On May 2, volunteer leaders represented the United Way of Greater Portland Foundation at the Maine Bankers’ Association’s annual Trust and Wealth Management Conference.

More than 100 estate planning professionals attended the conference that covered topics including estate tax law changes, Maine and Florida dual-residency issues, managing relationships with aging clients, and consultative selling. The United Way of Greater Portland Foundation, represented by its Professional Advisory Committee, was one of 13 conference sponsors.

The Professional Advisory Committee consists of accountants, estate planning attorneys and trust administrators who educate their peers about the United Way Foundation. Committee members include Dianne Nason (Chair), Amelia Kurtz, and Jan Molleur, of Key Private Bank; Moya Elliot of US Trust; Molly Liddell of Pierce Atwood; and David Martines of Macdonald Page.

Conference attendees had the opportunity to win a Kindle Fire, generously donated by Key Private Bank, by correctly answering the question:

“The United Way of Greater Portland Foundation has made an impact in which of the following ways?”

A. Underwriting the cost of 21,000 gallons of home heating oil, helping 214 families to stay warm this past winter.
B. Helping at-risk elementary school students improve their reading level, attendance and behavior, keeping them on track to graduate from high school.
C. Funding scholarships for 29 local students (and counting) to go to college.
D. All of the above.

Congratulations to Steve Funk, Senior Vice President and Senior Trust Officer at US Trust, the lucky drawing winner (who chose “D,” all of the above!).

The United Way of Greater Portland Foundation provides both long-term support and flexibility for future health and human service needs, and funding for current initiatives which change lives in Greater Portland. For more information on the United Way Foundation, contact Ainsley Wallace, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving.

Up to a thousand volunteers from local companies, schools and non-profit organizations will spend a full day working on over 100 community improvement projects on Thursday, May 17 at United Way of Greater Porltand’s 20^th Annual Day of Caring.

The day begins at 8 a.m. with City of Portland Mayor Michael Brennan speaking at a kick-off breakfast at the Back Cove soccer field in Portland. Teams from Unum, Hannaford, Martin’s Point Health Care and dozens more local organizations, dressed in their finest LIVE UNITED T-shirts, will then spread out to sites throughout Cumberland County to provide volunteer services. Some examples of projects include:

• Wood chip spreading at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough
• Campus beautification and landscaping at Camp Sunshine in Casco
• Playground maintenance at the Casco Bay YMCA in Freeport
• Food sorting at the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn
• Spring planting at Goodwill Industries of Northern New England in Gorham
• Grounds cleanup at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery in South Portland
• Medical supply sorting at Partners for World Health in Scarborough
• Trail cleanup at Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham
• Island cleanup for Rippleffect on Cow Island
• Organizing and sorting at Ruth’s Reusable Resources in Portland

Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Portland, says: “We’re truly inspired by the volunteers that turn out every year for our Day of Caring. Their giving of time and talent, together with their energy, makes it a very powerful and moving day for everyone – themselves, their organization and the non-profit that they help. We’re especially grateful to the business leaders who afford us their employees’ time for a whole day.”

McCormick added, “For some participants, Day of Caring is their first volunteer experience. We try to make it a great one, and hope it’s the start of life-long volunteerism. We encourage everyone to visit www.volunteermaine.org to find opportunities appropriate for any skill level or time commitment.”

Food, medical assistance, housing, utilities, and heat.  All of these are basic needs that many of us take for granted, and all are basic needs that the General Assistance Program can help cover when people face immediate and severe crisis.

The General Assistance Program (also known as GA and administered by towns and cities) represents an important lifeline for many Maine individuals and families.  Our neighbors, friends and family use this program when most, if not all, of their options have run out.  It is often a program of last resort, and it is a program that fights homelessness, helps people stay warm, and helps people with food.

Municipal expenditures statewide on General Assistance have generally grown in the last few years, but the increase does not represent a program that is out of control.  Expenditures have risen because our weak economy has left many people behind, leaving few places for people to turn.  General Assistance is one of those few places.

Recently, John Shoos, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy, testified against proposed cuts to the program.  The United Way of Greater Portland believes that a strong General Assistance Program is needed now more than ever before.  GA may be the difference between life and death, housing and homelessness, and food and hunger.

