Maine Children’s Home launches capital campaign

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Two loans totaling $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture have enabled the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers to purchase and renovate the former Criminal Justice Academy on Silver Street in Waterville.

However, it is the intent of that nonprofit organization to “never have to pay back any loans,” said development director Donna Jo Mitchell.

To that end, MCH has launched a $1.5 million capital campaign – Tomorrow’s Promise – to repay the loans.

Honorary campaign chairman, Waterville native and former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell helped officially launch the 102-year-old organization’s first-ever capital campaign in late July.

The expansion to the new site “is an incredible opportunity for us,” said Donna Jo Mitchell.

Currently providing services from a variety of locations, MCH will soon become a five-building campus on what was the original site of Thomas College in Waterville.

One building will be dedicated to the adoption program and foster care program. Another will serve as a community resource building for nonprofit organizations to meet and exchange ideas as well as a meeting place for business and organizations on a donation basis.

The third building will focus on the “heart” of the agency, housing volunteers who work on coordinating the Christmas Program that serves more than 1,000 Maine children, the camp program and the development office.

The fourth building will be used for expansion of the teen parent school program in a one-of-a-kind facility merging alternative education schools.

And the fifth building will enable MCH to expand its comprehensive day care by opening it to the general public for infants through school age, and offering the possibility of a 3-11 p.m. shift to serve parents whose careers necessitate working those hours.

The campus setting gives MCH an even greater opportunity to fulfill its mission of building and strengthening families and children, instilling hope for the future “and a better quality of life through our many programs,” Mitchell said.

“The Maine Children’s Home believes everyone has a value to society and deserves the right to reach their full potential,” she added.

What MCH is working to do, right now, is get the word out not only about its many services, but to everyone who cares about this organization that has served so many for so long.

“Our programs exist because of the need,” Mitchell said.

“We are very fortunate to have a very professional, committed staff who go above and beyond the call of duty to make this happen.”

Mitchell sees the capital campaign as a venue “to allow us to make possible the expansion of our programs in this area, and statewide.”

She views the campaign for a new, centralized campus as an effort “to build stronger community,” and sees a “need to work together to make this effort a reality.”

Within the next few weeks, mailings will go out seeking support for Tomorrow’s Promise.

If you can help, please do so.

If you don’t receive a mailing, and you want more information about this much-needed campaign, call Mitchell at 876-0261 or write The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, 34 Gilman St., Waterville 04901, and campaign information will be sent to you.

United Cerebral Palsy invites you to an open house to learn about its early intervention preschool programs 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, in Suite 320 at 700 Mount Hope Ave. in Bangor.

UCP’s Bridges program serves pre-school children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder or severe communication or social disorders.

Bright Horizons serves children with delayed developmental and development disabilities.

You are invited to view the facility, its equipment and toys, ask questions about the programs, and meet other families and professionals involved with this work.

The national “Look Good … Feel Better” program is a partnership with the American Cancer Society, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation and the National Cosmetology Association.

Helping women who have appearance-related side effects from chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, the program provides information and hands-on instruction on makeup and skin care, and offers suggestions for using wigs, turbans and scarves.

The program is free and there are several, on-going group sessions at various locations in our state.

For those in the Waterville area who would like to take advantage of this service, the group meets every other month in the Thayer unit of Maine General Hospital in Waterville. Call Nancy Shibles, 487-5824, for information.

Carol Wilson, 768-4600, can tell you about the group that meets at 1 p.m. the last Sunday of every other month at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle.

Another group meets at 1 p.m. the last Sunday of every other month at the Cary Medical Center in Caribou. Call Prudy Dobson, 498-3111 for information.

And, starting at 1 p.m. the first Monday of October, a group will meet at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent. Bea Daigle, 834-3155, has information about this session.

In Bangor, a group meets at 6 p.m. the first Monday of every other month at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Randa Shirland, 973-3155, will provide more details.

You can also call your local ACS office at (800) 464-3102 for more information, or call (800) ACS-2345 to arrange appointments for one-on-one sessions.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.