ROCKLAND — The newly formed Midcoast Community Collaborative (MCC) has launched a new website, which includes a tool for those who work with youth in Knox and Lincoln counties to request resources for youth and families.

As one of the first partners in the network, Trekkers is also its fiscal sponsor. Currently, Trekkers` Program Director Brandon Leppanen is leading the creation of the Youth Support Request process, with an online form now available on its website. The goal of the form is to “take on the work of a teacher trying to navigate the system.” For example, those who work with youth could help a family access fuel assistance or identify and apply for a scholarship towards post-secondary education.

MCC was originally formed in January of 2023 and has continued to grow, according to Trekkers, in a news release. Now, 69 partners have signed on to join the network. Its work has focused on gathering interest from teachers, police, social workers, health care providers, and others in Knox and Lincoln counties and beyond, honing in on areas of greatest impact, and initiating projects that provide solutions for youth and their families.

Over the past year, the network determined that many resources already exist, but accessing them can be challenging to navigate and overwhelming for some. MCC’s vision is to support all youth, from early childhood to adulthood at any level of need (intervention, promotion, and prevention), through a network of connection and collaboration. It includes building a centralized hub for the regional network, a Youth Support Request online form, and hosting trainings and events, so that practitioners can access resources quickly, be able to collaborate towards solutions, and participate in a space for shared learning.

As one of its first projects, MCC has identified a “care desert” between Waldoboro and Rockland, where services are lacking. There, MCC hopes to create a new and improved community model for supporting children. The collaborative has also focused on providing temporary shelter for homeless families this winter in Waldoboro. By working with the nearby motel Traveler to keep doors open, the RSU40 school district, and the community, this interim solution is intended to mitigate negative risks, like chronic absenteeism.

There will be another convening in the Spring to discuss these and future efforts. In addition to the convening, the Trekkers Training Institute has plans to offer professional development to community partners in the area. To learn more about the Midcoast Community Collaborative or to donate to support, visit: https://midcoastcommunitycollaborative.org/

About the Midcoast Community Collaborative:

The Midcoast Community Collaborative is a new backbone network of community members and organizations - from healthcare, behavioral health, schools, community-based organizations, business leaders, families, to youth-serving organizations – focused on supporting the growth and development of healthy children, healthy families and strong communities in Lincoln and Knox County. With 69 partner organizations and several individual contributors, we have started forming a network of support to coordinate and co-create resources that support local children and families in overcoming barriers in order to thrive. Learn more at
https://midcoastcommunitycollaborative.org/
 
About Trekkers: 

For 30 years, the nonprofit organization Trekkers has been dedicated to helping young people thrive. Through its unique six-year mentoring and expeditionary learning program, research shows programs help to increase students’ resiliency skills, ability to build positive relationships, and develop aspirations for the future. To learn more, visit the website at trekkers.org.