FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MDF’s Maine Downtown Center Program Receives AmeriCorps Service Grant for New Main Street Fellows Program

HALLOWELL, ME – August 13, 2020 –  MDF’s Maine Downtown Center is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative, the Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program, which will place five Fellows in five Maine communities to help develop systems and strategies for a more resilient future. A central focus will be on increasing social capital, fostering more welcoming and equitable communities, and sharing new mindsets and models needed for communities to thrive. The program is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service through a new $77,395 Volunteer Maine subgrant.

“We are honored to receive this grant,” says MDC program director, Anne Ball. “The Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program is an amazing opportunity for our small downtown organizations to increase capacity and community engagement. As a keystone of their service, the Fellows will be learning and implementing the 40-year-old Main Street approach which focuses on creating an inclusive downtown through design, economic vitality, downtown events and a strong organization.”

The Main Street Fellows will be placed with a host Main Street or Downtown Affiliate organization, beginning October 30, 2020. The communities will be selected through a competitive RFP process during August 2020.

“Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, is pleased to support MDF’s efforts to tackle challenges facing Maine’s rural communities,” says Maryalice Crofton, Volunteer Maine Executive Director. “AmeriCorps members serving the Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program, a Maine Rural State program, will be leaders helping rural communities recover from the pandemic’s impact. At the end of their service year, communities should be better equipped to take on the next challenges. Our team is excited to collaborate with program members and staff to provide the technical training needed to effectively serve these communities,” added Crofton.

As Maine contends with the impacts of COVID-19 in addition to its existing economic and community development challenges, the Main Street Fellows will provide integral support to the selected communities by:

• Strengthening capacity for economic and community development through asset identification and development, strategic planning and implementation, social capital building.
• Assisting in local research, planning, education, and technology projects.

Maine Downtown Center will administer the funds and serve as program director for the Main Street Fellows AmeriCorps Program. Maine Downtown Center is a program of MDF that serves as a statewide resource for preservation-based downtown revitalization and is the state coordinator for the National Main Street’s Main Street program.

For more information and to arrange interviews, contact Adam Burk, Program Director, Maine Development Foundation aburk@mdf.org.

Click here for the Leadership Alumni Connector July 2020 Newsletter.

MDF is thrilled to offer the Leadership Alumni Project of Passion Resource Guide. The Guide offers a central, curated source of information on opportunities to engage with the wide range of programs, social services, nonprofits, and businesses who are helping drive economic improvement and enriching lives in Maine.

These opportunities were identified by alumni of both our Leadership Maine and ICL (Institute for Civic Leadership) programs, who are passionate leaders and contributors to these efforts. These opportunities align with ICL, Leadership Maine, and MDF core objectives. This is first edition of the Guide and together, we will expand and update this information annually.

We are also working to develop a web-based hub where alumni can continually update and add opportunities. More information coming soon!

Click here for MDF Roundup July 2020 Newsletter. This edition includes an update on our 2020-2021 ICL and Leadership Maine classes, a preview of a new slate of Leadership Development offerings in response to COVID-19 and Racial Equity, and highlights of MDF’s ongoing work in communities, downtowns and workforce development.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 29, 2020 – Hallowell, ME – MaineSpark is thrilled to announce a 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, information, coaching and resources they need to secure meaningful, long term employment, and boost their careers.

The Avangrid Foundation is the primary charitable arm of AVANGRID, the parent company of Central Maine Power. The funds will be used to train and raise awareness of our Navigator Network, a cadre of 375 professionals who provide coordinated support for adult learners as part of MaineSpark’s Adult Promise program. These supports are particularly important during this period of economic turmoil and job loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Avangrid Foundation is deeply committed to serving lifelong learning needs of people in  the communities that we serve. This seminal investment at such a critical time is one way we can support individual Mainers as well as whole communities in transition,” says Nicole Licata Grant, Director, Avangrid Foundation. “Mainers are uniquely resilient, self-reliant and innovative, and while these are uncertain times, we believe that Adult Promise offers working-age Mainers critical resources to achieve economic stability and long-term success.”

Navigators advise adult learners on going back to school, earning degrees and other credentials, changing careers, finding financial aid and connecting them with resources ranging from childcare to transportation to make these pursuits possible. 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.

“We are grateful to the Avangrid Foundation and Central Maine Power for their support of Maine Adult Promise and the Navigator Network,” says Rosa Redonnett, Chief Student Affairs Officer, University of Maine System. “As a rural state, the connections within and among Maine’s communities are critical to the progress of its citizens, and the Navigator network forms the backbone of those connections as we work together to enable all Maine citizens the ability to gain advanced credentials and degrees. This grant enables us to enhance that network and provide important professional development that can further help support adult learners in Maine.”

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.

