Hope and Healing benefit

ORONO – Join DADGAD Coffeehouse musicians in a Hope and Healing benefit for Rape Response Services, 6-9 p.m. Monday, April 28, at the Keith Anderson Community House on Bennoch Road.

A donation of $5 includes desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Call 989-5678 for more info.

Volunteers for Warm Line

BANGOR – The Community Health and Counseling Services Warm Line offers volunteers the chance to give back to their community, and to help a neighbor in a time of need.

The Warm Line is a part-time, free and confidential noncrisis telephone line designed to serve persons with mental illness and their families in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington and Hancock counties.

It is staffed by volunteers who share a sense of empathy, the ability to be nonjudgmental and good listening skills.

Volunteers are being sought to expand the Warm Line’s hours of operation. Extensive training and ongoing support are provided in such topics as major mental illness, attitudes toward mental illness, how to deal with difficult calls, risk factors, listening skills, telephone skills, and agency policies and expectations.

For more information about volunteering for the Warm Line, call Maureen Walsh at 947-0366 or (800) 924-0366, ext. 214, and leave a message. You will receive an application and be scheduled for an interview.

Ronald McDonald House

BANGOR – Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine has granted the Ronald McDonald House of Bangor $5,000 for its new library and resource center.

When completed, the library will provide information and activities to support and inform families about their child’s illness while they are staying in the house.

Located at 654 State St., the Ronald McDonald House is open 365 days a year, providing a home away from home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.

The Ronald McDonald House of Bangor has been open since 1983.

“The new library and resource center is something we’ve wanted for a long time. The Ronald McDonald House Charities grant will allow us to meet the needs of the children and families we serve,” said Patricia Beckwith, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Bangor.

“This grant will allow us to deliver up-to-date, relevant materials and resources into the hands of families undergoing stress because of a child receiving medical treatment in Bangor,” she said. “These families are away from the comfort of their home, as well as away from known resources and support.”

The Ronald McDonald House in Bangor is continually encouraged to reach out and find ways to improve the lives of children.

“We believe that since it’s not in our reach to prevent children from becoming ill or being injured, it is certainly within our reach to soften the experience through programs such as the library and resource center,” Beckwith added.

Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk

HAMPDEN – Deb Scott, Dawn Huston, Ronda Chasse, Sue Gilmore and Laura Walker, all of Hampden; Emily Davenport of Bangor; and Shelly Beaulieu and Samantha Morneault of Madawaska will walk to raise money for Breast Cancer 3-Day Aug. 15-17 in Boston.

The team is called the “Sole Sisters,” and the women are joining thousands of other women and men for the three-day, 60-mile walk benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust.

In order to participate, each walker must train for the event and commit to raising a minimum of $2,200. The team is committed to raise $17,600, according to team captain is Deb Scott.

“I know with Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust as beneficiaries, I’m helping to ensure funding is available for important research and community outreach programs,” Scott said.

The Sole Sisters are planning a yard sale on Saturday, May 1, in Hampden, with all the proceeds going to the 3-Day.

The women decided to join the walk for various personal reasons.

“One out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Huston. “I want to help change the odds.”

Davenport and Chasse have watched their mothers battle the disease and want to make a difference.

“I look forward to marching through the streets of Boston with thousands of others as we raise awareness and funds for the breast cancer movement,” said Gilmore.

To help the team reach their goal, make a donation at www.the3day.org, click on Donate Now and search for the Sole Sisters team. Or mail donations made out to “Breast Cancer 3-Day” to Deb Scott, 46 Hughes Blvd., Hampden, ME 04444.

Reiki therapy at EMMC

BANGOR – Eastern Maine Medical Center is offering Reiki, a Japanese technique used for stress reduction and relaxation, pain relief, immune system support, improved blood flow and comfort and relief from side effects of some medical treatments.

Certified Reiki practitioners, who also are registered EMMC volunteers, use light touch to redirect energy to specific parts of the body.

