We are a non profit Domestic Violence Resource Center serving Kennebec and Somerset Counties.

Our services include:

*24 Hour Helpline (1-877-890-7788) to provide support, advocacy, resources, and safety planning

*In-Person Advocacy at our Outreach Offices

*Court Advocacy

*Support Groups

*Emergency Shelter

*Supportive Housing

*School Based Prevention Education

*Community Education & Outreach

*Menswork (A Certified Batterers Intervention Program)

Kathy Despres, M.Ed., CRC
Goodwill Industries Northern New England
Workforce Services, Regional Manager, Region III
Cell: 207.629.8640

Our Mission

About Main Street Skowhegan

Main Street Skowhegan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on the ongoing revitalization of Skowhegan, Maine. Founded in 2005 by a group of engaged citizens, Main Street is now driven by three full-time staff members, a passionate board of directors, and more than a hundred volunteers working to make our town a better place.

Our Mission

Our mission is to celebrate Skowhegan’s rich heritage while achieving our brightest future as a thriving economic, cultural, and recreational community where residents enjoy a high quality of life.

Our Vision

This is our vision for the future of Skowhegan: A destination for visitors from Maine and beyond, Skowhegan is known for its locally sourced food, beautiful and active riverfront, and vibrant cultural scene. The economy is strong and diverse, and residents are happy and healthy. Skowhegan is a place community members are proud of, youth choose to stay or return to, and visitors never want to leave.

The Main Street Movement

In the 1980s, the National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation developed one of the most successful models for place-based economic development. It has since become a nationwide network. We are one of 10 nationally accredited Main Street Communities in the state of Maine.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) enriches Maine communities by empowering people with purpose—people and organizations at the forefront of the issues and opportunities that will determine Maine’s future prosperity. As a leading advocate and resource, we ensure that Maine nonprofits are adapting, thriving, and contributing in a fast-changing world.

Our Mission
Founded in 1994, MANP’s mission is to strengthen the leadership, voice and organizational effectiveness of Maine nonprofits. MANP has grown into the state’s largest network of organizations dedicated to the common good with more than 940 nonprofit members and 160 partners in government, business and philanthropy, representing every county in Maine and the full range of nonprofit missions and sizes.

Maine Association of Nonprofits
565 Congress Street
Suite 301
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 871-1885
Fax: (207) 780-0346
MANP@NonprofitMaine.org

We know Maine.

The Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners
to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. We draw on our deep knowledge
of the state to advance our strategic goals.

About MHPC

Maine Policy Institue is a research and educational organization whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise; limited, constitutional government; individual freedom; and traditional American values–all for the purpose of providing public policy solutions that benefit the people of Maine.

MPI’s staff pursues this mission by undertaking accurate and timely research and marketing these findings to its primary audience: the Maine Legislature, nonpartisan Legislative staff, the executive branch, the state’s media, and the broad policy community. MPI’s products include publications, articles, conferences, and policy briefings.

Governed by an independent Board of Directors, Maine Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization. MPI relies on the generous support from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and does not accept government funds or perform contract work.

Would you like to contribute to Maine Policy Institute? You can either give online, or mail to Post Office Box 7829, Portland, ME 04112.

About REM
REM (Revitalize the Energy in ME, where ME stands for both “Maine” and “me”) is a grassroots nonprofit organization that supports a network of citizen volunteers working to improve the quality of life in Central Maine. In REM, work is cooperative, diversity is honored, self-reliance is promoted, and civic life is renewed.

REM was born out of people’s desire to connect and to create a future that reflects their desires, needs, and creativity. REM leaders work to search for new ways to provide opportunities for the diversity of the community to work together. This involves:

Building Consensus
Expanding Teamwork Skills
Valuing “Doers” and “Dreamers”
Learning How to Help Both Work Together Well
Learning How to Bridge the Gap Between the Vision and the Reality
REM has eight priorities, which were established at a three-day Community Catalyst Forum in January 1996 in which over 250 area residents participated. These priorities are:

Develop a Vibrant Economy
Excel in Education
Protect Human Potential
Promote Arts & Entertainment
Beautify the Environment
Empower Young People
Build Community
Expand Fitness & Recreation
Participants in the Catalyst also composed a vision statement, describing the world that they aspired to create in Central Maine over the next quarter century.

At Unity Barn Raisers, we work pro-actively to enhance small-town character and rural environment, while nurturing a thriving community-based economy…
Unity Barn Raisers, guided by ten underlying principles, believes that a community working together can shape its own future, and in so doing, significantly advance the quality of life of its people, both now and for generations to come.

The Waterville Area Soup Kitchen is pleased to announce the opening of The Lighthouse, a new community meals program that will be located at 38 College Avenue in Waterville, across the street from the Post Office.

Beginning on Monday, May 2nd, volunteers will serve a full hot lunch on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – the same three days that the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen has been serving meals downtown since November 2020. Doors will open at 11:00 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 to 12:30. Following a start-up period, we plan to extend lunch service to six days per week.

In addition to providing a nutritionally wholesome meal, The Lighthouse will function as a place where people can expect to find a welcoming smile, get out of the weather in winter or summer, chat with old friends or make new ones. The space will also be available for use by the City as an Emergency Shelter.

