We are pleased to announce that we have received two new grants from the Maine Community Foundation (MCF) and Maine Women’s Fund (MWF)! These grants will support our financial education and asset building program.
Maine Community Foundation: Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation Home Community Grant
This grant will help us expand outreach and services to New Mainer immigrant communities in the following parts of Maine:
- Augusta/Waterville
- Lewiston/Auburn
- Greater Portland
This grant will help us strengthen and develop new partnerships and resources to coordinate and provide a comprehensive array of training, coaching, and matched savings accounts to address identified needs. These funds will also allow us to respond to increased interest in the Family Development Account Program from the New Mainer Community.
What’s Happening So Far
In Augusta/Waterville, with support from a UMA Presidential Mini-Grant, we are partnering with the Capital Area New Mainers Project to provide a series of College Awareness and Financial Education workshops. These workshops will take place on UMA-Augusta’s campus with professional interpreters. Beginning on Tuesday, June 19-August 7, these five 90 minute workshops will focus on:
- Understanding the Cost of College
- Budgeting Basics
- Banking and Credit
- Building Savings
- Exploring College and Careers
For more information, please contact Sherrie Brann, Workforce Specialist, at 621-3436.
In Greater Portland, we are offering a Business Basic class to 10 New Mainers in collaboration with the City of Portland’s Economic Development Department and the Office of Economic Opportunity, New Mainers Resource Center, and Portland Adult Education. Read more about this class >
Maine Women’s Fund Grant
The grant from the MWF will enable us to continue providing financial education training, coaching, and matched Start Over Start Strong savings accounts to women at the Southern Maine Women’s Re-Entry Center. We will also use these funds to offer similar services to women at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham in collaboration with Department of Corrections staff at those facilities. The MWF will be announcing 2018 grants at a Reveal Party in Falmouth on 6/20.
For more information about our financial education and asset building program, please contact Jean Dempster, Program Director, at 621-3434 or dempster@maine.edu.