INSPIRED
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a lot about ourselves and our communities, especially for many nonprofit organizations in Maine. MaineCF awarded its final rounds of proactive grants from the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund in May, bringing the total to $4,345,953. This spring we reached out to three of those 238 nonprofit grantees to learn more about the challenges they faced – and takeaways that will move their diverse work forward.
Open Table MDI
Nourishing community in new and better ways
Mahandeva Singh and Puranjot Kaur launched Open Table MDI three years ago with free weekly dinners at Bar Harbor Congregational Church. The dinners are open to all, feature local musicians and some pretty amazing food served in the spirit of cultivating community. One meal this spring hosted a record 394 diners for a menu of green lentil curry (27 gallons), coconut carrots, basmati rice, mint Raita, blueberry chutney, and flatbreads.
That bounty – acquired locally, served up with abundant volunteer hands, and bolstered by a MaineCF COVID-19 grant of $6,500 – was a boon to many on the island and beyond during the pandemic. Open Table MDI served 84 percent more meals in 2020 than 2019 as some families had to choose between buying food or paying household bills.
When physical distancing became a concern last year, the nonprofit organization offered takeout food and delivery, including provisions through its new MDI Food Access Project. Those weekly boxes include non-perishable food, prepared meals, produce, bread, and eggs.
The past year made clear that Open Table MDI was ready for an expansion: As this issue of the annual report goes to print, the kitchen built on love is tripling in size at 116 Cottage Street, a new downtown location.
“Although 2020 was a year of great challenge, it was also a rare opportunity for us to envision, create, and evaluate. It provided us with a clearer picture of what we hope to do as an organization to enrich and innovate, to move beyond and above.” – Puranjot Kaur
Puranjot Kaur and Mahandeva Singh, co-founders of Open Table MDI, prepare salad for bagged dinners. Photo Ashley L. Conti
Legal Services for the Elderly
Embracing technology to keep older adults safe
Help line calls for emergency assistance from Legal Services for the Elderly (LSE) in Augusta increased 65 percent last year as older adults tried to stay safe at home during the pandemic – and the trend is continuing this year. The nonprofit organization provides free legal help to older adults in Maine when their basic human needs are at stake.
Jaye Martin, LSE’s executive director, says clients faced the terrifying prospect of being forced to move in the midst of the pandemic because of an eviction, foreclosure, or loss of public benefits. Many also endured dangerous situations when abusive tenants or family members stayed in clients’ homes longer than expected.
As the health threat to older adults became clear, LSE immediately advocated for remote hearings and proceedings to protect clients from the risk of virus exposure at in-person proceedings. LSE, with MaineCF grant funding, purchased iPads to lend clients who didn’t have access to an electronic device or cellular access for video proceedings. Additional funding from MaineCF helped LSE gear up to handle more emergency cases.
Today Legal Services for the Elderly has embraced systemic improvements from the pandemic months, from the iPad lending library to Zoom for statewide trainings and technology that keeps staff in closer contact. “We are working to reimagine what a new and improved LSE will look like coming out of the pandemic rather than trying to ‘get back’ to the old ways of doing things,” says Martin.
“It was of critical importance to keep our mission, and the needs of our clients, in the forefront throughout this challenging time. Doing so led to an inspiring level of creativity and adaptation by the LSE staff.” – Jaye Martin
Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Building ladders to keep grassroots real
One glance at the network connected through the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC) on its ecosystem map shows the wide reach of its membership – 77 nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and others that support programs and policies that promote immigrant inclusion and integration.
The pandemic added more layers to MIRC’s mission: translating COVID-19 information into 17 languages, developing a 24-7 referral call system with the state, and acting as fiscal sponsor for close to 15 small ethnic communities that helped channel funds directly to grassroots organizations that did not have nonprofit status.
MIRC created the referral system with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, community action agencies, and immigrant-led community organizations. It provided social services from trusted health workers to any community member in quarantine or isolation at a time when language and cultural considerations were so important. Today the system, also used for COVID-19 testing and scheduling vaccinations, is being viewed as a model across the country. A $30,000 grant from MaineCF’s COVID-19 fund helped support this critical work.
Mufalo Chitam, MIRC executive director, says structures created during the pandemic will last long after the pandemic for use in other areas, such as education. “We don’t need to turn grassroots into mainstream – we can build ladders in between that provide that support.”
“The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition did not only advocate for systematic change for equitable access to resources during this pandemic, but our work exemplified ‘moving forward,’ how to empower ethnic-based organizations so that services can reach grassroots communities.” – Mufalo Chitam
