110 Years of Service THE MAINE SEA COAST MISSION Annual Report | 2014 HERE’S HOW YOU CAN BE THERE FOR THE MISSION The Maine Sea Coast Mission exists to make life better for the people of coastal Maine and its islands. We rely on your support to provide a wide range of programs. An easy way to help is to name the Mission as benefi ciary of an IRA, life insurance policy, or investment account by simply notifying your account manager of your wishes. Some individuals establish life insurance policies with the intent of leaving the Mission a larger sum at the end of their lives than they would be able to contribute during their lifetimes. Read more about the many ways you can help support the work of the Maine Sea Coast Mission on page 21. Maine Sea Coast Mission LEFT: PATSY E. FOGARTY, CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS COVER: HALFWAY ROCK LIGHT A Task of Greater Magnitude… “To sail a sloop in a parish extending from Kittery Point to Quoddy Head, along the broken coast of Maine, in all kinds of weather, is not a small undertaking. To enter the coves and harbors, to call on the families on isolated islands, to visit the lightkeepers and the lifesaving stations, is a task of greater magnitude.” — First Annual Report, Maine Sea Coast Missionary Society, 1906 Dear Friends, This year, the Maine Sea Coast Mission celebrates its 110th birthday. We were organized on July 11 and incorporated on October 13, 1905. Since its beginning, the Mission’s goals have been far reaching. It was no small undertaking indeed to sail a sloop the entire length of the coast of Maine. But of greater magnitude was the work: to call on the families on isolated islands. What impresses me most in this statement is the seriousness with which the Mission undertook its ‘mission,’ caring for isolated families. Today, the Sunbeam V sails from Mount Desert Island to Monhegan, and we travel by land east to Machias. But the work of greater magnitude remains essentially the same. We care for families in isolated places. We bring health and wellness programs to the outer islands, and in far downeast Maine we provide educational enrichment for youth and help families meet basic needs. All of this work is undertaken by a devoted staff and supported by our generous donors. Moving forward into our second century, we remain committed to this task of greater magnitude. With your support, we are building the capacity of coastal and island communities by inspiring youth, strengthening families, and promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health. SCOTT PLANTING Scott Planting President During the anniversary activities individuals shared stories about people and programs and how they had changed their lives. WEALD BETHEL CHAPEL— 50 YEARS OF SERVICE MEETING The Weald Bethel Chapel (WBC) celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2014. This celebration provided IMMEDIATE NEEDS a wonderful opportunity to refl ect on the past, celebrate the impact of the Sea Coast Mission’s work in ■ Cherryfi eld Food Pantry Washington County, and look toward the future. ■ Emergency Assistance The anniversary activities included many events, during which individuals shared stories about people ■ Housing Repair Program and programs and how they had changed their lives. Programming at the WBC began fi fty years ago ■ Clothes for ME and included religious services, the founding of a nursery school and the building of a nature center. ■ Senior Companions For 13 years, one of the main uses of the WBC has been temporary housing for dozens of visiting ■ Weald Bethel Chapel workgroups volunteering for the Mission’s Housing Repair Program each summer. Each year, they contribute more than 7,000 hours of labor (valued at over $140,000 by the Corporation for National ■ Downeast Senior Coffeehouse and Community Service) and $70,000 in cash (all of which is spent locally for building materials) to ■ Christmas Program improve the homes of about 30 local low-income families. ■ Downeast Table of Plenty Currently the WBC is under renovation. The renovations will allow the building to provide 300 to 400 volunteers each year with a comfortable, well-equipped space to stay. Additionally, it will provide a new home to three of the Mission’s current programs: Alice’s Restaurant, Joan’s Coffee House, and the Table of Plenty. The WBC will also be available to community groups for no charge. Workshops and meetings held at the Community Center benefi t the whole community. From 50 years to today, we continue to celebrate the WBC and all it provides. OPPOSITE: WEALD BETHEL CHAPEL 2 Island Health Services Program (IHSP ), has forged strong, trusting relationships with generations of islanders and health care providers. BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES Throughout its 110-year history, the Maine Sea Coast Mission has played a vital role in connecting island residents with needed medical care. From its earliest days working with the Red Cross