Fiona Bor ‘25
Fiona spent her summer working at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. She primarily supported the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)–a federally funded program offering free meals to kids and teens when they are out of school. Each day, Fiona supervised the summer meals site at Curtis Memorial Library, distributing lunch and providing activities for kids. She also transported meals to camps in Brunswick and Lisbon as well as coordinated logistics with program partners. Outside of SFSP, Fiona administered a survey to food pantry guests for MCHPP to better understand the impact of its services.
"I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work at MCHPP this summer. I learned so much about food security in Brunswick and the inner workings of a local non-profit. A huge thank you to the wonderful staff and volunteers at MCHPP for the guidance, wisdom, and kindness!"
Alex Kelly ‘25
Alex spent this summer working with the Portland Housing Authority as a mentor in their summer teen program. Working with three different communities, he helped the teens identify a problem in their neighborhood and work toward solutions that would remedy the root causes of the problem. Each community hosted their own event to increase awareness and bring their solution into practice. In addition, he led team-building exercises, developed activities to build various life skills, and helped each teen develop their own resume.
"I loved my time at PHA because it felt like I grew a stronger bond to Maine by developing relationships outside of Brunswick. I barely knew Portland beforehand, but now I see how many diverse and incredible perspectives exist here. The teens I worked with were amazing, and I know that they all will do great things in their futures."
Daniel Kotorri ‘25
Daniel worked with ProsperityME, a non-profit organization serving the asylum seeking and immigrant community in Portland. The work primarily consisted of data gathering, editing, and visualizing for the 15-year report. It required research in existing Excel files and meetings with people within the organization in order to gather the appropriate data. Also, conducting interviews with Scholarship recipients was crucial because their testimonies were used in our 15-year report. This offered an emotional and meaningful purpose in the report rather than showing our achievements simply by using numbers. Part of the work was also to participate in meetings with the Marketing and Development committee where people were brainstorming ideas and strategies on how to attract people in our annual event in September. Reaching out to donors with our campaign information was part of the summer experience as well.
"Through my work, I helped in the build of our 15-year report which will be used to advertise our programs and achievements to potential donors and organizations. Primary goal is to attract as many donations as possible in the future so that we can improve our programs and help many more people in our community."
Carina Lim-Huang ‘25
Carina Lim-Huang spent her summer as an intern at the ACLU of Maine, where she contributed across different teams. Utilizing GIS software, she crafted visual representations of Maine's counties based on their percentage of white populations, providing insights into jury pool selection. Furthermore, Carina penned articles addressing affirmative action and abortion, highlighting their importance in the contemporary context. She also refined case briefs on the ACLU Maine website, ensuring clarity and easy comprehension for readers. Alongside these achievements, she assisted in enhancing inter-staff communication, strengthening the organization's collaborative efforts.
"My summer experience at the ACLU of Maine was transformative. It not only expanded my grasp of impact litigation but also unveiled the multifaceted avenues available to drive change. Realizing that there are numerous paths to assist my community was empowering. I'm profoundly grateful to my supervisor, whose unwavering support and guidance made this enlightenment possible. Their mentorship has been instrumental in shaping my vision for the future."
Claire Nguyen ‘25
This summer, Claire Nguyen had the opportunity to work with Hope Acts, a non-profit in Portland that assists asylum-seekers. She spent most of her time at the Asylum Seeker Assistance Program, providing direct client services to walk-in clientele. This consisted primarily of completing change of address forms, housing applications, and clothing requests. On Tuesdays, she filled out work permit applications their clinic in the Portland Public Library. Lastly, she conducted an independent research project investigating the wellness services that are offered to immigrant women and children in the Portland area.
"I am extremely grateful to the McKeen Center and to all Hope House employees for their support in making this opportunity possible. I have greatly enjoyed working face-to-face with asylum-seekers, and I have learned so much in the process. I am excited to continue my efforts assisting New Mainers through volunteer work during the school year, and my experience this summer has only affirmed my desire to pursue a career in the non-profit sector in the future."
Fay O’Donnell ‘24
Fay worked with ArtVan this summer. Established in 2004, ArtVan offers a safe, feedback-oriented environment for youth ages 3 to 17 and adults who may benefit from strengths-based art therapy. At no cost to families, ArtVan empowers youth to safely manage emotional expression and engage in the larger community. Without pursuing mental health diagnoses, we meet youth as they show up. ArtVan reaches all genders, racial and ethnic identities, and religious backgrounds right in their neighborhoods.
