Washington
Washington County at a Glance:
- 28.8% of children under 18 live in poverty.**
- 37.5% of children in Washington County receive SNAP benefits, 63.2% of school-aged children are eligible for subsidized school meals.**
- 27.2% of children are living with food insecurity.**
- The infant mortality rate in Washington County is 5.9 per 1,000.**
- 10.5 per every 1,000 children in Washington County are in DHHS custody.**
- 68.3% of children in Washington County participate in MaineCare.**
- 51.4% of people in Washington County are not currently in the workforce.*
- 19% of the population is under the age of 18.*
- 38.5% of the population achieved a high school degree; 6.4% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.*
- The high school graduation rate for Washington County is 89.9%**
*Source: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2012-2016
**Source: Maine Kids Count
Grants Awarded in this Region
| Date | Organization | Award | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Centre Street Congregational Church, UCC - FS to Machias Area Food Pantry | $20,000 | To provide general operating support to Machias Area Food Pantry. | Machias, ME |
| 2022 | Eastern Area Agency on Aging | $20,000 | To support a nutritious meals program - including home delivery and congregate dining options - for low-income, older adults in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties. | Brewer, ME |
| 2022 | Hand in Hand, Mano en Mano | $20,000 | To provide general operating support. | Milbridge, ME |
| 2022 | Healthy Acadia | $20,000 | To support the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, which harvests surplus food and redistributes it to food pantries and other food security organizations across Hancock and Washington counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2022 | Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center | $25,000 | To provide essential health care to low income Mainers to address immediate needs related to physical and mental health. | Bangor, ME |
| 2022 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $15,000 | To provide healthy food through a pantry and various other food-security programs, along with coordinated wrap-around services, to low-income youth, families and seniors in Washington County. | Northeast Harbor, ME |
| 2022 | Town of Danforth, Maine | $18,500 | To provide older adults in the greater Danforth area with free and nutritious meals, increased social opportunities, and no-cost transportation options. | Danforth, ME |
| 2021 | Christine B. Foundation | $15,000 | To provide equitable nutrition assistance to food insecure patients with cancer, recent survivors, and their families, in eastern Maine. | Bangor, ME |
| 2021 | H.O.M.E. Inc. | $15,000 | To provide general operating support. | Orland, ME |
| 2021 | Healthy Acadia | $15,000 | To support the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, which works with farms, farmers' markets, and gardeners to harvest surplus food and redistribute it to food security organizations across Hancock and Washington counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2021 | Lubec Community Outreach Center | $10,000 | To provide general operating support. | Lubec, ME |
| 2021 | Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center | $15,000 | To provide essential physical and mental health care services to low-income people in Northern and Eastern Maine. | Bangor, ME |
| 2021 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $210,000 | To provide support for Family Futures Downeast, a two-generation effort to remove economic barriers for participating families. | Machias, ME |
| 2021 | Sunrise Opportunities | $50,000 | To support the general operations of the Community Caring Collaborative. | Machias, ME |
| 2021 | Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness | $25,000 | To increase access to youth and adolescent mental health, wellness, and community supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Bangor, ME |
| 2020 | First Book | $13,500 | To support the purchase of over 7,500 books to be distributed to children in Lewiston and Indian Township who may not be benefiting from a learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Washington, ME |
| 2020 | Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges | $10,000 | To support the planning phase of the Pathways for ME pilot program at Washington County Community College, which will help support and improve academic outcomes for rural adult students in recovery. | South Portland, ME |
| 2020 | H.O.M.E. Inc. | $10,000 | To provide general operating support. | ORLAND, ME |
| 2020 | Healthy Acadia | $25,000 | To support the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, which harvests surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to food pantries and other food security organizations across Hancock and Washington counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2020 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $25,000 | To provide families impacted by COVID-19 in Washington and eastern Hancock counties with expanded food offerings and connections to community basic needs resources. | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 2020 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $210,000 | To provide support for Family Futures Downeast, a two-generation effort to remove economic barriers for participating families. | Machias, ME |
| 2020 | Sunrise Opportunities | $45,000 | To provide general operating support for the Community Caring Collaborative as they work to advance two-generation efforts in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2020 | Wabanaki Public Health And Wellness | $10,000 | To continue support for the Literacy and Love program, providing additional books and educational resources to Wabanaki elders and veterans. | Bangor, ME |
| 2020 | Wabanaki Public Health And Wellness | $60,000 | To support efforts to reduce family stress, isolation and child abuse through socially-distanced visits to at-risk families in Maine's five tribes during the COVID-19 pandemic. | Bangor, ME |
| 2019 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $50,000 | To support the work of Family Futures Downeast, a two-generational educational program for parents and their children in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2019 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $26,000 | To support the general operations of the Washington County Adult Education program. | Machias, ME |
| 2019 | Hand in Hand, Mano en Mano | $15,000 | To provide immigrants and migrant workers with high-quality supports and referrals to meet their basic needs. | Milbridge, ME |
