Giving Notebook: $10K to help homeless youth, $6K for hunger relief
Courtesy / Town & Country FCU
The Locker Project’s Kathryn Sargent, executive director, and Steve Phillips accept a contribution from Town & Country FCU’s Community Engagement Manager Linda Halleran. The contribution was one of seven the credit union made to hunger-related organizations in Cumberland and York Counties to provide meals to families and individuals in need during the holidays and beyond.
Midcoast Youth Center, a Bath-based nonprofit organization providing programs, services and advocacy for youth ages 5 to 24, said it will use a $10,000 donation from the Avangrid Foundation to help homeless students in need.
Programs and services range from mental health awareness and outreach to the work with youngsters experiencing homelessness through the Merrymeeting Homeless Youth Project.
The Avangrid Foundation is a nonprofit that funds philanthropic investments impacting communities where Connecticut-based energy firm Avangrid Inc. (NYSE: AGR) and its subsidiaries, including Central Maine Power Co., operate.
“This incredibly generous grant will go a long way to supporting nearly 35-plus homeless students from Bath to Topsham, including Harpswell and Brunswick,” said Donna Verhoeven, the youth outreach coordinator for Merrymeeting Homeless Youth Project, in a news release.
“Our needs are great: clothing, transportation, rent, food ... COVID-19 has only intensified that need. It’s difficult to express just how grateful we are for this incredible financial support. It’s critical.”
In addition to the grant, employees of Maine Natural Gas in Brunswick made a surprise donation of $800 via a Midcoast Youth Center fundraiser. That effort recently met its goal of raising $15,000 that will be matched by a generous, anonymous donor, the center said.
"That is such a wonderful gift, and so from the heart," said Jamie Dorr, executive director and founder of Midcoast Youth Center, which is based at the former Bath Youth Meetinghouse & Skatepark.
"It really means a lot to know our youth have this type of support from organizations like Avangrid Foundation and Maine Natural Gas," she added.
Donations for hunger relief
During the season of giving, Scarborough-based Town & Country Federal Credit Union announced $6,000 worth of donations to seven hunger-related organizations in Cumberland and York counties.
The funds will cover close to 25,000 meals for those in need over the holidays and beyond. Recipients include the Locker Project, which provides meals to children and their families in 34 schools and preschools in the greater Portland area; the Biddeford, Saco, South Portland and Scarborough food panties; and the Preble Street Food Pantry and Wayside Food Program in Portland.
Elena Schmidt, chief development officer at Preble Street, said the gift will be put to use immediately, and that her organization expects to have served as many as a million meals by year's end.
"The 2020 holiday season is certainly like no other for a variety of reasons, but the need for support and assistance is greater than ever," said Jon Paradise, Town & Country's senior vice president of communications, marketing and community outreach. "As we have done since the start of the pandemic, Town & Country remains focused on ways we can make a difference to people, organizations and small businesses in our communities in terms of the holiday season."
He added that Town & Country "will continue to do all that we can to make a difference this holiday season and beyond."
Town & Country FCU has close to 4,000 members and $455 million in assets.
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