Sen. Collins visits with National Service programs in Maine to discuss COVID-19 response

Senator Susan Collins (R., Maine) participated in a virtual roundtable discussion with representatives from Maine's National Service programs to learn how each has pivoted to continue serving during COVID-19. Representatives from AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs, along with Maine Volunteer Generation Fund grantees, had a few moments to chat with Sen. Collins and her team about their respective strategies to help Maine's communities overcome the pandemic. The roundtable took place on Thurs. July 23, 2020
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Representatives from AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Maine Volunteer Generation Fund programs listen to Sen. Collins deliver opening remarks.
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Representatives from AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Maine Volunteer Generation Fund programs listen to Sen. Collins deliver opening remarks.

  • Representatives from AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Maine Volunteer Generation Fund programs listen to Sen. Collins deliver opening remarks.
  • Sen. Collins delivers opening remarks to representatives of Maine's National Service programs during the July 23, 2020 Zoom roundtable.
  • Donald Lynch, Senior Companion Director at the University of Maine Center on Aging, shares with Sen. Collins' team how the Senior Corps program has helped Maine's aging community during the pandemic. Senior Companions transitioned from face-to-face engagement to phone contact only as of March 16, 2020. Since then, 5,219 phone visits have been made to ensure homebound older Mainers still have connection with their Senior Companion - be it a check-in or just to say hi!
  • Joe Taft, Maine Conservation Corps AmeriCorps Environmental Steward, shares with Sen. Collins some details behind the Maine Healthy Beaches program. The program began monitoring activities prior to the pandemic, so a solution was needed to collect these critical samples. Under Joe's leadership, 67 Maine Healthy Beaches volunteers were trained on how to safely continue monitoring activities.
  • Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward Laura Heinlein shares with Sen. Collins how she has continued to serve with the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District's Soil Lead Awareness project. In light of physical distancing, Laura has used her creative thinking and networking skills fostered at MCC and the District to connect with communities about the high risk of lead contaminated soils. Laura has connected with over 100 gardeners in Portland and collected 53 soil samples, and continues to develop the project's outreach strategy.
  • Rev. Shirley Bowen, Seeds of Hope AmeriCorps Program Director, shares how program members helped Seeds of Hope Neighborhood in Biddeford continue to serve those in need. Among the service activities provided since March 18,  3,331 breakfast/lunch brown bags have been served from the front door and regularly daily “check-ins” are held to monitoring stress, depression, health of neighbors.
  • Tallie Foster, Trekkers AmeriCorps member, shares with Sen. Collins how the program has shifted to focus on curbing the negative impacts of the pandemic felt by the students they serve in the Rockland area. The program is focusing on mental health by continuing programming, access to basic needs, and learning supports. Movie nights, games, "house parties," hangouts,  and 1:1 catch-ups, are just some of the activities being put on virtually for students.
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