Rotary District 7780 grants are small grants awarded each year on a competitive basis to Rotary Clubs in Southern, Midcoast Maine and New Hampshire in support of a humanitarian projects either in a Rotary Club’s home community or internationally. Last spring the Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle applied for and recently received a COVID-19 Feeding Our Community - Lincoln County Food Initiative - Community Navigation District 7780, Rotary year 2020 – 2021, grant in the amount of $4,500. The club made an additional contribution of $500 bringing the total award to $5,000, the sum that was needed to staff the backbone of the Lincoln County Food Initiative (LCFI), the hot, community navigation help-line from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2020. On the 11th of January Kate Martin, executive director of Healthy Lincoln County, LCFI’s fiscal agent, accepted the funding support checks on behalf of LCFI from D/N Rotary Club President Roberta McLaughlin, Marianne Pinkham, Club Foundation Chair and Past President Jane Gravel, owner of Main Street Grocery whose initial delivery of meals to families in need during the last week of March quickly morphed into LCFI.

LCFI is a multi-organization, community collaboration and partnership that evolved in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to make sure that community members had the meals and food supplies that they needed in order to remain food secure while adhering to the State of Maine's Stay Safer at Home and COVID-19 Quarantine guidelines. LCFI a perfect example of community organizations, businesses and non-profits, coming together and continuing to work together towards a common goal is currently delivering hot meals and food supplies prepared by the staff at Kieve-Wavus to over 100 community members across all generations. For food assistance please reach out to LCFI’s hotline at 207-563-6658 and together we will find a solution that works for you. You can also reach out via Lincoln County Food Initiative Facebook Messenger. We are here for you #lincolncounty.

Members of the Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle are dedicated people who share a passion for both community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group of professionals who share your drive to give back by: Discussing your community's needs and discovering creative ways to meet them; Expanding your leadership and professional skills; Catching up with good friends and meet new ones; and Connecting with leaders from all continents, cultures, and occupations. Promoting service above self and opening doors to opportunities meetings of the Rotary Club of Damariscotta-Newcastle currently take place via Zoom at 7:30 a.m. on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of each month. Contact us at https://www.dnmrotary.org/SingleEmail/ContactUs for an invitation to any meeting or to learn more about Rotary.