The Waldoboro Parent Café Team was honored with United Way of Mid Coast Maine's Community Builder Award at United Way's Annual Meeting.

The team, organized by United Way partner agency Families CAN!, had as a goal: "Every expectant family, infant, toddler and their family has someone they can turn to in their local community." In January the team sponsored the first Parent Café to engage families and build a network among parents with young children.

The keynote speaker for the event was Ed Cervone, acting president of the Maine Development Foundation, which recently with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce produced a report entitled "Investment in Young Children = Real Economic Development."

"By the age of three, 85 percent of a person's brain circuitry is wired," Cervone said. "That's the foundation upon which they'll succeed or fail." Two-thirds of Maine fourth graders are not reading at a proficient level. "We need to go back to the beginning, and set these kids up for success. We need to get it right from the start. This is not just a good thing to do for families and communities. It's not just good from a moral point of view. This is an economic imperative."

Cervone said that education is directly correlated with better health and with people's ability to get a good job. "Data show conclusively that the highest return on investment happens the earlier you invest. This is one of the best economic development strategies the state could invest in."

Cervone praised United Way of Mid Coast Maine for its strategic emphasis on early childhood, for its participation in the Maine Children's Growth Council through staff member Peter Lindsay, and for its collaboration with other groups in the state on this issue.

Additional Community Builder Awards were presented to the Volunteer Administrators of Midcoast Maine, for their excellent work in helping professionals at nonprofit agencies learn how to make effective use of volunteers, and to the Morrell family of Downeast Energy, who had contributed generously of dollars and volunteer time to dozens of nonprofit organizations for the 81 years they owned the company until its recent sale.

"For United Way, they've done everything we have ever asked of them, and sometimes more than we would think to ask," said Reinertsen, who said the family had set an example for businesses contributing to the community and had created a community and a culture of giving among the employees of Downeast Energy.

United Way Board Member Bob Davis of Border Trust was recognized for winning a 6 Who Care Volunteerism Award, as was Brunswick High School senior and former United Way intern Julia Brown, who recently received Maine's Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.

Jim Donovan, CEO of Lincoln County Healthcare, Laura Fortman of Nobleboro and the Frances Perkins Center in Damariscotta, and Suzanne Umland of Coastal Enterprises Inc. in Wiscasset were elected to United Way's Board of Directors. Also elected or re-elected were attorney Jon Doyle of Richmond, Bath Police Chief Mike Field, Fred Haer, CEO of FHC, Matt Orlando of Bowdoin College, and George Reichert of The Times Record.

Also at the meeting, Bob Beaumont was elected chairman of United Way's Board of Directors, and Dennis Unger and George Reichert were elected first and second vice chairs. Matt Orlando was elected treasurer.