For more information about the General Assistance Program, visit Pine Tree Legal Assistance and the Office of Integrated Access and Support within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

United Way of Greater Portland is seeking a SQL Database Programmer and IT Business Intelligence Analyst to join our team.

Our incoming SQL Database Programmer will be responsible for database maintenance and managing incoming data streams. The ideal candidate will have expertise and experience with Microsoft SQL Server and develop a thorough understanding of where data lives and how it interacts with Andar360: a database developed for United Ways, as it relates to the business practices of UWGP.

Want to learn more? Check out the full position description.

Our incoming IT Business Intelligence Analyst will be responsible for analyzing information beginning with internal systems to be presented in a comprehensive manner. The ideal candidate will have expertise and experience with enterprise Business Intelligence tools as well as Microsoft SQL server technologies.

Working closely with the Vice President, IT and all internal divisions, the Business Intelligence Analyst translates data for both internal and external needs into meaningful reports and presentations. This position requires a patient, strong listener who is able to ask the right questions to define the business objectives accurately, synthesize the responses quickly and clearly and then represent the answers based on information analysis. Working closely with the Systems Analyst the BI Analyst also makes recommendations regarding the health and organization of all related organizational data.

Want to learn more? Check out the full position description.

If you are interested in either position, please send a cover letter, resume and salary requirements in Word or PDF format to hr@unitedwaygp.org with “Systems Analyst” or “IT Business Intelligence Analyst” in the subject line.

No phone calls, please.

United Way Day of Caring has been providing volunteer assistance to non-profit agencies for the past two decades. Each year on the third Thursday in May, United Way of Greater Portland brings together more than 1,000 volunteers to complete community service work throughout Cumberland County.

May 17, 2012 will mark our 20th Annual Day of Caring! Volunteers will paint, clean, landscape, repair, build, decorate and garden — among other types of service projects — at area agencies, schools and trails. In all, over 5,000 hours of service will be volunteered.

• Join the Day of Caring team!
• RSVP on Facebook
• Visit VolunteerMaine.org to find more volunteer opportunities near you.

Most adult smokers begin smoking before age 18. The percentage of Maine high school students reporting cigarette use during the past 30 days increased from 14% to 18% in the newest edition of Maine KIDS COUNT.

Claire Berkowitz, Research and KIDS COUNT Director at Maine Children’s Alliance, provided an overview of Maine KIDS COUNT 2012 to United Way of Greater Portland’s Public Policy Committee on March 30, 2012.

On March 22,  John Shoos, Senior Vice President for Public Policy & Advocacy at United Way of Greater Portland, provided public testimony before a joint session of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee regarding Governor LePage’s supplemental budget. UWGP’s testimony focused on proposed changes to Maine’s General Assistance program and early care and education programs currently receiving funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine. Click here to read the full testimony.

“The United Way of Greater Portland is a committed partner in fighting poverty and homelessness,” said Shoos. “The services we help fund, however, cannot replace a public commitment to serving people in need. Similar to cuts in funding for other programs, this bill will have the effect of shifting costs and placing additional stress on families and individuals in dire need of assistance.”

Click here to watch UWGP’s Dan Coyne talk about proposed cuts to early care and education and how they impact Maine’s future workforce. 

More information:

Portland Press Herald article: March 23, 2012

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On January 30, President Suzanne McCormick reiterated UWGP’s concern for Governor LePage’s supplemental budget. These wide-ranging cuts threaten to increase homelessness dramatically and push more children and families into more desperate circumstances with no safety net at all. The cost of providing support will shift to local communities and nonprofit organizations, and our ability to respond is limited.

Portland Mayor Michael Brennan’s January 30th press conference

• Click here for talking points handed out at the press conference.
• Behind-the-scenes photos are available on our Facebook page.

