HALLOWELL, Maine – September 14, 2021 The Maine Development Foundation (MDF)’s Maine Downtown Center program is thrilled to receive a $750,00 grant fromthe Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program, for the second time. MDF is one of only eleven recipients in ten states to receive this funding. Known in Maine as REvitalizeME Gen2, the program will provide grants for historic preservation projects that will foster economic development in Maine’s rural downtowns. MDF received funding from this program In 2020, the funding made 6 awards possible for projects in Skowhegan, Eastport, Bath, Norway, Dover-Foxcroft and Gardiner.

“It’s wonderful that Maine has received this funding again and other downtown projects will benefit from it like we did,” says Michael Miclon, Executive Director, Johnson Hall, Gardiner, Maine. “We are grateful for the REvitalizeME National Park Service grant through Maine Development Foundation.  The grant enabled us to repair our historic windows and masonry and really close the gap on our 5-year capital campaign for Johnson Hall, which is a downtown community hub and significant historic theater.”

REvitalizeME Gen2 funds are provided by the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The program offers grants to historic property owners for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or energy efficiency projects in the downtown areas of communities currently served by the Maine Downtown Center program.

“Supporting our National Main Street and Affiliate communities by bringing historic preservation funding opportunities to them is one of the most important things MDF’s Maine Downtown Center can do,” says  Anne Ball, Program Director, Maine Downtown Center. “We are grateful to the National Park Service for funding  the work we are doing in Maine.”

Funding in the form of subgrants will be awarded through a competitive program that will be operated administered by MDF. These grants will provide desperately needed financial capacity to encourage infrastructure development and leverage private sector investment increasing the commercial, educational, residential, or civic use and value of the historic properties. Projects may include physical preservation projects for historic sites, architectural/engineering services, and technical assistance.

“This National Park Service program not only supports historic preservation, but also fosters economic development in rural communities,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “By funding the rehabilitation of historic properties, rural areas across the country will be improved and strengthened.”

Grant applications and requirements will be made available in November 2021 at www.mdf.org. Grant assistance is provided by the Historic Preservation Fund and the National Park Service.

Read the inspiring stories of our inaugural cadre of the MDF Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program as featured in Volunteer Maine’s August 17th Blog. Worth every second of the 4-minute read, and watch the short in-their-own-words videos to get to know theses extraordinary young leaders.

Feeling inspired? Apply for the 2021-2022 cadre of Fellows. Deadline for submitting applications is August 31, 2021.

MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Main Street and Affiliate communities responded to the pandemic in powerful, creative, and innovative ways that built community and resiliency.

From short-term small business support, to creating safe reopening and gathering locations, these case studies detail some of the ways that Main Streets and Affiliates rose to the occasion and exemplified both the Main Street America Four Point Approach (economic vitality, design, promotion, and organization) and the pillars of the Main Street Fellows program (resilience, social capital, equity, and welcoming communities).

Read their powerful stories in a new report from MDF’s Downtown Center and our Americorps Downtown Fellow Nat Blackford, “COVID-19 Responses from Maine’s Main Streets”.

Watch the story of MDF’s Realize Maine Network’s superstar, Matt Dexter, Vice Chair of FUSION: Bangor and founder of Christine B. Foundation, and his his courageous 100-mile run in beastly conditions to shine a spotlight on the challenges rural Mainers face in obtaining medical and health care, and to honor National Cancer Survivors Day. Thanks to NEWS CENTER Maine for covering Matt’s story.

Editorial in Mainebiz by Tae Chong on why attracting and retaining Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and new Americans is critical to Maine’s workforce. The commentary utilizes data from MDF’s Measures of Growth Report.

https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/commentary-the-workers-we-need-are-right-in-front-of-us?utm_source=Hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=&utm_content=d7d92c66-fb62-4e7f-9404-2162b48f3402&utm_campaign=mainebiz

This article in Mainebiz features a development program being launched by the Town of Ashland. Original Mass Timber Maine aims to build markets for structural round timber, a low-cost and carbon-friendly building product that is a perfect fit for the state’s forest industry. The three-year project is funded by a grant to the town from the Northern Forest Center and Forest Opportunity Roadmap coalition (FOR Maine). MDF is a key partner and the program manager for the FOR/Maine coalition.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 4, 2021 – Hallowell, ME – MaineSpark is thrilled to announce a second grant of $50,000 from the Avangrid Foundation in partnership with Central Maine Power to enhance and expand our ability to connect adult learners (24+ years old) with the education and training, information, coaching, and resources they need to secure meaningful, long term employment, boost their careers, and/or recover from job loss or income reduction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Avangrid Foundation also provided grant support in 2020.

