LV Waldo County, a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services in cooperation with the University of Maine – Hutchinson Center in Belfast, will host the exhibit September 8 to December 17, 2010 at the Center’s H. Allen & Sally Fernald Art Gallery. Viewing hours will be weekdays 8:00 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Friday; 8:00 am to 3 pm Saturdays. The public is invited to attend an opening reception with light refreshments Tuesday, September 14, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in The Atrium, adjacent to the Gallery. Individuals interested in LV Waldo’s fall training program to be volunteer tutors are encouraged to attend the reception.

September is National Literacy Month. Dr. C. Sue McCullough, Director of the Hutchinson Center, comments, “This collection of remarkable photographs and stories presents a wonderful opportunity to let our community know more about the important work of Maine’s Literacy Volunteers.”

The exhibit, which is part of an outreach campaign organized by Literacy Volunteers of Maine (LV Maine), has toured five Maine regions since its statewide premiere at the Saco Museum in October 2009. 20 large format, black-and-white portraits document 41 adults from across the state who came together in the Maine Literacy Volunteers Network. Small business owners, new Americans, students, health care workers, truck drivers, retired librarians, scientists and political asylees are portrayed, along with their dramatic personal testimonials. Photographers Ashley Earl, Melissa DiPaola, Emma Sampson, Jeffrey Fujiu, Jessica Perro and Diane Wren collaborated on the project pro bono under the direction of LV Maine.

Established in 1986, Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County delivers literacy instruction to adults with a dedicated corps of trained tutors. Walsh adds, “If you want to read or write better, we are here to help with confidential literacy services. Whether you have a short-term goal of getting your driver’s license, or a long-term plan to complete your GED, we can tailor a program for you. We also always need volunteer tutors to
help people improve their literacy and achieve their goals.”

LV Waldo’s next tutor training session begins September 22 in Belfast. To sign up for the tutor training, or learn more about the FACES OF LITERACY: VOICES OF COURAGE reception, call Patrick Walsh at 338-2200 extension 109.
For more information on the exhibit hours at the Fernald Art Gallery, call the Hutchinson Center, 338-8000. www.hutchinsoncenter.umaine.edu.

About Literacy Volunteers of Maine (LV Maine):
LV Maine is the state office of the Maine Literacy Volunteers Network, and is dedicated to increasing access to literacy services for adults. The affiliates that span 14 Maine counties provide free, confidential reading instruction to over 1,000 adults each year through a network of devoted and well-trained tutors. LV Maine also manages the Adult Learning Opportunities Hotline, a toll-free telephone referral service that connects people with literacy and adult education resources.
Call 1-800-322-5455. www.lvmaine.org.

Contact: Elaine Tselikis, Literacy Volunteers of Maine
(207) 773-3191
elaine@lvmaine.org

The National Register of Evidence-based Programs and Practices describes the program in this way “Active Parenting Now is a video-based education program targeted to parents of 2- to 12-year-olds who want to improve their parenting skills. It is based on the application of Adlerian parenting theory, which is defined by mutual respect among family members within a democratically run family. The program teaches parents how to raise a child by using encouragement, building the child’s self-esteem, and creating a relationship with the child based upon active listening, honest communication, and problem solving. It also teaches parents to use natural and logical consequences to reduce irresponsible and unacceptable behaviors.”

These parent classes will be open to all parents and child care will be provided during class. A calendar of classes and locations is being developed and more information will be available shortly.

Broadreach provides a variety of services to young parents and their children in Waldo and Knox Counties. Broadreach services have been making a critical difference in the lives of area children and families since 1983.  Each year over 2000 families with children benefit from the agency’s quality education and support programs.  Broadreach has over a quarter of century expertise in delivering parenting education, family support, early childhood education and family literacy programming. Other provided parent education options include Kids First, Guiding Good Choices, and the Nurturing Fathers Program.

If you would like to learn how to register for Active Parenting Now, or learn more about our parent education offerings, please call Patrick Walsh at 207-338-2200 ext 109 or e-mail pwalsh@brmaine.org.

For further information on participating centers, please contact Mary Bailey, the Broadreach Early Childhood Programming Director, at 338-2200 or mbailey@brmaine.org, or visit the agency website at www.brmaine.org .

**2 DINNERS WILL BE RAFFLED*2 CHANCES TO WIN**

$5.00 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20.00. Tickets are available at all Broadreach locations or contact MORGAN at 338-2200 x 100.

DRAWING WILL BE ON JULY 14, 2010.

With Zero-Sort recycling, employees can toss all recyclable items together into ONE container, including junk mail, magazines and newspapers, cardboard, paper of any color, aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles and jars and clean food containers. A few things aren’t recyclable, including food waste, Styrofoam and incandescent light bulbs. The simplicity of one container for all recyclables will reduce the time and effort required by most recycling systems.

