Attached you will find a link to the Community Matters web page.  Now, I know you are busy and are tired of getting junk email.  This is not JUNK email.  This is a chance for you to show your support for Broadreach with just a click of the button.

Bangor Savings Bank Foundation will be giving away a total of $100,000 to 68 local non-profit organizations.   At the bottom of this page you will see a place to click to get a ballot.  Broadreach is not listed on the ballot this year( we are working to get added to the list next year)but, you can write-in Broadreach.  On the ballot in the Mid-Coast list, add Broadreach on the other line and check the box.  The top twenty write-in winners will each get a $1000.00!

PLEASE take a moment to support BROADREACH …our staff, volunteers and Board Members work hard every day to support so many children, youth, adults and families in our communities…

This is how YOU can help….PASS THE WORD TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND EVERYONE TO VOTE FOR BROADREACH!

Thanks for voting TODAY!

Vote Here!

RASA program participants Sam Ward, Sumir Mahonen, and Prem Ruklittikul try their hand at designing free-standing towers as part of the “Build It” after-school program. “Build It” gives students a chance to be engineers as they create buildings, bridges, boats and more. Visit www.youthlinksonline.org/RASA to learn more about the upcoming spring session of RASA programming, including February Break Week Camp, which will include a whole new set of building projects!

Students in Conquer the Castle, a Rockland After-School Alliance (RASA) club, don’t quite act like a typical middle school student. Enter the lair of the program, and you may be introduced to valiant ‘knights’ like the Swan Warrior, Esmerelda of Star Kingdom, Vallicis the Dark, or Steve the Viking. You will find the allied forces of Conquer the Castle working tirelessly to construct bridges, towers, or catapults to topple to reign of the tyrannical Queen Brunhilde, also known as Youthlinks Program Manager Caitlin Schick. Decorated in a hand designed coat of arms, each knight in the program is challenged to design and build mini-feats of science every program session in hopes of advancing closer to the castle of Brunhilde to set the inhabitants of her Kingdom Valkyrie free from her crushing rule.

Conquer the Castle strives to stimulate the imaginations of its students with Medieval fantasy, scientific inquiry and engineering strategy with every challenge. The program operates on a captivating legend of an evil queen, and in order to be victorious, students must work together in tightly timed challenges to propel their knights and allies forward on a game board. Some challenges required students to build a bridge made only of spaghetti and tape capable of holding a set weight, or creating a marshmallow catapult capable of hitting a target fifteen feet away. With every successful accomplishment, the knights travel further through the mythical Kingdom of Valkyrie, closer to meeting up with the Queen for their final challenge. Every student must think quickly, work cooperatively, and strategize effectively in order to advance.

Conquer the castle is one of over 20 RASA clubs offered at Rockland District Middle School this fall. The winter session begins in January and registration is now underway.

RASA is a program of Youthlinks offered in collaboration with RSU 13 supported by a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant from the Maine Department of Education. Youthlinks is a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services, a non-profit organization that has been serving the children and families of Waldo and Knox Counties since 1983. For more information concerning the Rockland After-School Alliance, please call Amie Hutchison, RASA Project Coordinator, at Youthlinks: 594-2221. For more information on Broadreach programs and services visit www.broadreachmaine.org

Waterfall Arts and Youthlinks are combining forces this winter to provide a free after-school arts program where students will learn to transform what many might consider trash into functional and aesthetically pleasing works of art. In the “Eco-Craft” program, students will give new life to junk mail, old board games, t-shirts, bubble wrap and aluminum cans by creating duct tape wallets, journals, jewelry, sculptures, and more. Participants will work both individually and collaboratively on projects, with the program culminating in the design of a group piece done in cardboard for submission to Waterfall’s upcoming “Corrugation Nation” show.

The Eco-Craft group will meet Thursdays 2:45-5pm, from January 12th to February 16th at Waterfall Arts in Belfast. This program is free and open to all students in Waldo County ages 12-15. For more information or to register a student, contact Ashley at 975-3878.