The Avangrid Foundation 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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In-depth Mainebiz article on the five communities which are receiving awards as part of the Increasing Prosperity for Maine’s Forest Economy Communities subgrant program. In total, more than $1-million in funding was allocated for mill site redevelopment projects. MDF is honored to be administering the program in conjunction with the FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) coalition.

Read the full article.

AUGUSTA, ME – June 17, 2020 – The FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) coalition – a broad coalition working to diversify the state’s wood products businesses, attract capital investments, and develop greater economic prosperity for rural communities – and Maine Development Foundation (MDF) are pleased to announce grants totaling more than $1-million to five Maine communities impacted by recent mill closures.

The funds will be used for redevelopment projects deemed catalytic for the next generation of forest economy products, especially during this critical transition in global markets. The grants are primarily funded by the Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority. They will be administered by Maine Development Foundation, which staffs the FOR/Maine coalition and is a key partner in the coalition’s work.

“This is an extremely positive step forward both to provide critical funding to these communities, but also because this funding was developed by a coordinated and concerted effort that focused on regional needs rather than just one group or community,” says Charlie Spies, CEO, CEI Capital and FOR/Maine Communities Subcommittee Chair. “The need was apparent as one mill after another shut down over the last decade, leaving these century-old, forest-based economies anchorless. The recent appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbates the need. It is a model for future work that can be replicated to continue transitioning these economies to make them more diverse and sustainable.” 

The five awardees prevailed through a process aimed at identifying new opportunities that will have a fundamental impact on economic revitalization and the next generation of forest products:

• Ashland – $150,000 to develop a new Structural Round Timber market on the east coast based in Ashland.
• East Millinocket – $210,000 to stabilize the former Great Northern Paper mill campus, including the repair of several structures to make them available for long-term lease for forest-products businesses.
• Lincoln – $185,000 to redevelop the Lincoln Paper & Tissue mill site through feasibility assessment and planning related to building rehabilitation, upgrading essential infrastructure, and restoring waste water treatment.
• Madison – $400,000 to redevelop the Madison mill site through demolition of the special chemicals building and boiler house for a new use of the site by GO Labs for the production of wood fiber-based insulation products.
• Millinocket – $216,090 for energizing the substation on the brownfield portion of the Great Northern Paper site, where potential tenants are ready to locate contingent on the upgrades.

“These funds will provide a significant boost to the efforts underway to revitalize the industrial site formerly owned by Madison Paper Industries,” explained Tim Curtis, Town Manager of Madison. “Madison is fortunate to be in a partnership with GO Lab, an up-and-coming timber products manufacturer and new owner of the site. Thank you for your contribution to make Madison an even better place to live and work. We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of MDF to assist municipalities hit hardest by the closure of paper mills over the past several years.  MDF’s collaboration with the Northern Border Regional Commission and the Maine Rural Development Authority has resulted in direct funding to help former mill towns rebuild”

The awards are part of the Increasing Prosperity for Maine’s Forest Economy Communities subgrant program, which is funded by the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), Maine Rural Development Authority (MRDA), and with additional matching funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, and FOR/Maine.

“We are excited to play a role in funding this group of projects, and to see these funds go to support innovative efforts to diversify Maine’s forest economy communities,” says NBRC Executive Director Rich Grogan. “It is also crucial that these investments support new forest economy products, furthering this industry’s rich tradition in Maine, and across the NBRC region.”

Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, with the leadership of Commissioner Heather Johnson, provided crucial matching support to this federal-state partnership. The members of Maine’s congressional delegation have also been instrumental in advocating for the increased, targeted funding for the regional Forest Economy program at NBRC, as well as for the federal funding support to establish FOR/Maine in 2016 and begin implementing its recommended strategies.

“The forest products industry has been a critical economic contributor to rural Maine communities for generations, and with the right investments, it can continue to play a vital role in our state for years to come,” said Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and Congressman Jared Golden. “The work of the industry-led FOR/ME initiative has helped position this sector for continued success, and these grants for Ashland, Millinocket, East Millinocket, Lincoln, and Madison will build on its progress. Investments in these communities will bolster the development of new sustainable forest products, help support good quality jobs in each region, and take important steps toward our shared goal of revitalizing Maine’s forest economy.”

For more information and to set up interviews contact Adam Burk, Program Director, Maine Development Foundation aburk@mdf.org.

Nice editorial from the Bangor Daily News about how communities are innovating in the face of COVID-19.

Pandemic allows communities to reimagine themselves

MDF’s President and CEO, Yellow Light Breen, spoke with Govwebworks.com’s Melissa Coleman about strategies for economic stability amidst the turmoil of COVID-19 and the recovery. “Breen believes the following investments can help smaller states stay the course to economic stability: support for leaders, dislocated workers, and Main Street.”

Read the article: https://www.govwebworks.com/2020/05/19/strategies-for-economic-stability/