At United Way of Mid Coast Maine’s annual meeting, Board Chair Connie Jones of Boothbay reviewed highlights of 2016, including early childhood initiatives and the “tremendous results” achieved by United Way’s 36 local partner agencies. Together they mobilized over 4,000 volunteers and helped approximately 20,000 residents of Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties, Brunswick, and Harpswell, to a better life.

“United Way donations go so far,” said Jones, “in part because they leverage our agencies’ harnessing of volunteer, as well as staff, power. Last year, donors helped mobilize over 4,000 volunteers at United Way and our partner agencies, providing over $3.5 million worth of volunteer time!”

Jones said that in addition to funding critical local programs, United Way also works to create long-lasting change by bringing people together to work on community initiatives, such as the Best Start Initiative that promotes home visiting support for new parents, diaper drives, and the Community Read Aloud. “Our United Way, I believe, is really making an outsize difference with our community initiative work, and dedication to starting in early childhood and preventing serious, long-term problems. We’re looking to see how big a positive difference we can make in our community!”

That theme was continued by Sue Mackey Andrews, co-founder of the Maine Resilience Building Network and keynote speaker at United Way’s annual meeting. “We’re only as strong as a community, only as smart, only as healthy, only as productive, as the weakest among us,” said Mackey Andrews.

Mackey Andrews, speaking on “Healthy and Resilient Children and Families,” noted several causes for alarm about Maine’s children, including the continued high poverty rate of about 20 percent, very challenging behaviors seen in child care settings among children as young as 18 months, and Maine’s 2nd-highest-in-the-country percent of very young children being expelled or suspended from pre-school.

“If our society is to prosper in the future, we will need to make sure that all children have the opportunity to develop intellectually, socially, and emotionally,” said Mackey Andrews. “This United Way has been a visionary and been at the forefront of addressing issues we don’t want to talk about, such as what’s happening to our young people. Your voices now are more important than ever.”

Mackey Andrews said the Legislature is considering promising legislation on children’s Socio-Emotional Learning and Development, that would provide needed early childhood consultation to early education providers and parents, to support children who are struggling. She praised United Way’s Peter Lindsay for being instrumental in the issue being studied and addressed, as Co-Chair of the Maine Children’s Growth Council, on which she serves. She also urged the annual meeting attendees to guard against continued erosion of the social safety net, and explained the stress among Maine families caused by lack of the “big four: food, housing, heat, and health care.”

Special recognition was given at the annual meeting to staff members Jim Peavey, who is retiring at the end of June after more than nine years of staffing United Way’s “Safe and Healthy Community Council,” and to executive director Barbara Reinertsen, who has served 25 years with the organization. Four Community Builder Awards were presented.

Heidi Shott of Newcastle, a member of United Way’s Board and Governance Committee, presented five nominees who were elected or reelected to the Board of Directors: Rick Bohan of L.L. Bean, Pam Gerbi of Brunswick, Sean Martin of Bath Savings Trust Company, Heidi Shott of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine, and Joel Wegner of Five County Credit Union.

Bath resident and retired Bowdoin College professor Nancy Jennings was elected chair of United Way’s Board of Directors, Joel Wegner of Five County Credit Union and Bill Brillant of Downeast Energy were elected 1st and 2nd Vice Chairs, and Sean Martin of Bath Savings Trust Company was elected to the position of treasurer.

Jones noted that in 2016, United Way of Mid Coast Maine also celebrated its 60th anniversary, offered a $60,000 match from a group of committed donors for new and increased giving, and ran an extremely successful campaign, raising almost $100,000 over goal.

“We have a great year ahead; we’re moving forward together,” said incoming Board Chair Nancy Jennings before adjourning the meeting.