Hires, promotions, appointments
Maura Derrivan, LCPC, is the new youth engagement coordinator at OUT Maine.
Derrivan
Derrivan graduated with a Master of Science in counseling and psychological services in 2019 from Salem State University in Massachusetts and has most recently been working as a mental health counselor with children, adolescents and adults in Southern Maine.
OUT Maine affirms Maine’s diverse queer youth by working to change the systems that serve them. For more information, visit outmaine.org.
Granted
Maine-based projects that aim to strengthen and explore market opportunities for new agricultural ventures are getting a boost from a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to the tune of $3.5 million.
Fork Food Lab in Portland will use $749,785 to start up Fork Food Lab 2.0, which will develop products from $1 million in Maine fish, meat, dairy, eggs, grains and produce, creating 246 jobs and $17 million in economic impact by 2025, according to the USDA.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland will receive $882,165 to start and expand a project to form a resilient regional seafood system in partnership with Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Portland Fish Exchange and others.
A food chain to supply fresh vegetables throughout New England will be funded through a $792,966 grant to Harvesting Good in Yarmouth to support farmers, processors and food-insecure people in partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Hannaford and Sodexo.
A new Green Jobs for ME program will expand the Maine Community College System’s electrical technician program and address the shortage of licensed electrical workers in Maine. The expansion is being made possible by a $400,000 donation from The KeyBank Foundation. The program will help fight climate change by increasing the production of solar energy in Maine, for which licensed technicians are required. It’s estimated that Green Jobs for ME will train an additional 100 electrical workers over the next four years.
Oakhurst Dairy has pledged to donate $200,000 and $479,000 in food donations over the next four years to Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine’s Campaign to End Hunger. The latest pledge is in addition to funds and food donations over the last two years totaling almost $420,000. The state’s largest hunger-relief organization has set a goal to raise $250 million – $150 million in large-scale food donations from food retailers, manufacturers, producers and Maine farmers, as well as $100 million in philanthropic donations from individuals, businesses and foundations – by 2025.
Avesta Housing has received a $75,000 grant that will fund predevelopment costs such as land acquisition and designs for four affordable housing properties in Maine.
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