In the News

• Portland Press Herald: Legislature should find alternative to DHHS cuts.
• Eileen Skinner, president and CEO of Mercy Hospital, voiced Mercy Hospital’s concern about the human and financial toll of the proposed MaineCare cuts in January 30′s Portland Press Herald.
• MPBN: Portland Officials Balk at Proposed MaineCare Cuts.
• WCHS 6: Portland joins those opposing proposed Medicaid cuts
• WMTW 8: Portland Mayor Speaks Out About Proposed DHHS Cuts
• WGME 13: Portland civic leaders oppose the governor’s plan to cut DHHS
  

Prior UWGP budget action

On December 14, UWGP President Suzanne McCormick was one of many expressing concern for proposed cuts in Governor LePage’s supplemental budget that seeks to close a projected $221 million hole in Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services.

“We are here today to share our concern about the magnitude of these cuts and the vulnerability of the people who rely on these services. As a partner with the state in funding prevention and primary services for children and families, elderly citizens and adults, we recognize the vital importance of the state’s role in funding essential programs and services. United Way funding can supplement but not supplant state funds.”

Click here to read Suzanne’s full testimony.

On Friday, December 16, Peter Lindsay from United Way of Mid Coast spoke on behalf of all 10 United Ways in Maine in opposition to the proposed cuts that affect Maine’s early care and education systems. Early childhood is a top priority for United Ways across the state because it focuses on prevention, reducing costs over the long term, and because research shows that investments in early childhood are important for a healthy economy and people’s long-term health. Click here to read Peter’s testimony.

For more information:

To get a sense of the impact the proposed budget might have, click here for a summary provided by Maine Equal Justice.

Click here to view the Supplemental Budget which makes changes to the current two-year budget. It tightens eligibility requirements, eliminates services and repeals coverage entirely for thousands of MaineCare recipients to bring Maine’s program closer to national averages.

Click here for more information about Medicaid eligibility.  Information about the poverty level was taken from  the 2011 Monthly Countable Income Eligibility Chart in Section 1.3 which you will need to scroll down to see.

Zack Rosenburg, CEO and Co-Founder of the St. Bernard Project

Investing in children’s earliest years is a cost-effective down payment on a healthy, well-educated workforce. Scientific and economic research demonstrates that investments in early childhood (up to age 5) increase academic success, strengthen our workforce and lower health costs. We are deeply concerned that Governor LePage and some Maine legislators have proposed eliminating state funding for Head Start, the Maine Families Home Visiting Program, and the Child Care and Development Fund.

All 10 United Ways of  Maine, including United Way of Greater Portland, oppose these cuts because investments in young children are critical to Maine’s long-term prosperity.

Learn more about the proposed cuts and the importance of programs that support early childhood education and development:

• United Way of Greater Portland comments on proposed new rules for families needing temporary assistance (PDF, 175 KB)
• Invest Early for 2020: Building the Foundation for Maine’s Future from Maine Children’s Growth Council (PDF, 7.12 MB)
• 2011 Maine Head Start Outcomes Report (PDF, 427 KB)
• December 16, 2011 – Testimony of Peter Lindsay, United Way of Mid Coast Maine (on behalf of United Ways of Maine) In Opposition to Proposed Cuts in the Supplemental Budget (PDF, 26K)
• Policy Initiatives and Resources from Maine Children’s Alliance (external link)
• Maine Children’s Growth Council television spot on brain development (:30)
• Maine Children’s Growth Council television spot  on early learning (:30)

Advocate to protect Maine’s investment in our children:

• Share this page with your colleagues, friends and family (see links below)
• Sign an online petition opposing the proposed cuts (external link)
• Find and contact your state legislators (external link)
• Download a sample letter and send it to your local newspaper (PDF, 55 KB)

United Way is pleased to announce that Tri-County Mental Health Services was selected as the recipient of the recent public Senior Mental Health Request for Proposal (RFP). The goal of the Seniors At Risk program is to identify seniors with behavioral health needs and provide in-home treatment to improve their health and well-being. Funding will also provide additional staff training. Click here for more information about  Tri-County Mental Health.

This fall, United Way’s Health Community Investment Team issued a public RFP to increase access to mental health services for seniors with severe and persistent mental health issues and be as low a barrier as possible (e.g., services delivered in the home, services delivered out of the home with transportation provided).

For more information about United Way’s work in the area of Health, please click here.