As another beautiful Maine summer draws to a close, and with back to school just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to update you on some of the recent news from the John T. Gorman Foundation. In this issue, we’ll give you details on our 2016 Direct Services Grant Program, through which we distributed $1 million in funding to 60 organizations doing critical work in all 16 counties of the state. We’ll also tell you about our work with the Axiom Education & Training Center in Machias, which is using technology and education to help strengthen the economy of that region of Maine.
We are a proud partner of this issue’s profiled grantee, Starting Strong, which aims to help all Portland children read proficiently by the end of third grade through a number of strategies that engage the community. We’ve also included a behind-the-scenes look at the exemplary work being done by The Opportunity Alliance to strengthen the agency’s commitment to results. In other news, the United Way of Greater Portland has launched their Thrive2027 campaign to make the area a better place to work and live for all its citizens, and the Foundation is committed to helping them realize this goal. As their tagline puts it: We’re in!
We wish you a wonderful end of summer, and please send along any questions, comments, and ideas related to our mission of improving the lives of Maine’s most vulnerable people.
-Tony Cipollone, President and CEO