Youthlinks is a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services located in Rockland that provides community service, leadership and enrichment opportunities to all youth ages 11-17 from anywhere in mid-coast Maine. These programs help youth learn skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities. Youthlinks is funded primarily by state grants and the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations.

All Youthlinks programs are free for participating youth. For more information, visit www.youthlinksonline.org, or call 207-594-2221.
Founded in 2000, Waterfall Arts is a donor supported, nonprofit, contemporary art center with locations in Belfast and Montville Maine. The organization’s mission is to create community in harmony with nature through the transformative power of the arts. Waterfall Arts offers classes, lectures, residencies and other educational events for all ages as well as onsite studio and gallery space. Waterfall Arts Belfast is located at 256 High Street. Visit waterfallarts.org or call 207 338-2222 for more information.

Photo by Hilary Flagg

Rockland District Middle School’s fledgling Glee Club has continued to flourish this year.  Youthlinks, through the Rockland After-School Alliance, offered its third session of Glee this fall, and the response from students has been overwhelmingly positive.  A group of fifteen dedicated middle students brought their love of music to weekly rehearsals, and last Friday afternoon they had the chance to show off the product of all their hard work; during the RASA end-of-session showcase, the Glee club took the stage to perform 3 song and dance routines for an audience of friends and family.
Included in the performance were the following songs and featured soloists:  Firework, featuring Makaila Hickey, Lizzy Clark, and Effie Monroe; Thriller / Heads Will Roll, featuring Delia Saastamoinen, Mckaylee Morris, Alex O’Brien, Tegan Simmons, Caleb Bellen, and Anna Poisson; and Loser Like Me, featuring Zoe Goff, Gracie Vicente, Nick Blastow, and Anna Poisson.
Returning participant Delia Saastamoinen says that Glee Club continues to be fun because there are always new opportunities to try songs and audition for solos:  “Glee Club is so fun and a lot of my friends are in it,” she says, “Anyone can audition for a solo in any song, so everyone has a chance to get a special part.”  Others, including Tegan Simmons, have said they stick with the program because “The song choices are awesome!  I love to sing and dance, and we always have fun.”  Mckaylee Morris admitted that she has some stage fright, but says that Glee has helped her to stop “being afraid to sing in front of people.”  Others echo that sentiment, saying that they like challenging themselves to sing on-stage, learn new lyrics, and test their voices.
The Glee Club’s recent performance caps off the fall session, but November 7th marks the start of another Gleeful 6 weeks!  Rockland District Middle School students are encouraged to sign up for the program as soon as possible–spaces in the club fill up fast!  Youthlinks, a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services, is part of the Rockland After-School Alliance (RASA) and provides community service, leadership and enrichment opportunities to all youth ages 11-17 from anywhere in mid-coast Maine. RASA programs help youth learn skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities. Youthlinks is funded primarily by state grants and the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations. All programs are free for participating youth. For more information, visit www.youthlinksonline.org, or call 207-594-2221.

RASA students have been studying every week with Youthlinks instructor Caitlin Schick to learn ‘Thriller’ moves.  The choreography for the event is uniquely structured to offer an easy to learn version of the dance, pairing words and rhythms with physical movements.  Students continue to practice and are preparing their zombie attire for their dancing Z-day.  The infectious moves have even snagged some local community members to join the zombie squadron for the official dance. The more the scarier! Keep your eyeballs peeled -Youthlinks hopes to make Thrill The World an annual event for both students and adults alike in the Midcoast. For more information about the international event, visit www.thrilltheworld.com.

The official event will take place October 29^that Harbor Park in Rockland. The dance will begin exactly at 10 am to coordinate with all other international dances.  Cautious onlookers are encouraged to watch if they dare. 

