At its annual meeting, Monday, November 17th, at LRTC’s Green Ladle, Empower Lewiston announced it would be soliciting grant proposals from non-profits and their partners dedicated to creating positive change in the downtown. In Empower Lewiston’s ten years, we have supported the creation of public spaces such as the B Street Community Center, the Marsden Hartley Cultural Center, Museum L/A, and the Kennedy Park Skate Park; the development of entities such as Outsource Works, a budding social enterprise dedicated to providing a flexible alternative work setting for downtown residents, and Lots to Gardens, now a successful community gardening, neighborhood beautification and youth leadership program; and partnerships dedicated to advancing the personal goals of individuals through the teamwork of the L-A CA$H Coalition, Casey’s Rural Family Economic Success Initiative, College for ME-Androscoggin, Coastal Enterprises IDA Home Ownership Program and the Downtown Education Collaborative. Today, Empower Lewiston is working in the community to address transportation capacity and accessibility downtown, the delivery and accessibility of nutritional food options downtown, housing and neighborhood education for residents and landlords, the digital divide through accessible community computer labs and the development of safer, healthier and stronger neighborhoods. Grant proposals that support Empower Lewiston’s current priorities will be welcomed as well as those proposing other positive benefits to the downtown. Grants in amounts up to $10,000 will be awarded.
Collaboration will be a key component of any successful proposal. And Empower Lewiston Board members and guests were pleased to hear the impact of one such collaboration, the Downtown Education Collaborative (DEC), and its effort to address the digital divide is having on all involved. Sherry Russell, Director, gave an overview of DEC and the digital divide initiative as it has evolved. Erin Reed, a Bates alumni and VISTA, is coordinating and doing outreach among the colleges to engage students in becoming involved, while Terry Howard and Marcy Winslow, Andover College students, have assisted users in filling out online applications, doing resumes, setting up email accounts and addressing a variety of other requests for assistance. Theresa Sirois, a computer lab user, engaged the audience by sharing her personal story of attending school through the 9th grade, returning years later to take classes at Lewiston Adult Education, and being drawn to the possibilities the computer lab next door offered her. Theresa is now a regular user at the computer lab developing various skills all of which she said has helped her become a more confident person in her life.
If you are involved in a downtown collaborative effort and are interested in submitting a proposal, please contact Empower Lewiston at 777-5144 or stop by our office at the B Street Community Center, 57 Birch Street.
Collaboration will be a key component of any successful proposal. And Empower Lewiston Board members and guests were pleased to hear the impact of one such collaboration, the Downtown Education Collaborative (DEC), and its effort to address the digital divide is having on all involved. Sherry Russell, Director, gave an overview of DEC and the digital divide initiative as it has evolved. Erin Reed, a Bates alumni and VISTA, is coordinating and doing outreach among the colleges to engage students in becoming involved, while Terry Howard and Marcy Winslow, Andover College students, have assisted users in filling out online applications, doing resumes, setting up email accounts and addressing a variety of other requests for assistance. Theresa Sirois, a computer lab user, engaged the audience by sharing her personal story of attending school through the 9th grade, returning years later to take classes at Lewiston Adult Education, and being drawn to the possibilities the computer lab next door offered her. Theresa is now a regular user at the computer lab developing various skills all of which she said has helped her become a more confident person in her life.
If you are involved in a downtown collaborative effort and are interested in submitting a proposal, please contact Empower Lewiston at 777-5144 or stop by our office at the B Street Community Center, 57 Birch Street.
