Giving Season
A Note from our Volunteer Director
Dear Friends,
As we enter the winter months, my heart is filled with gratitude for our volunteers. The success of the Access Center truly comes from their dedication, consistency, and generosity of spirit. Our volunteers are neighbors, participants, family members, people in recovery giving back, and community members from many professional backgrounds who believe deeply in our mission.
This season, we are especially excited to share our new Volunteer Incentive Program as one more way we say thank you. Through this program, volunteers earn tickets for their service that can be used to “purchase” essential items such as phones, phone cards, headphones, bike locks, helmets, and even bikes. These are practical tools that support stability, communication, and independence for people who are rebuilding their lives. At the same time, volunteering helps strengthen connection and community at the Center, giving participants a chance to contribute meaningfully to the daily life of the space.
One volunteer recently earned enough tickets to receive a phone. The first call he made was to his daughter. Moments like that remind us how something as simple as volunteering can open doors, restore connection, and change lives in very real ways.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please fill out our volunteer application on our website, reach out by email, or give me a call at (207) 248-6033. I truly believe that volunteering not only gives back to the community, it also gives back to the volunteer in ways you do not always expect.
Happy holidays,
Jeanne Marquis
ME-RAP Volunteer Director
There Are many ways to help out!
There are so many ways to volunteer. You can take a shift at our snack counter, help out at a community clean up at 10 am, lead an event, drive someone to treatment, or if you're good with your hands, there are projects waiting for you.
Snack Counter: We are looking for volunteers to fill shifts at our snack counter from Monday through Thursday, either 11am to 2pm or 2pm-4pm.
Drivers: We need drivers to bring people to detox and rehab.
Daily Community Clean Up: We follow the rule of being a good neighbor by sending out a crew to clean up our local neighborhood everyday around 10AM. Come join us!
The Access Center goes through a lot of coffee, sugar, and creamer each week because our space runs on connection and comfort. Right now, our shelves are getting low!
We are also in urgent need of Straight Talk phones and phone cards. These help folks stay connected to recovery supports, medical care, housing leads, and their people. Small items, big impact.
If you’re able to help, we’re looking for: Ground coffee, sugar, powdered creamer, straight Talk phones, and straight Talk phone cards.
Join Us At a meeting or event!
Get your young people involved!
The Kennebec County Youth Caucus had a Big Bingo Bash in November with Aimin presiding as the bingo caller. Besides our members, we had a few little siblings join us giving this event a family atmosphere with the older youth helping the younger to keep track of their bingo cards. The prizes were big hit ranging from summer sprinkler toys to an educational science experiment kit.
The Washington County Caucus had a great month of community building with other collaborating parters in November. The youth made plans to do secret Santa for the kids at Safe Harbor. The group also attended a Harvest Dinner with Representative Maryanne Moore in attendance.
Volunteer of the month
Maranda Lovell is a recent volunteer at the Access Center, yet in that short time she has become a valuable asset on our Volunteer Team. She takes on daunting tasks with a positive attitude and a willingness to take on a challenge. Maranda has helped to revamp our clothing closet so we can find a sense of order even in our most high demand times. As a single mom with lots of responsibilities at home and experience as a CNA, she believes there's a solution for every problem. That's just the optimism we encourage at the Access Center.