to transport OUTREACH a nurse to remote Maine islands, to today’s multi-faceted Island Health Services Program (IHSP), the TO ISLANDS Mission has forged strong, trusting relationships with generations of islanders and health care providers. ■ Sunbeam V ■ Island Health Services Via telemedicine equipment on its boat, Sunbeam V, the Mission’s Director of Island Health, Sharon Daley, R.N. is able to virtually connect islanders to primary and behavioral health care providers on the ■ Island Ministry mainland. Aboard the Sunbeam V and if needed, in people’s homes, Sharon provides islanders of all ■ Island Partner Churches North Haven Baptist Church ages with personal, individualized care. Even when not in port, Sharon is available to islanders by phone Second Baptist Church of Islesboro and email, remotely helping them with a variety of issues such as tracking down medical equipment, Swan’s Island Baptist Church locating physical therapists and other specialists, and connecting them to social service agencies. Union Church of Vinalhaven Presently, the Mission’s IHSP serves seven unbridged islands – Isle au Haut, Frenchboro, Matinicus, Monhegan, Great Cranberry, Islesford and Swan’s Island, improving the overall health and wellbeing of islanders and island communities by connecting these isolated, underserved residents to medical care. The IHSP continues the Mission’s long standing tradition of providing much needed services to the people of Maine’s remote islands. OPPOSITE: HEALTH CARE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR MISSION 4 Through EdGE, the Mission offers students the opportunity to participate in an innovative and impact-driven youth development program. THE VISIONARY ED GREAVES Thirteen years ago, the Maine Sea Coast Mission underwent something of a sea change. Board Chairman Ed Greaves made a passionate appeal to the Board of Directors to take immediate action to assist the youth of Maine’s poorest region, Washington County. In this rural and economically depressed area of Maine, Ed saw children who faced the specter of generational poverty. He also noticed a critical lack of organizations such as YMCAs, Girls & Boys Clubs, and Camp Fire Clubs that in more populated regions provide not only recreation and enrichment opportunities, but offer hope, support, and the encouragement to succeed. Sadly, Ed Greaves passed away shortly after convincing the Mission’s board to commit to creating a program in Washington County that would attempt to do all of this and more. But a dear friend of Ed’s made a gift to the Mission that made this program a reality. Today, Ed’s legacy lives on in EdGE (short for “Ed Greaves Education”). Through EdGE, the Mission offers students from kindergarten through twelfth grade the opportunity to participate in an innovative and impact-driven youth development program. EdGE YOUTH provides high-quality in-school, after-school, and summer programs, and currently serves over 700 students DEVELOPMENT in 18 communities throughout Washington County in easternmost Maine. ■ EdGE ■ Mission Scholarships LEFT: ED GREAVES OPPOSITE: EDGE STUDENTS VISIT THE COLKET CENTER 6 People who use the food pantry are sitting with people who help fund the pantry. Two- year olds are sitting next to ninety-year olds. PLENTIFUL FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP THE DOWNEAST TABLE OF PLENTY The Downeast Table of Plenty, born in 2012 from the vision of Mission volunteer, Bonnie Johnson, is a weekly community meal served every Sunday on the Downeast Campus. Today, you will fi nd an average of 75 to 100 people per week enjoying food, fellowship, and live music. Bonnie, also a volunteer at the Mission’s Food Pantry, heard stories of hunger and loneliness on a regular basis. Many food pantry clients didn’t have enough food to feed themselves and their families and they often lived isolated and lonely lives. She wanted to create something that would address both of those very basic needs. Her vision was a Sunday dinner where family and friends come together and share a home cooked meal around a beautifully set table. People from all walks of life would sit at the same table, new friendships would evolve and a caring community would be built at the Downeast Table of Plenty. The Downeast Table of Plenty has fulfi lled that dream. People who use the food pantry are sitting with people who help fund the pantry. Two-year olds are sitting next to ninety-year olds. When you walk into the Downeast Table of Plenty, you hear music, conversation and laughter. You see people eating freshly prepared, healthy, and nutritious meals. Hunger and loneliness are nowhere in sight at the Table of Plenty. It is the visionary and dedicated work of our volunteers that keep this mission vibrant and growing. LEFT: MISSION VOLUNTEER BONNY COOK SERVES DELICIOUS FOOD OPPOSITE: ATTENDEES GATHER AT THE TABLE OF PLENTY 8 1905-1906 1906-1912 1912 –1926 The Friendship Sloop Hope, Motor yacht, Morning Star Sunbeam.