Youthlinks is a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services located in Rockland that provides community service, leadership and enrichment opportunities to youth ages 11-17 in mid-coast Maine. These programs help youth learn skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities. Youthlinks is funded by grants and the generous donations of individuals and businesses. All programs are free for participating youth.

RASA is a collaborative program of Youthlinks and RSU 13 supported by a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant from the Maine Department of Education. For more information contact Youthlinks Program Director Amie Hutchison at ahutchison@brmaine.org or visit www.youthlinksonline.org/RASA

Broadreach Family & Community Services has announced that Active Parenting Now classes will begin in Searsport on Tuesday November 1st at the Searsport Elementary School. Classes will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm. This program offers 6 two-hour sessions and has been shown to improve parents’ confidence and ability. This is the seventh scheduled series of classes offered by Broadreach in Waldo and Knox Counties.

Active Parenting Now is a video-based education program targeted to parents of 5 to 12-year-olds who want to improve their parenting skills. Class material promotes mutual respect among family members within a democratically run family. The program teaches parents how to raise a child by using encouragement, building the child’s self-esteem, and creating a relationship with the child based upon active listening, honest communication, and problem solving. It also teaches parents to use natural and logical consequences to reduce irresponsible and unacceptable behaviors.

These parent classes will be open to all parents and child care will be provided during class. Because of grant funds awarded by the Maine Children’s Trust, there will be no cost for parents who want to participate.

Broadreach provides a variety of services to young parents and their children in Waldo and Knox Counties. Broadreach services have been making a critical difference in the lives of area children and families since 1983.  Each year over 2000 families with children benefit from the agency’s quality education and support programs.  Broadreach has over a quarter of century expertise in delivering parenting education, family support, early childhood education and family literacy programming. Other provided parent education options include Kids First, Guiding Good Choices, and the Nurturing Fathers Program.

If you would like to learn how to register for Active Parenting Now, or learn more about our parent education offerings, please call Patrick Walsh at 207-338-2200 ext 109 or e-mail pwalsh@brmaine.org.

Kate Quinn Finlay, BroadreachExecutive Director, announced, “This year’s event was a huge success.  Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers,
staff, businesses and community members who came out to support Broadreach.  The proceeds from this annual event directly support programs that benefit children, youth and families in mid-coast communities from Waldoboro to Winterport.”

Broadreach wishes to thank the fine food and beverageproviders who participated, including:
the Amalfi on the Water,  Belfast Co-Op Café, Cappy’s Chowder House, Creative Catering, Darby’s ,The Dessert Divas, Ducktrap River of Maine, Fresh of Camden, Marshall Wharf Brewing, Moran’s Hideaway Diner, Papa J’s & the Lobster Bar, Point Lookout Resort, Ralphs’ Café, Rollie’s Bar and Grill, Starlight Custom Cakes, State of Maine Cheese, the Whale’s Tooth Pub and the Waterfront Restaurant.

Also to be thanked are the event’s sponsors.  Lead sponsors were Elm Street Printing & Graphics, Point Lookout Resort & Conference Center; and Village Soup/ the Republican Journal and Herald Gazette. Supporting sponsors were Damariscotta Bank & Trust. Key Bank, FMC
Biopolymer, Camden National Bank and WInsMor Garage Door.

Too numerous to name here, but to be strongly  thanked, are the hundreds of local businesses and community members who donated to the Silent and Live Auction, as well as the many, many of staff, board and community members who volunteered their time to make the event a success.

For more information, about the many programs and services of Broadreach Family & Community Services, visit us at www.BRMaine.org
or call 338-2200 and speak with our Executive Director, Kate Quinn Finlay.

Position: Per Diem Case Manager.

Job Summary: Working with children and youth based in belfast area.

Qualifications: are Bachelor’s degree in related field, some special education/ special needs population experience – LSW or LSW-C, or eligibility for same.

Salary Range: excellent  fee for service rate with experience.

Application Deadline: December 2011

Please forward interest to Bob Garcia (bgarcia@brmaine.org), 338-2200 ext 117.