The Maine Lobster Festival has a long history of giving back to the community. At its recent Board of Directors meeting, the Festival donated $2,750 to three community organizations working to make Midcoast Maine a better place. The three receiving organizations were Knox County Homeless Coalition, Rockland District Nursing Association, and Trekkers.

Knox County Homeless Coalition received a $750 donation, which will be used for new tires for its outreach vehicle used to deliver food and supplies to families in its Youth Program. As the only comprehensive program in the Midcoast, KCHC works with over 600 people from Belfast to Waldoboro. According to KCHC, frequent causes of homelessness in our area include lack of affordable housing; divorce leading to decreased household income; family or personal illness; unexpected unemployment or loss of income; mental health or substance abuse disorders; and a combination of eviction, foreclosure, divorce, separation, death, illness, or other circumstances. Director of Development Becca Gildred (pictured) accepted the donation.

Rockland District Nursing Association received a $1,000 donation. RDNA nurses use its members’ collective 160+ years of nursing experience to provide in-home non-acute nursing services to low- to moderate-income seniors in Rockland, Thomaston, South Thomaston, St. George, Owls Head, Cushing, Warren, and Union. RDNA strives to help its clients maintain their independence in a safe home environment for as long as possible.

Trekkers received a $1,000 donation, which will be used for its Direct Youth Mentoring Program. This program serves over 200 students in grades 7-12 from the communities of Rockland, South Thomaston, Cushing, Owls Head, Thomaston, and St. George. The organization promotes youth mentoring that uses outdoor, experiential, and travel-based education to strengthen resiliency, raise aspirations, and connect young people with their communities. Program Manager Kaleb Robinson (pictured) accepted the donation.

About the Maine Lobster Festival

Five days of fun and feasting on the fabulous coast of Maine, the Maine Lobster Festival attracts thousands of people to the Midcoast region and has a long tradition of giving back to the local community. The 2022 Festival will be held Aug. 3-7 at Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine, and will feature new and exciting events in celebration of its 75th anniversary. For more information about the Maine Lobster Festival, visit its website at www.mainelobsterfestival.com, “like” it on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter at @MELobsterFest and on Instagram at @mainelobsterfest.