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A Message from the CEO
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Spring is here, our 2016 Grants have just been decided and announced, and the annual Luncheon - Celebrating Maine Women in the Arts - is just weeks away! Tickets went on sale April 1 and are selling fast. Visit www.mainewomensfund.org to get yours today, and join over 700 of your closest friends for an inspiring event! Our Grants Committee, chaired by Candace Walworth, MD of Lewiston, and our board have completed this year's grant round and awarded $111,400 to 12 organizations working to build economic security for Maine women and girls. The Fund received over $450,000 in "Letters of Interest". The total awarded represents a 40% increase over 2012, thanks to the support of many people, like you. Our goal is to reach at least $300,000 in grants by 2020...your support will help us get there! We are so grateful to our Karen Moran Leadership Fund donors, board members and former board members who have made it possible to build our grants capacity so far. We plan to share more with you about those efforts - and how you can get involved - in the coming months!
Read about the great programs funded this year by visiting our website and join us on May 18 to celebrate them and this year's TWIN, Samantha Smith, Sarah Orne Jewett and Visionary Partner award recipients, and thank you for all you do for Maine women and girls!
Sincerely, |
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2016 Leadership Luncheon
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WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, 2016
WHERE: Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland
Grantee Speakers and Networking
Emcee: Cathy Plourde
Lead Sponsor:
 Cornerstone Sponsor:   Benefactor:Video Underwriter:Supporter:
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2016 GRANTEES ANNOUNCED
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The Maine Women's Fund has awarded grants totaling $111,400 to organizations working to build the economic security of Maine women and girls. The 2016 grantees will be recognized at the Fund's annual Leadership Luncheon on May 18, 2016, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Read More... |
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NEW CAMDEN ADDRESS
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Our Camden office has moved! You can now find us at 87 Elm Street, Suite 215, Camden, ME 04843.
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Spotlight on Impact: Elder Abuse Institute of Maine
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Safety at Every Age
"I still can't get over what a miracle Martha's cottage was for me. I know in my soul he would have killed me had I not left when I did. He had talked of killing me before but this time he was more quiet, more resigned to it as if it were inevitable. I just knew it was going to be the end for me and I had to get out."
Martha's Cottage is a women-only, transitional home for elder victims of intimate partner abuse, sexual assault and stalking. Run by the Elder Abuse Institute of Maine, this safe, confidential facility allows women 60 years and older to escape abusive relationships that have often lasted for 40 years or more. Traditional shelters do not meet the needs of older people as facilities must be equipped for specific services including increased accessibility. Martha's Cottage is one of only two transitional housing programs in the country that serve the needs of older women and has been a temporary home for 23 women, ranging in age from 56 to 78 since they
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opened their doors in 2011. "I thought I'd just keep growing older and then die," explained one client of her former life. "You told me to just take each day as it came and promised that I'd feel more comfortable in that safe place [Martha's Cottage] soon. And I did. I have changed so much since then and have a completely different life. One that I never thought would be possible for me." Continue reading...
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Women of Maine: Highlighting Triumphs from Around the State
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For Mufalo Chitam moving to Maine was an adventure. Born and raised in Zambia, Chitam received her BA in Public Administration from the University of Zambia and worked for an American-based non-profit. But when the exciting opportunity presented itself in 2000 she, her husband and their two year-old daughter set out for Portland over seven thousand miles from home. "We arrived in October," Chitam laughed, "a family friend suggested we come to Portland, that we would love it and when we touched down it was freezing! I've never been so cold!" She started working at the University of Southern Maine and has since worked with United Way of Greater Portland, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Kidney Foundation and Easter Seals Maine and currently with the national
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Mufalo Chitam
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American Red Cross on development projects and special event planning.
Mufalo's current project is the inaugural Empower the Immigrant Woman Conference being held on May 21, 2016 at the USM Hannaford Hall in Portland, Maine. The conference's mission "to empower, educate and inspire the emerging immigrant American woman" is two-fold in its purpose: to help immigrant women feel empowered by building learning skills and networks to enable self-sufficiency and to honor the women in immigrant communities who lead and inspire. Continue reading...
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The New Girls Network (2001-2011) was a program of the Maine Women's Fund that offered young women a chance to build their professional and personal networks, explore social change philanthropy and enhance their leadership skills. The program included a nine-month exploration of philanthropy, leadership, activism and feminism that fostered the personal growth, professional development and an interest in programs that improve the lives of girls and women around the state.
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Q&A with Jennifer Eastman, NGN 2004-05
What were you doing the year you participated in the New Girls Program and why did join?
In 2004 I was pretty new to Maine, new to my law career, and looking for a way to engage in my state, from a networking and philanthropic perspective. Funny how those overlap so well. I had been introduced to the Fund by my friend and mentor Judy Groth, who was a board member at the time, and instantly connected with the mission. Ours was the first New Girls program in Bangor, and it was a fabulous way to meet other women in my community who shared my passion for meeting great women and supporting women and girls in Maine.
What has been the most enduring take-away from the program?
The knowledge that the compassion and motivation I feel to transform the lives of Maine women and girls, for my daughters, for my peers, for our future as a state, is shared by so many women in Maine. The New Girls Program taught me that my passion for philanthropy is a part of everything I do, everything I am, and when shared with other women, we can make a difference. My favorite memory of the New Girls Program was the evening I spent on the grant-funding committee, where as a group, we pitched for the applicants, and divvied up the New Girls grant funds. To know that a few hundred dollars meant keeping a great grassroots program alive in the state of Maine, was such a sense of empowerment. I made friends at that meeting I am still close with today.
What are you doing now?
It feels like everything! I am a partner at the law firm of Rudman Winchell in Bangor, where I practice in estate planning, probate, and elder law. I chair the Elder Law Section of the Maine State Bar. I serve on several local boards in Bangor, and am my daughter's Daisy Troop leader. In my spare time, I play for Central Maine Roller Derby. I love playing derby, but also love that my league has a strong community service ethic. We spend a lot of time off skates volunteering in the community. I have three children now, and a parenting priority is instilling in them the passion for community service and contribution that is so important to me. My experience with the New Girls helped me realize how imperative philanthropy is in my life.
What do you think is the most important issue on the horizon for Maine women and girls today?
Honestly, all the issues that the Fund supports are vital for the future of Maine's women and girls. I chair the board of Penobscot Community Health Care, a federally qualified health care center based in Bangor. Through my work with PCHC, I continue to realize how important access to quality health care is, not just for Maine's women and girls, but for all Maine families. Physically and mentally healthy families can be a solid foundation to create a safe environment, to develop financial security, allow education to be a priority, and grow confident children into strong leaders.
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On behalf of the staff and board of the Maine Women's Fund, thank you for reading and for all you do to support Maine women and girls.
Office locations: 74 Lunt Road, Suite 100, Falmouth, ME 04105 | 87 Elm Street, Suite 215, Camden, ME 04843
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The Maine Women's Fund thanks MaineShare for its ongoing support. MaineShare makes it easy to donate to more than 30 statewide organizations working every day to make Maine a better place to live. For more information, please visit the website. |
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