Midcoast Foodie Festival Raises $28,000 For Finding Our Voices
From left, Christine Buckley, Patrisha McLean, and Mary Lou Smith enjoying a yellow taste treat at the 2024 “Into the Light!” Foodie Festival that raised $28K for Finding Our Voices.
Frank and Matthew of Camden, with Patrisha McLean, were the winners of the “Into the Light!” Selfie-Raffle Pet Basket. Treats donated by Maine Dog, Loyal Biscuit, and Creative Creations. Money raised through “Into the Light!” will pay for items to rescue pets from domestic abuse, in addition to bringing safety to women and children. Finding Our Voices photo
From left, Christine Buckley, Patrisha McLean, and Mary Lou Smith enjoying a yellow taste treat at the 2024 “Into the Light!” Foodie Festival that raised $28K for Finding Our Voices.
Frank and Matthew of Camden, with Patrisha McLean, were the winners of the “Into the Light!” Selfie-Raffle Pet Basket. Treats donated by Maine Dog, Loyal Biscuit, and Creative Creations. Money raised through “Into the Light!” will pay for items to rescue pets from domestic abuse, in addition to bringing safety to women and children. Finding Our Voices photo
Businesses across 15 Midcoast towns raised $28,000 for Maine domestic abuse survivors in July's Finding Our Voices second annual "Into the Light!” Foodie Festival.
According to Patrisha McLean, CEO and Founder of Finding Our Voices, 60 eateries from Searsport to Thomaston, and including Islesboro and Vinalhaven, donated proceeds of yellow food and drink menu items, Windsor Chairmakers raffled a yellow hand-crafted chair, Glendarragh Farm Lavender sold yellow scarves and Barnswallow sold yellow books, and 11 businesses and individuals donated money in sponsorships including $2,500 from First National Bank.
Thirty-five downtown businesses contributed yellow items ranging from throw blankets and dog biscuits to binoculars and children’s books as prizes for a Selfie Raffle. The raffle garnered 150 photo-entries of diners enjoying yellow taste treats ranging from yellow rose gelato from Freya’s to Irish Eggs Benedict at Buttermilk Kitchen and golden raspberry jam at Hubbard Brook Farm in the Camden Farmer’s Market.
Raffle winners were Matthew Moore of Camden for the pet basket, Heather Howard of Lake Worth Florida for the children’s basket, and Anthony Passaro from Collingswood, New Jersey for the adult basket valued at $2,000.00.
McLean said the proceeds of the fundraiser will help the nonprofit meet an expected spike in need for services in the upcoming holiday season from Maine women trapped in domestic abuse, with payments for emergency shelter, car, legal, and home security costs.
“Domestic abuse survivors will tell you that it was always worse during the holidays— for so many reasons including financial strain and increased alcohol consumption— and how beautiful that the generosity of the Midcoast business community will bring light in this traditionally dark time to women and children all across the state," said McLean.
McLean said the group is “definitely” bringing the event back for a third time in 2025, and still deciding if it will be in the Midcoast again or another region in Maine.
Participating eateries included Dos Gatos Gastropub and Wiley’s donating $1,669.63 and $700 respectively, 18 Central, 40 Paper, Alsace, Apron at Terminal A, Aster & Rose at the Youngtown Inn, Atlantic Baking Company, Bixby Chocolate, Black Goat Test Kitchen & Supperclub, Bleecker and Greer, Barren's Distillery, Brazen Baking, Buttermilk Kitchen, Cafe Louis, Camden House of Pizza, Causeway at the Craignair Inn, Common Wealth Farm, Dark Harbor Shop, Delvino’s, Dots Market, First Fig, Freya’s, Frontier Maple Sugarworks, Hey Sailor!, Hubbbard Brook Farm, In Good Company, KaChai Thai Street Food, Laugh Loud Smile Big, Laurel's Dolce Vita, Long Grain, Mosaic, Must Be Nice Lobster, Nina June, North Beacon Oyster, Norumbega Inn, Paper Plane, Pottle’s, Primo, Rock City Coffee, Rose Cottage Bakery, Salt Wharf, Samoset Resort, Sea Dog Brewing, Skal, Slipway, Station 118, Sterlingtown Public House, StreetFood 330, Stone Fox Farm Creamery, Sweet Monkey Business, The Atrium in the Rockport Harbor Hotel ,The Only Doughnut, The Place Bakery, The Scone Goddess, Thomaston Cafe, Vinolio, and Whale's Tooth Pub.
Sponsors included First National Bank, Dirigo Law, Borden Cottage, Viking Lumber, and Lucinda Watson.
For more information visit FindingOurVoices.net or contact Patrisha directly at hello@findingourvoices.net