| 2019 | Healthy Acadia | $20,000 | To support the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, which harvests surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to food pantries and other food security organizations across Hancock and Washington counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2019 | Mabel Wadsworth Women's Health Center | $15,000 | To provide mental health counseling to low income Mainers residing in northern and eastern Maine. | BANGOR, ME |
| 2019 | Next Step Domestic Violence Project | $20,000 | To remove barriers to housing stability experienced by victims of abuse and their children through rent subsidies, one-time investments in immediate needs, and specialized housing advocacy. | ELLSWORTH, ME |
| 2019 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $180,000 | To support Family Futures Downeast, a two-generation education and workforce opportunity for low-income parents and their children in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2019 | Sunrise Opportunities | $75,000 | To support the general operations of the Community Caring Collaborative. | Machias, ME |
| 2019 | Sunrise Opportunities | $25,000 | To support a pilot transportation program for people in recovery in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2019 | Wabanaki Health and Wellness | $25,000 | To support community and cultural resiliency for Passamaquoddy Tribal Members who are recovering from opiate addiction. | Bangor, ME |
| 2018 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $86,000 | To provide education and training to particpants of Family Futures Downeast, a two-generational program that combines post-secondary and career programming for Washington County parents with early childhood education for their children. | Machias, ME |
| 2018 | Cooperative Development Institute | $200,000 | Two year grant to provide business owners in Washington County with succession planning assistance, to provide workers with new skills that will improve profitability, and to sustain economic activity and access to goods and services in rural communities. | Northampton, MA |
| 2018 | Four Directions Development Corporation | $15,000 | To provide support for general operations to provide access to safe, quality housing for members of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes, mostly located in Aroostook, Penobscot, and Washington counties. | Orono, ME |
| 2018 | Healthy Acadia | $25,000 | To expand the amount of local, healthy food available to low-income households in Hancock and Washington counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2018 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $20,950 | To support the Mission’s ongoing work with the Data Innovation Project to incorporate better data collection and analysis into its programs and activities for more informed decision making. | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 2018 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $71,000 | To support their role as an organizational partner for Family Futures Downeast, a two-generational program that combines post-secondary and career programming for Washington County parents with early childhood education for their children. | Machias, ME |
| 2018 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $50,000 | To support the continued evaluation of Family Futures Downeast, a two-generational program that combines post-secondary and career programming for Washington County parents with early childhood education for their children. | Machias, ME |
| 2018 | Sunrise Opportunities | $100,000 | To support their role as an organizational partner for Family Futures Downeast, a two-generational program that combines post-secondary and career programming for Washington County parents with early childhood education for their children. | Machias, ME |
| 2018 | We Care Community Baby Center | $5,000 | To provide general operating support to two centers providing low-income families throughout Washington County with free diapers, clothing, and other household essentials. | Machias, ME |
| 2017 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $120,000 | To provide support for Family Futures Downeast's Collaborative Project. | Machias, ME |
| 2017 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $10,000 | For general operating support. | Calais, ME |
| 2017 | Ellsworth Free Medical Clinic | $7,000 | For general operating support. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2017 | Hand in Hand Mano en Mano | $20,000 | To provide immigrants and migrant workers with high-quality supports and referrals to meet their basic needs. | Milbridge, ME |
| 2017 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $25,000 | To provide support for the Weald Bethel Food Pantry, which serves low-income residents within a 700-mile radius of Washington County. | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 2017 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $100,000 | To support low-income families in Washington County through a two-generational approach to post-secondary education and early childhood education. | Machias, ME |
| 2017 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $50,000 | To support an evaluation of the Family Futures Downeast initiative. | Machias, ME |
| 2017 | Sunrise Opportunities | $100,000 | To provide general operating support for the Community Caring Collaborative. | Machias, ME |
| 2016 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $150,000 | To support programming for post-secondary readiness activities for prospective participants in Family Futures Downeast, a two-generation program in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2016 | Child and Family Opportunities | $15,000 | For the Early Education Access Fund helping parents who need childcare, and who are ineligible for other assistance or are unable to pay full fees due to changes in employment, changes in family health and well-being, or unexpected situations. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2016 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $15,000 | To provide cost-free compassionate care for terminally ill cancer patients, their families and their caregivers. | Calais, ME |
| 2016 | Hand in Hand Mano en Mano | $15,000 | To provide support for a drop-in resource center, home-based services, case management, referrals and transportation services for immigrants and farmworkers in Milbridge and surrounding towns | Milbridge, ME |
| 2016 | Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry | $15,000 | To provide for children, young parents and the elderly living in Washington County, the Passamaquoddy Indian Township and Pleasant Point with basic services such as food, fuel and transportation. | Calais, ME |
