Another month means another chance to get involved in the Portland community! Whether you can donate money and/or time (anything helps!), here is the Portland Old Port February list of non-profit organizations and community focused businesses and efforts to give back to this month.
Welcome to our Community Corner! We will be using this space to connect you to ways to give back and /or get involved in Greater Portland. If you have a fundraiser, volunteer sign-up, or cause you’d like us to know about, email us at [email protected]
Helping individuals and families in Maine meet their basic material needs by providing donated clothing, hygiene products, household items, basic necessities and more, Maine Needs is a non-profit organization located right here on Forest Avenue in Portland.
Originating as a grassroots movement revolving around community effort, Maine Needs works with those starting life over from scratch including domestic abuse survivors, asylum seekers and those facing financial hardships. They partner with schools, caseworkers, teachers, nurses and professional care providers to provide these material resources.
Learn more about Maine Needs, including how it came about, by heading online here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Maine Needs is powered by a growing collective of volunteers. All are welcome! Maine Needs provides training on site.
Sort and organize donations
Fulfill requests and assemble them into packages
Deliver donations
Sign up to volunteer online here.
Unable to volunteer? Make a donation to Maine Needs here. Maine Needs accepts monetary donations, Weekly Wishlist donations, and gently used, thoroughly sorted clothing donations.
Cultivating artistic development of individuals of African descent, Indigo Arts Alliance has been a leader in building global connections since inception in 2019.
Providing Maine based artists of African descent access to a broader range of practicing artists of color from around the world, Indigo Arts Alliance has become known as a place where freedom of expression and personal transformation through creativity is encouraged. Striving for a more compassionate, generous, and welcoming world built on citizenship, community-building, and creativity, Indigo Arts Alliances amplifies and empowers the Black and Brown artists enriching our Portland community, through a number of Residency Programs, including the Mentorship Residency Model and the David. C Driskell Fellowship (An Elder Advisor to Indigo Arts Alliance).
In addition to their Residency Programs, Indigo Arts Alliance also hosts and sponsors a variety of events including Voices + Visions, an an ongoing conversation series that highlights the similarities, creative intersections and distinct voices of alumni artists in residence; readings, workshops, community sings, and of course, the annual Beautiful Blackbird Children’s Book Festival, which celebrates the children’s literature of the African diaspora.
For Indigo Art’s Alliance’s full story, including artist profiles, upcoming events, the facilities and more, head to their website.
To support Indigo Arts Alliance for today and the future, make a donation online here. Donations make a huge difference in helping grow artist residency programs, public engagement initiatives, and celebrations of Creativity + Courage.
Special Events + Fundraisers
1) Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off
Kicking off Maine Restaurant Week (which officially begins March, 1st and will run until March 12th, 2023), the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off will have Maine’s Champions of Breakfast competing in the best and most entertaining morning ever, all for a great cause. Competitors include Verbena, Ruby’s West End, Chaval, Bowdoin Dining Services, T.O.P. Dog, The Black Tie Company, Salt Yard, Sea Glass, the Harrasseeket Inn, and The Maker’s Galley!
All ticket proceeds will go to Preble Street in Portland. Preble Street provides accessible barrier-free services to empower people experiencing problems with homelessness, housing, hunger, and poverty. They advocate solutions for these problems.
Ticket link here.
When: Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 from 7 AM – 9 AM
Where: Sea Dog Brewing Co., 725 Broadway, South Portland
2) Dila's Kitchen
Dila’s Kitchen in Portland’s Public Market House is asking for donations for the people of Turkey affected by the deadly earthquake. Owner Dila Maloney has Turkish heritage with family currently in Turkey and volunteering.
You can drop off baby formula, diapers, blankets at the Public Market House at 28 Monument Square for another shipment out of Boston for this Friday, February 17th. You can make a monetary donation here.
3) Swish-Out Childhood Cancer
Town and Country Federal Credit Union is raising funds to help children with cancer and their families.
Grab your dream team, and register in the Annual C-U Swish-Out Childhood Cancer Challenge, Maine’s longest, continuous-running, 3-on-3, benefit basketball tournament.Teams can expect ¼ court, double elimination, running time 15 minute games or first to 15.
Register through February 25 – $75/team
Teams can be single gender or co-ed in an adult or teenage division.
Game day is March 5 at USM in Gorham.
