Nonprofits

Youth and Family Outreach center has broken ground on a $28 million site designed to address two persistent challenges for lower-income families: child care and housing.

Mechanics' Hall received a $20,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to lead a year of community programming around Nathaniel Philbrick’s nonfiction work “In Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex.”

Executive Director Jason Judd is leaving the Portland-based nonprofit to serve as Maine state director for the Quincy, Mass.-based Nellie Maine Education Foundation.

Joanna Benoit brings more than a decade of experience in development, grants management and mission-driven leadership.

The proceeds will go to the Dempsey Center and the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, who will each receive $105,000 to support their work. Donations are still being accepted online.

The 11,000-square-foot facility, to be called United 4 Child Care, will open at 2 Stonewood Drive. The United Way of Southern Maine collaborated with the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce to create the new center.

At 6,161 square feet, the new location will give the Telling Room more space for students, programs and community events.

Tree Street Youth's planned Canopy Center aims to provide early childhood education along with opportunities for families to parenting support, health and wellness programming, financial literacy classes and workforce development.

Victoria Mansion met a $1 million collective challenge and surpassed its $8 million fundraising goal. Another $1 million challenge will unlock an additional gift to seed a building endowment.

“The new Bangor Region YMCA demonstrates the power of new-markets tax credits to bring transformative capital to downtowns and rural communities,” said an Evernorth representative.