"This summer has meant more to me than I could have ever imagined. The ArtVan team has been so supportive and the work environment is so nurturing. The youth artists I have worked with made my summer so fulfilling; working with them helped me feel like a kid again. It was truly wonderful to see the positive effect art therapy has on our community."
Brooks Peters ’23
As Communications Intern for The Telling Room, Brooks assisted with regular content creation for the Telling Room, recording photo, video, and audio content for the organization's youth writing programs and publication events. This work took him throughout the state, from visiting camps at the Telling Room location in Portland to helping prepare a newly-published author for headshots and interview up in Bangor. Copywriting duties included contributing to The Telling Room’s newsletter of over 4.7K subscribers. Brooks also engaged in projects to refine existing program’s communications strategies and organize a database of the organization’s stakeholders.
"The most lasting memories of my summer experience will definitely stem from the time spent working directly with The Telling Room's camps and youth programs. It was inspiring to see young people so motivated to make their voices heard. Through recording and creating content for The Telling Room, I was grateful to play a part in getting students’ creative works into the world."
Emely Reyes ‘25
Part of Emely's summer work was independent projects given by Housing Resources for Youth and then working at the Brunswick Teen Center. For HRY, Emely helped develop a stronger presence both digitally and in person. This included creating new social media, making advertising posters for schools, and updating their website. For the teen center, Emely helped maintain a welcoming environment by preparing fresh food, mediating conversations, and discussing new topics with the teens. Emely also had to participate in training related to youth-populated areas like safety, cultural, and LGBTQ+ support training.
"Working for HRY and BTC has been very insightful about the new generation and the struggles that are in the Maine community. A lot of the issues that these adolescents are going through remind me of how I grew up in my Houston community and how vital it is to have these organizations. This summer experience has reevaluated my perspective of Maine and being allowed to be part of their community."
Jack Selig ‘23
This summer, Jack worked for Oasis Free Clinics on a variety of tasks. Oasis provides free primary healthcare, dental care, and counseling services to low income, uninsured community members around Midcoast Maine. Primarily, at the request of Oasis’s lead clinician, Jack researched, spoke to experts, wrote, and eventually presented on the stability of expired solid formulations of medication which will inform future dispensing practices at Oasis. In addition, Jack helped the clinic prepare for a summer garden tour fundraiser by posting fliers in local businesses, and brainstorming and editing copy which was included in tour materials. Finally, Jack conducted research on potential business partnerships and strategies for an upcoming capital campaign.
"Working with Oasis this summer was an incredible experience that has left me feeling more connected to Brunswick and Maine. I gained insight into the disparities that plague healthcare in the United States, honed my writing and research skills, and was privileged enough to work with an amazing staff that are dedicated to expanding healthcare access so that every community member can lead healthier and happier lives."
Jiahn Son ‘25
Jiahn worked with this Preble Street Advocacy Team this summer, conducting legislative research and community outreach to develop and advocate for policy solutions around homelessness, affordable housing, and food insecurity. She worked with the lived experience group Homeless Voices for Justice (HVJ), collaborating with advocates to produce a newsletter. Her independent projects included creating an archive of HVJ, using testimony, news clips, press releases, interviews, and more to develop a timeline of HVJ’s last 20 plus years of community advocacy, and writing a candidates’ questionnaire for the fall You Don’t Need a Home to Vote campaign.
"Learning from lived experience advocates and organizers at the forefront of the housing and homelessness crisis in Maine and Portland has been an eye opening and incredibly educational experience. I’m deeply grateful to my supervisors and Preble Street for giving me such a wonderful opportunity this summer."
Caroline Vauclain ‘25
The majority of the fellow’s time was spent gleaning at local farms alongside volunteers, leading produce processing volunteer shifts in MCHPP’s Community Kitchen, and participating in a variety of MCHPP’s other programs. These experiences provided an opportunity to learn more about Maine’s food systems and the efforts being taken to ensure their sustainability. Through the task of connecting with several other non-profit organizations in and around Brunswick to gather feedback on the gleaning program, they were also offered an extensive view into Midcoast Maine and the impressive work that non-profit organizations are doing to strengthen the Midcoast communities.
"I am so grateful for all of the staff and volunteers at MCHPP this summer who offered their expertise and knowledge about the important work of hunger prevention and about the spirit of the Midcoast communities. I hope to bring everything I have learned along with me through my remaining time at Bowdoin, and continue to engage deeper with the Brunswick and surrounding communities!"