. Bruce was active in was getting the Maine "Clean Elections" Initiative on the ballot for this November. He will be collecting signatures again this November in an effort to get ranked choice voting on the ballot for 2016. Bruce volunteers in community theater - he sings with the Quite Content Chorale at the Lincoln Theater and has been in productions of Gilbert & Sullivan's operettas for the last couple of years. Finally, he is on the financial committee and does the minutes for the Midcoast Friends Meeting, his local Quaker meeting.

Three years after moving to Maine, Bruce has a full plate, maybe overflowing. Despite all he does, family is Bruce's priority. His youngest daughter will be looking at colleges soon and he'll be there to help her with that. He and his wife regularly travel to see their kids and grandkids and he takes time for himself to pursue his interests: board games with his family, science fiction, and reading.

This dynamic and energetic individual is certainly an asset to the state of Maine. We are thrilled to count him as an ENCorps member. 

For more information about the organizations mentioned, click on the links below:


Would you like to be our next Volunteer in Action?
 
Strengthening Your Connection with Your Grandkids

The nation recognized Grandparents Day on September 13. With that day close behind us, it's a great time to reflect on the special role that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. The relationship that you have with your grandchild(ren) can be one that is fulfilling and rewarding for both you and your loved ones. A few considerations can help you make the most out of your relationship with your grandchild:

It's all about healthy boundaries. While being a grandparent is often about fun and games, it is important to focus on making sure your needs are met, too. Without good boundaries between you and your grandchild's parents, you can set yourself up for burnout or feelings of frustration.

A few rules go a long way. While we all like to say that "there are no rules at grandma's house," having a few solid rules in place will help you and your grandchild maintain a healthy relationship.

Don't compete with other grandparents for the top spot as the "best grandma/grandpa." It's easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself with other grandparents. Instead, identify your personal strengths and interests and celebrate what you have to offer your grandchild in the way of experiences, time and support.

Maintaining contact. Today more and more family members live great distances away from one another. In the busy world we live in, it can be difficult to maintain direct contact with grandchildren. In some cases, you can foster a special relationship from a distance through phone calls, Skyping, Facebook and letters.

The best things in life are free. It is important to remember that the most important gifts you can give your grandchild don't cost anything. Lend an open ear, and simply be someone who listens and offers acceptance. Help your grandchildren to explore what they do well. Encourage them. Pass down stories. Volunteer with them! These are all things that don't cost a thing but can mean the world to a child.

You don't have to be a grandparent to support and nurture a child. There are great programs that are looking for individuals who can share their time and interests with a child.

Adapted from the September 8, 2015 article in the Bangor Daily News. To read the full article click here.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Sagadahoc County Public Health Officer

The person in this position will have a broad experience in Public Health and familiarity with the Ten Essential Public Health Services. This position was originally conceived (2006) as a partner to the EMA Director and Deputy Director; someone who could provide organizational structure for the Sagadahoc County Board of Health (BOH) and the Local Health Officer's (LHO) Forum.

Maine Responds is a partnership that integrates local, regional, and statewide volunteer resources to assist our public health and healthcare systems. It is part of a national initiative* to train, coordinate, and mobilize volunteers during an emergency. Maine Responds coordinates verified, pre-credentialed public health, healthcare and emergency response volunteers into a single database that can coordinate the need for volunteers across county, regional, and state lines if needed.

To respond to this opportunity, click here. For more information on Maine Responds, click here.

Funding Review Panel Volunteers Needed

Volunteers needed to help award over $800,000 in Eastern Maine!

United Way of Eastern Maine (UWEM) is recruiting 80+ volunteers
 to help us make  grant awards for our upcoming funding cycle supporting health 
and human service programs in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington counties. Every two years UWEM launches a competitive funding application that is open to non-profit health and human service organizations throughout our service area. UWEM accepts applications that focus on improving the lives of individuals in the areas of Education, Income or Health. We fund programs that demonstrate they are changing lives andmaking a difference in the Education, Income and Health of our community. 

UWEM relies on volunteer funding Review Teams to review requests and make funding recommendations to the UWEM Board of Directors. These Review Teams are comprised of community members, service recipients, UWEM donors and non-profit professionals. No experience is necessary and training is provided.

For more information on this opportunity, click here!

Board Member

The New School, an innovative, non-profit high school in Kennebunk seeks board members with fundraising background or non-profit strategic development experience. Please call 207-985-3745 to set up an interview or email [email protected].
 
For more information about The New School, click here!

Other volunteer opportunities can be found at www.volunteermaine.org!
"Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength." 
-Betty Friedan

MEMBER HOURS
ENCorps members have volunteered 66,801 hours to date! Keep up the great work!

Why Report Hours?
The purpose of ENCorps is to support your efforts to improve your community with training and networking opportunities. All of our programming - the Summit and training events - are free for ENCorps Volunteers. Since we are privately funded through grants, we need to report how you're doing. One tangible way is to keep track of our volunteers' hours each month. It's also a great way for us to acknowledge your good work! Please help us by reporting your hours by the 15th of the following month (ex. for February hours, please report by March 15). 


Encore Leadership Corps

207-262-7928

[email protected]

www.encoreleaders.org


ENCorps is a program of the University of Maine Center on Aging in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation and with the cooperation of local, state, and national organizations. Funding in support of ENCorps has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Maine Community Foundation, Jane's Trust, Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust, Davis Conservation Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.