When 300 asylum seekers unexpectedly arrived in Portland this summer, John T. Gorman Fellow Gail Cressey led successful efforts to prepare 85 immigrant children for the rapidly approaching school year. In late June, groups of asylum seekers from Central African nations started to arrive in Portland by Greyhound bus. They would eventually number 300, including … Read more
Growing Our Tree Streets, a transformation plan for Lewiston’s Tree Streets neighborhood, reaches an important milestone On September 17, the Lewiston City Council voted unanimously to adopt Growing Our Tree Streets, a HUD Choice Neighborhood transformation plan centered on Lewiston’s Tree Streets neighborhood. Rules against cheering couldn’t keep the packed chambers from erupting in applause. … Read more
When small-business owners retire, their businesses often close, leading to the loss of jobs and services in the community. Here’s what one Foundation-funded partnership is doing to preserve those community assets in Maine’s Washington County. The oft-repeated statement “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy” may sound a bit cliched, but in Maine it … Read more
On September 9, John T. Gorman Foundation President Tony Cipollone and United Way of Greater Portland Senior Vice President of Community Impact Dan Coyne spoke to members of the Maine Philanthropy Center about Thrive2027. This collaborative effort among nearly 300 cross-sector partners in Cumberland County seeks to better align work in the community to achieve … Read more
The John T. Gorman Foundation maintains a resources page with data, reports and best practices on our four focus areas: young children, older youth, families, and seniors. Here is a rundown of our latest updates. Georgetown University: Born to Win, Schooled to Lose For low-income students, high test scores in kindergarten do not necessarily result … Read more
Years after completing the John T. Gorman Fellowship, three former participants discuss the impact it has had on their work From its start four years ago, the intent of the John T. Gorman Fellowship has been to make a lasting impact not only on its participants, but also on the organizations and systems in which … Read more
An unfortunate reality is that a child raised in poverty is much more likely to become an adult living in poverty. In fact, 42% of children born to parents at the bottom of the income ladder stay there. Historically, programs have tried to disrupt this kind of generational poverty by either offering services to … Read more
The John T. Gorman Foundation has sponsored Maine Public’s Deep Dive on Childcare–a comprehensive look at the troubles Maine families have in finding and affording care for their young children, the challenges teachers and providers are up against, and some strategies that are making headway. This infographic says a lot, but for all the details, … Read more
The John T. Gorman Foundation has awarded a $130,000 grant to the MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Edmund N. Ervin Pediatric Center (EEPC) to implement an innovative model for helping at-risk mothers and their infants. Developing an early connection with a caregiver is one of the fundamentals things an infant needs for a healthy start to life. … Read more
[This article was taken from the Foundation’s Spring 2019 Newsletter] As the proverbial myth goes, the poor simply need to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps” to get out of poverty. But all too often, when low-income families pull up one strap, the other just gets shorter. Take these stories from Downeast Maine. Wendy worries … Read more