Formerly the End Zone sports bar, our new home is owned by Rita LaCroix and is the home base for Rita’s Catering. Waterville Area Soup Kitchen President, Carla Caron stated, “We are beyond Grateful that Rita is willing to allow the Soup Kitchen to use her facility. The location is perfect for our Guests and the seating area is just right for the friendly atmosphere that we want to provide. We plan to make some upgrades to the kitchen that will enable us to provide quality meals for up to 100 people.” Ms. LaCroix is also the owner of Rita’s House of Pizza in Winslow.

Since its formation in the summer of 2020, the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen has served over 5000 meals in the community. Because of the constraints imposed by the pandemic, those meals have been distributed at outdoor locations. Despite limitations, the enthusiastic cooks at Waterville Area Soup Kitchen have provided hearty meals which included a tasty hot soup or stew, a sandwich, a piece of fruit or dessert and a bottle of water. The meals were prepared at St. Marks Episcopal Church in Waterville, which graciously permitted the use of their kitchen facilities.

Many of Waterville Area Soup Kitchen’s volunteers are veterans of the former Sacred Heart Soup Kitchen that closed when the church was put up for sale in 2020. That organization provided a meaningful inroad in the effort against food insecurity in Waterville for almost 40 years and people were saddened to see it end. The Waterville Area Soup Kitchen is proud to be carrying on this tradition started so many years ago.

Waterville Area Soup Kitchen is a registered 501(c)(3) all-volunteer non-profit that is funded through the donations of numerous individuals and many local businesses and civic organizations.

Special thanks to Kennebec Savings Bank for their generous support and advice. Waterville Area Soup Kitchen is a member of the Maine Association of Non-Profits and Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Donations can be made online at www.watervilleareasoupkitchen.com or by mail to Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, P.O Box 1494, Waterville, ME 04903

You can visit our website or find us on Facebook.

***The Waterville Area Soup Kitchen is looking to expand its volunteer pool.  Our lunch service at the Lighthouse grows steadily.  At present, we typically serve upwards of 130 meals each day.  Depending on the menu, each day’s operation requires up to 11 people on hand. Regular volunteers enjoy camaraderie with each other and the guests who join us each day for a great meal and some lovely social interaction. If you’ve ever thought about making a significant contribution to the welfare of your neighbors, here is an opportunity to do great work without spending a penny. Even if it’s just one day per week, if you can spare about 2 ½ hours – between 10:30 and 1:00 – on any weekday, we can probably use your help.  For more information, contact us at info@watervilleareasoupkitchen.com. ***

“Your support allows us to provide meals to the most vulnerable in our community”

The Redington Museum is owned and operated by the Waterville Historical Society in Waterville, Me. It is made up of members from the comThe museum is housed in a handsome two story home built in 1814 by pioneer Waterville settler Asa Redington, a veteran of three enlistments in the Revolutionary War and a member of George Washington’s elite Honor Guard. After the revolution he developed the water rights at Ticonic Falls and with his sons Samuel and William established a thriving flour mill on the banks of the Kennebec River. The father of six sons and three daughters, Asa built this substantial home for his son William. Fashioned of great hewn timbers, all hand pegged, it still features the original spiral staircase, fireplaces with period woodwork, and floors of wide pumpkin pine. The newel post in the entrance exhibits the “contractor’s peace stone,” a small smooth polished stone signifying in Colonial times that the project had been completed to both the owner’s and builder’s satisfaction. Today five rooms are furnished with antiques of the late 18th and early 19th centuries from the Redington family, the family of pioneer attorney Timothy Boutelle, and from other early local families. The house has been open to the public as a museum since 1927 and was entered in the National Register of Historic Places.

About The Redington

Our Library
The Society’s library contains many original materials useful for local historical research. There are numerous volumes of state and local history, a special collection of books on the Civil War, and an important collection of early school texts, many of them published in Hallowell.
There are several important series of diaries, including those of James Stackpole, which cover the years 1785 to 1820. Other series include the diaries of George Flood, covering 1860 to 1900; those of Miss Harriet Parmenter, covering 1888 to 1940; those of Miss Clara Costley, from 1912 to 1950; and the Keith diaries. Other manuscripts include a large number of account books from early businesses, records of early local physicians and a file of early letters and documents from and about local citizens.
The Society has a good collection of early local newspapers, including a fairly complete run of the weekly Waterville Mail from 1847 to 1906 (microfilmed in 1975-76 with the help of a grant from the Maine State Commision of the Arts and Humanities. Microfilms available for viewing at Colby College). Numerous early local maps, some of which are on display, and the extensive collection of early photographs of Waterville allow researchers to piece together an excellent visual history of the area.

About The Waterville Historical Society
Founded in 1903, the purpose and goal of the Waterville Historical Society is to collect and preserve Waterville’s historically significant collections. To promote Waterville’s unique history and rich cultural heritage by offering events and educational programming to the general public. To be responsible stewards of the Redington Museum and other physical spaces by maintaining and operating the facility so that it can be fully appreciated by future generations. munity and away. The Historical Society is proud to maintain and preserve the history of this great city.