| 2016 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $200,000 | For Family Futures Downeast, a two – generation education and workforce training opportunity for low – income parents in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2015 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $15,000 | To provide cost-free compassionate care for terminally ill cancer patients, their families and their caregivers. | Calais, ME |
| 2015 | Eastern Area Agency on Aging | $20,000 | To support the Pantry Partners program, which serves low-income clients through emergency and supplemental food boxes and transportation of food from food pantries to seniors' homes. | Bangor, ME |
| 2015 | Food AND Medicine, Jobs with Justice Education Fund | $15,000 | To provide funding to deliver healthy, locally grown food to SNAP users, including families in crisis, laid-off workers, seniors, and people with disabilities who need homecare. | Brewer, ME |
| 2015 | Foundation for Maine's Community Colleges | $100,000 | To support Family Futures Downeast. | South Portland, ME |
| 2015 | Friends of Aroostook | $15,000 | To provide funding to grow, maintain, harvest, and deliver fresh produce to Area Agencies on Aging sites in Aroostook, Washington, Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties. | Houlton, ME |
| 2015 | Maine Coast Memorial Hospital | $25,000 | To provide increased access to mental health services for uninsured and underinsured residents in western Washington and Hancock counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2015 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $25,000 | To support the Weald Bethel Food Pantry, which serves low-income residents within a 700 mile radius of Washington County. | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 2015 | Sunrise Opportunities | $390,000 | Two year grant to help Community Caring Collaborative maintain the necessary infrastructure to continue to support children and families in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2015 | Washington Hancock Community Agency | $61,000 | To support the At Home Downeast program. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2014 | Axiom Education and Training Center | $410,000 | Two year grant to pilot a new strategy for coordinating small business development and Adult Education in the Greater Machias region. | Machias, ME |
| 2014 | Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center | $15,000 | To provide operating support toward staffing so they may continue providing direct services to people affected by cancer in Hancock and Washington Counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2014 | Child and Family Opportunities | $15,000 | To provide operating support for high quality early care and education programs in nine centers in Washington and Hancock counties. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2014 | Community Health and Counseling Services | $17,150 | To provide funding for support groups for resource families raising children whose parent(s) cannot. | Bangor, ME |
| 2014 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $10,000 | To provide general operating support to continue providing cost-free compassionate support for terminally ill cancer patients, their families, and their caregivers. | Calais, ME |
| 2014 | Hand in Hand, Mano en Mano | $15,000 | To provide immigrants and migrant workers with high-quality supports and referrals to meet their basic needs. | Milbridge, ME |
| 2014 | Maine Seacoast Mission | $20,000 | To provide support for individuals and families who struggle to have adequate food, shelter and clothing. | Bar Harbor, ME |
| 2014 | Sunrise Opportunities | $10,000 | To provide short term or one time financial support to meet critical needs of low-income families. | Machias, ME |
| 2014 | Women Unlimited | $350,000 | Two year grant to provide skills training, job connections and work supports to low-income individuals in Bangor, Machias and Lewiston and align that training with the workforce needs of local industries. | Augusta, ME |
| 2013 | Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center | $15,000 | To provide operating support to sustain the Program and Volunteer Coordinator position. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2013 | Cancer Support Center of Maine | $5,000 | To provide gas cards for cancer patients traveling to and from medical appointments. | Bucksport, ME |
| 2013 | Child and Family Opportunities | $87,650 | To support ongoing professional development for early childhood providers and elementary teachers through a coaching and mentoring model that is informed by a “best practice” assessment tool. | Ellsworth, ME |
| 2013 | Coastal Enterprises, Inc. | $600,000 | A three year grant to develop the organizational infrastructure required to best deploy capital to vulnerable populations in Lewiston, Portland, Machias, and Skowhegan. | Brunswick, ME |
| 2013 | Community Health and Counseling Services | $24,250 | To provide remote patient monitoring for individuals age 60+ living with chronic diseases such as diabetes or congestive heart failure. | Bangor, ME |
| 2013 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $10,000 | To provide hospice and bereavement services to cancer patients and those in need of end of life supportive, compassionate care. | Calais, ME |
| 2013 | Eastern Area Agency on Aging | $100,000 | To support the expansion of the EZ Fix program, a year round home repair and independent living program for low-income Maine senior citizens and adults with disabilities. | Bangor, ME |
| 2012 | Down East Hospice Volunteers | $10,000 | To provide for the unmet needs of Washington County individuals who are terminally ill and want to spend their final days at home. | Calais, ME |
| 2012 | Hand in Hand, Mano en Mano | $25,000 | To provide assistance to migrant workers in accessing health care, job training, housing, and education services in Washington County. | Milbridge, ME |
| 2012 | Lubec Youth Collaborative | $15,000 | To support the Fall and Spring 2012-2013 sessions of the After School Program. | Lubec, ME |
| 2012 | Sunrise County Economic Council | $300,000 | A two year grant to support of the Community Technology Plan, which provides digital literacy education to residents and businesses in Washington County. | Machias, ME |
| 2012 | Sunrise Opportunities | $30,000 | To provide short term or one time financial support to meet the critical needs of poor families. | Machias, ME |
| 2012 | Sunrise Opportunities | $75,000 | To provide general operating support for the Community Caring Collaborative. | Machias, ME |
| 2012 | United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern Maine | $25,000 | To provide oral health care services to children through two-week long clinics in collaboration with the New York University College of Dentistry. | Bangor, ME |