“Patients have asked for this service, so we are responding to their requests. It is well-integrated into the clinical services we provide,” said Dr. Peter Keebler, director of rehabilitation services.

Patricia Woell, wife of rehab patient Fred Woell, has seen the results firsthand.

“I’ve seen amazing, interesting things with the treatments,” she said. “He is definitely benefiting from it. During one of the sessions, Fred got very calm and fell into a deep sleep – something he hadn’t been able to do for awhile.”

Volunteers are an integral part of the Reiki program, as they administer all of the Reiki sessions.

“Without the energy, hours and support of our volunteers, we would not have been able to start this program,” said Martha Wildman, director of volunteer services. “We have fabulous volunteers who have put their heart and soul into this project.”

Blueberries and health

ORONO – Volunteers are being sought by the University of Maine department of food science and human nutrition to participate in an eight-to-12-week study to test theories about the effects of wild blueberry consumption on hunger and blood chemistry.

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate that consumption of wild blueberries as part of a meal makes a person feel full sooner, potentially leading to weight loss; and slows the release of glucose and insulin into the blood, thus reducing risks for diabetes and obesity.

The study, getting under way soon, will extend into the summer. It is funded by the Maine Technology Institute, the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.

Principal investigator for the “Wild Blueberry Consumption and Its Effects on Satiety and Blood Chemistry” study is master’s degree candidate and dietetic intern Elijah Magrane, who received a bachelor of science degree in culinary nutrition at Johnson and Wales University.

Magrane is basing his research hypotheses on the fact that wild Maine blueberries are rich in the purple anthocyanin pigments, which act as an antioxidant.

Anthocyanins have been the subject of much research due to their potential to alter blood chemistry, which can lead to reducing risks for diabetes and obesity. Maine blueberries also are high in fiber and could increase the feeling of satiety after a meal, which could aid in weight loss, according to Magrane.

The research is a randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over study. Volunteers will report to the laboratory in Hitchner Hall in the early morning after a minimum 10-hour fast and will receive a breakfast of corn flakes, skim milk and orange juice.

Participants will be assigned randomly into four groups, each of which will receive one of four possible meal supplements. After the meals, participants will be asked to fill out a survey and donate a blood sample for testing. Subjects will return every two to three weeks to repeat the experience, for a total of four times within a maximum of 12 weeks.

Upon completion of the study, each participant will receive a $200 stipend.

Criteria for study subjects are that participants must be 25-50 years old; have a body mass index of 25-29.9 or 18.5-24.9; not smoke; have regular eating habits – breakfast, lunch and dinner; not have an allergy or intolerance to corn, lactose, blueberries or orange juice; not be pregnant or lactating; not currently be trying to lose or gain weight, or have lost or gained in excess of three kilograms or 8 pounds in the previous three months; not have diabetes; not be engaged in athletic training; and not be using medications or dietary supplements that affect appetite or blood sugar.

Magrane can be reached at 581-8434 for information.

Before turning to nutrition science at the University of Maine, Magrane worked as a chef in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Faculty adviser is Mary Ellen Camire, professor of food science and human nutrition.

Area plan hearings

Eastern Area Agency on Aging will hold public hearings on its draft four-year area plan for July 1, 2008-June 30, 2012. All elderly, service providers and the public are invited to comment and to make suggestions.

The hearings will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 9, in the dining room of Ridgeview Apartments, 9 Valley View Road, Machias; Friday, May 16, at the Eastern Area Agency on Aging main office at 450 Essex St., Bangor; Tuesday, May 20, at the new Meals for ME dining room in the former Stearns High School, 80 Maine Ave., Millinocket.

Copies of the draft area plan will be available on request from Eastern Area Agency on Aging after Thursday, May 1, and at the public hearings. The draft plan will be posted at www.eaaa.org. Additional public hearings will be scheduled if requested by five or more people.

For further information, call Eastern Area Agency on Aging at 941-2865 or 800-432-7812.