Founded 52 years ago, Rural Community Action Ministry is not only addressing immediate needs for the people it serves, but is helping them open doors to greater economic stability. Its comprehensive approach – as well as the outsized impact this small organization has in an underserved region of Western Maine – is a major reason RCAM has been a longtime Direct Services Grantee for the John T. Gorman Foundation.
Youth exiting foster care face daunting challenges as they transition to adulthood – including high rates of homelessness – not only because of trauma they have faced in the past, but also limited support systems available to them in their young adulthoods. With Foundation funding, Portland Housing Authority has paired federal housing vouchers and intensive supports to put these youth in a much better position to thrive as adults – and parents.
In April, the John T. Gorman Foundation awarded the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine a grant to provide afterschool and summer programming for 240 children living temporarily in two hotels in South Portland. The goals of the program are not only to offer a positive space and academic support to students, but also to relieve stress for their entire families, who are coping with past trauma and difficult circumstances as refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers. We recently spoke with Baba Ly, Senior Program Director at the Club, to learn more about the trauma-informed approach they are using to serve them.
Building on its successful two-generation model, McAuley Residence adds new resources to support the educational aspirations of families in recovery
Prepared for the John T. Gorman Foundation this fall, researchers Jessica Carson, Ph.D. and Sarah Boege at Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire have compiled an analysis breaking down economic, health, and social impacts of COVID-19 across Maine – highlighting a number of disparities for how different regional, age, and racial groups have fared during the pandemic.
A message from Nicole Witherbee on her first day as President & CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation: I am excited for the future and honored to have the opportunity to carry out Tom Gorman’s legacy. The John T. Gorman Foundation has worked with our many partners for over 25 years to improve the … Read more
From February 1-March 1, Foundation will accept applications for a total of $1.5 million in grants to meet immediate needs of low-income Mainers Portland – Today the John T. Gorman Foundation announced that it will accept applications for its 2022 Direct Services Grant Program from February 1 to March 1. This year, the program will … Read more
The following is a press release from Preble Street Preble Street announces matching grant challenge from the John T. Gorman Foundation for new Food Security Hub dedicated to ending hunger in Maine Preble Street Food Security Hub will be the first food hub in Maine focused on food insecurity PORTLAND, ME (December 15, 2021) — … Read more
Traditionally, a well visit to the pediatrician’s office has involved weighing, measuring, booster shots, and questions about developmental milestones. But in recent years a cross-sector team at MaineHealth has worked to broaden the scope of these visits to include screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), repeated exposure to which can cause a child long-term harm. Now, with a grant from the John T. Gorman Foundation, the MaineHealth team is testing a new strategy for preventing and mitigating ACEs by helping parents and children build resiliency amid great adversity.
Income is important to a family’s financial stability, but so too are wealth and assets, the reservoir of resources that can be tapped to weather emergencies and invest in the future. As the Foundation prepares to release a brief in the coming weeks with recommendations to make wealth-building opportunities more accessible and equitable, we spoke with John T. Gorman Fellow Janet Smith – just named Director of New Ventures Maine – for her perspective on why helping low-income families build savings is important to their long-term success and what barriers currently stand in their way.