A special Zero-Sort dumpster will be located at 5 Stephenson Lane. Details on the program will be distributed to all employees at 5 & 8 Stephenson Lane, the first locations to take part in Zero-Sort recycling.

This program should save money and help the environment. Many of our employees are already recycling at home, and we hope many will be eager to ‘think green’ at work, too.

We are thrilled to announce that Broadreach Family & Community Services, in partnership with SAD#3, is offering an Early Childhood Inclusive Education Program (ECIP) for preschool aged children at the Walker School this coming September.  The program‘s operation of hours will be Monday through Friday , 9 to 3 with before and after care available to families needing extended care.  Broadreach offers subsidized tuition to eligible families with support from the Maine Department of Health & Human Services.

Similar to some of our other Broadreach Preschool Sites, this new classroom’s curriculum will be designed to meet the individual developmental and educational goals of the children enrolled.   Our caring, certified, experienced teachers plan the curriculum around the child’s unique needs, interests and strengths.  The classroom will be well-equipped with a variety of educational materials and toys to stimulate and challenge children.  The children will have the opportunity through the planned play activities to develop the skills necessary to enter kindergarten ready to succeed.   The daily storytelling, book sharing, song and movement activities nurture the young child’s language development and his or her first steps toward learning to read.  And as they attend school at the Walker Elementary School during their preschool year, they become familiar with the wonderful Walker School staff, adjust to the routines of the school and adapt to the idea of being in the Walker facility. In addition, they will use the outside play area and the gym. They may even be invited to participate in various reading activities with a ‘reading buddy’ from one of the higher grades. The daily routine encourages each child’s development of self discipline, self esteem and creativity. 

The ECIP program at Walker School will offer children and their families:

• A rich , early educational experience
• Program licensed by the State of Maine, Department of Health and Human Services
• Certified Early Childhood educators
• Nutritious meals and snacks
• Early language and literacy enriched High Scope curriculum
• On going screening and assessments to measure the skills children are gaining
• Indoor and outdoors activities
• Preschool/ elementary school/parent partnership that supports a seamless transition  to kindergarten
• Services to children with special learning and developmental needs

Broadreach is a private, non profit agency and has provided high quality services for young children and their families since 1983 in Waldo County.  Don’t miss this amazing opportunity! For more information about enrolling your child into this program, please contact Mary Bailey, Early Childhood Education Programs Director, at mbailey@brmaine.org or 338-2200 ext.304.  Broadreach is very excited about this opportunity to come to the Liberty area and be a part of your child’s early years.

 Programs begin June 21^st and are open to students entering 6-9^th grade in the Fall of 2010. 

Camps run at RDMS Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 12:00pm.  Activities will include cooking, hiking, volunteering, art and sports.  Visit www.youthlinksonline.org/RASA for complete program descriptions and registration information.

 Registration opens on May 3^rd for Rockland, South Thomaston and Owls Head residents. 

 RASA, a 21^st Century Community Learning Center Program, is a partnership between Youthlinks, a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services, and RSU 13.

Volunteers from Waldo, Knox and parts of Lincoln Counties have joined together to help raise $50,000 in a campaign to assist Broadreach Family & Community Services with its efforts to meet an increasing demand for social and educational services.  Funds raised in the campaign will be used to support important early childhood and adolescent programs, and to continue critical services for families and individuals that have financial or health challenges.  This campaign, which began in March 2010, will continue through June 2010. 

Broadreach provides quality early childhood education and care for area residents, maintains services for children with special needs, operates programs to prevent child abuse and neglect, conducts after-school programs that connect teens to their communities and provides tutoring programs for adults with low-literacy levels. The organization depends on charitable contributions from community members, local businesses and foundations to maintain the services, and to ensure that the basic needs of community residents are met and critical educational support is available to all citizens. 

“This year with the economy, job reductions and other life challenges, many people who may not have ever needed services before now are asking for assistance,” said Ruth Southworth, Executive Director of Broadreach. “We are grateful for the contributions that we receive and hope that the people in our communities will respond with their kind support to this campaign.  We are delighted and thankful for the volunteers who are assisting us with this important endeavor.”

Broadreach is a nonprofit organization serving more than 2,500 residents each year. In recent years, Broadreach has ensured the delivery of critical community services by merging with three well-respected nonprofit organizations, Mid-Coast Children’s Services, Youthlinks and Literacy Volunteers of Waldo County. With these mergers, Broadreach has been able to offer services to the growing number of clients. 

Broadreach Community Gifts Campaign members include:  Christine Boone, Mary Frenning, Ann Hubbard, Helen Kosmo, Ken McKinley, Scott Story, Gerritt Vander Veer, Mike Towey and Polly Chatfield.

For more information about how you can support the Broadreach campaign, please call Deborah Schilder at 338-2200 Ext. 112 or email dschilder@BRMaineorg. Also, please visit www.BRMaine.org/giving for further information. Donations may be mailed to Broadreach Family & Community Services, #5 Stephenson Lane  Belfast, Maine 04915.