“The Avangrid Foundation is committed to helping our customers and communities navigate a changing economy and workplace,” said Nicole Licata Grant, Avangrid Foundation Executive Director. “We know that throughout Maine there are dedicated adult learners and workers who have been impacted by disruptions like COVID and we believe that MaineSpark is one of the most innovative ways to collaborate statewide to help adult learners and reach individuals where and when they need it the most. We look forward to our continued partnership.”

The funds will be used to train, raise awareness of, and substantially grow the Navigator Network, a cadre of professionals who provide coordinated support for adult learners as part of MaineSpark’s Adult Promise Initiative. Adult learners can connect with a Navigator directly from MaineSpark’s statewide online hub, and access a wide variety of information on other programs and resources.

This grant also enables MaineSpark to launch an Ambassador program to increase the reach of the “no wrong door” approach and meet aspiring adult learners where they are within Maine communities. Ambassadors are trained volunteers in targeted organizations such as libraries, human resources, and social service non-profits who come into contact with aspiring adult students and provide basic information and crucial encouragement for adults.

“Ambassadors are the trusted community voices who will encourage and support Maine adults interested in further education and training,” says Amy Poland, Professional Development Coordinator, Office of Adult Education, Maine Department of Education. “They are the ‘cheerleaders’ in the workplace and community that someone needs when thinking about their next step. The Avangrid Foundation’s support of the development of this program is key to reaching more Mainers.”

MaineSpark is a 10-year commitment by a coalition of organizations – schools and universities, nonprofits and foundations, government agencies and businesses – with a common goal: by 2025, 60% of Mainers will hold credentials of value (degrees and training) that position Maine and its families for success and meet the workforce demands of Maine employers.

The Avangrid Foundation is the primary charitable arm of AVANGRID, the parent company of Central Maine Power. The grant will be administered by the Maine Development Foundation, a member of the MaineSpark Coalition and Program Director for the Adult Promise program.

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For more information:

• Avangrid Foundation Contact: Athena W. Hernandez, Manager, Corporate Media Relations and Sustainability, Athena.Hernandez@avangrid.com, 203-231-2146
• MDF Contact: Kathleen Shannon Nichols, Dir. Communications & Engagement, kshannon@mdf.org, (207) 400-1828

Heart of Biddeford, one of MDF’s Maine Downtown Center communities, has been named a recipient of a Main Street Resiliency Grant from Main Street America. HOB prevailed in a competitive national process. They will use the $8,500 to collaborate with Black Owned Maine to promote the Black-owned businesses in Biddeford disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Learn more about Heart of Biddeford’s project and those of other recipients here.

Maine Historic Preservation Commission‘s five-year historic preservation plan, which helps guide preservation development in the state and to which MDF’s Maine Downtown Center contributed a section, contains strategies aimed at diversity and inclusion, and seeks to address omissions of historic sites related to the state’s native people and African-American population, early French and German historic sites and specifics about the contributions by women and others.

Read the full article in Mainebiz.

*Public comments on the plan are open until April 9th.

How does Maine stack up against other states for our economy? There are plenty of factors to look at, and the Maine Development Foundation is measuring all of them. From wages to entrepreneurship, the cost of doing business to broadband access, the Measures of Growth report considers a wide variety of factors and rates them all. They’ve even included some new measures this year including racial/ethnic income equity and pre-K education.

Fast Forward Maine talked with MDF’s CEO, Yellow Light Breen, for a breakdown of the report’s findings. Fun side note: they also celebrated Yellow as their first “regular” on the show, with this being their first repeat guest & topic. Thanks, Rich and Yuri!

Listen to the full Podcast.