Empower Lewiston has been active with its latest round of community grants funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Enterprise Community program. Proposals addressed varied goals and objectives of the City of Lewiston’s Downtown Neighborhood Action Plan. Empower Lewiston’s Board of Directors had a large task in front of them at their most recent board meeting as they conducted the final review of twenty seven proposals totaling ranging from $4,000 to $25,000 and totaling more than $420,000. Proposals addressed community capacity building, youth development, neighborhood engagement, workforce development, education, health, art and housing, and in the final review, the thirteen successful proposals selected reflected the same variety and range as board members worked to deliver funding where it would have the widest and deepest impact. Entities receiving awards included: L/A Arts - $5000 towards the creation of a performance/workshop space and advanced enrichment programming; Lewiston-Auburn Neighborhood Network-$5,000 for community liaison for neighborhood after school programming; ArtVan- $5,400 for expanded children’s art programming at the Lewiston Public Library; Lewiston Public Library-$7,450 for YADA’s Teen Engagement Project; St. Mary’s Community Nutrition Programming--$10,000 for additional offerings at the Nutrition Center including multigenerational cooking classes, a teen catering program, and snack sessions for Head Start; City of Lewiston - $13,000 supporting development of a housing dvd for tenants and landlords; Maine People’s Resource Center/Visible Community- development of a Neighborhood Housing League to develop resident leadership addressing housing issues and proactive building and neighborhood stewardship; Trinity Jubilee Center--$17,500 toward the Meals Program and Food Pantry; Lewiston Adult Education--$18,100 towards upgrading community computer labs; New Beginnings--$21,190 to pilot expanded weekend programming at its drop-in center for youth; Downtown Education Collaborative--$23,940 to further educational success and bridging the digital divide programming through support of a VISTA, work study students, an educational technician and upgrades to increase functionality at their space; Outsource Works--$25,000 to support employee performance and to develop a peer coaching training curriculum and program. Awardees themselves are bringing $512,236 in additional funding and in-kind support to the projects and proposals.
As Empower Lewiston passes the baton to these entities and others, our Celebration Team is beginning its event planning for later this year and will be announcing the date shortly. If you or your organization would like to be a part of this celebration highlighting 10 years of new downtown Enterprise Community happenings, of which the above is only a small portion, please contact Empower Lewiston at 777-5144.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund for 2008 Now Available!
Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent "Circuit Breaker" Refund
Summary of the Program Beginning August 1, 2009 for Refunds of Property Tax Assessed and Rent Paid During 2008. (Note: The program to apply for refunds of property tax assessed and/or rent paid during 2009 begins August 1, 2010.)
Nearly 200,000 Maine households qualify for a partial refund of property tax assessed and/or rent they paid in 2008. The maximum refund available is $1,600.
You may qualify for a refund if:
You do not have a spouse or dependent(s) and your 2008 household income was $61,400 or less; or
You do have a spouse or dependent(s) and your 2008 household income was $81,850 or less
AND
Your 2008 property tax was more than 4% of your 2008 household income; or
The rent you paid in 2008 was more than 20% of your 2008 household income.
NOTE: Seniors do not need to meet this requirement when their household income is below $13,900 for those living alone or below $17,200 for those living with a spouse or dependent. See the application booklet for more information on who qualifies for the senior portion of the program.
File online now at www.maine.gov/revenue
Applications must be filed by
Summary of the Program Beginning August 1, 2009 for Refunds of Property Tax Assessed and Rent Paid During 2008. (Note: The program to apply for refunds of property tax assessed and/or rent paid during 2009 begins August 1, 2010.)
Nearly 200,000 Maine households qualify for a partial refund of property tax assessed and/or rent they paid in 2008. The maximum refund available is $1,600.
You may qualify for a refund if:
You do not have a spouse or dependent(s) and your 2008 household income was $61,400 or less; or
You do have a spouse or dependent(s) and your 2008 household income was $81,850 or less
AND
Your 2008 property tax was more than 4% of your 2008 household income; or
The rent you paid in 2008 was more than 20% of your 2008 household income.
NOTE: Seniors do not need to meet this requirement when their household income is below $13,900 for those living alone or below $17,200 for those living with a spouse or dependent. See the application booklet for more information on who qualifies for the senior portion of the program.
File online now at www.maine.gov/revenue
Applications must be filed by
June 1, 2010
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