Maine Seacoast Mission to help with storm cleanup on Matinicus, other islands
On Isle au Haut, from left to right, John DeWitt and the Mission’s Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman walk Head Harbor debris field. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
Stephanie Welch surveys debris and soil erosion from January storms. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
Mission staff Stephanie Welch, Mission President John Zavodny, and Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman speak with an island resident following January storms. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
On Isle au Haut, from left to right, John DeWitt and the Mission’s Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman walk Head Harbor debris field. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
Stephanie Welch surveys debris and soil erosion from January storms. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
Mission staff Stephanie Welch, Mission President John Zavodny, and Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman speak with an island resident following January storms. (Photo courtesy Maine Seacoast Mission)
To assist in disaster recovery following January and March storms, Maine Seacoast Mission will hold two, multi-day volunteer service trips to unbridged, outer islands in March and April. The nonprofit will visit the islands of Frenchboro, Great Cranberry, Little Cranberry (Islesford), and Matinicus aboard the organization’s flagship 74-foot vessel, the Sunbeam, and the Beal & Bunker’s mail boats, the Sea Queen or Double B.
Volunteers will assist islands in the clean-up of lands impacted by the January storms, as well as the most recent March storm, and subsequent flooding that affected most of Maine's coastline. Work will include clearing debris, moving items, and removing trash from shorelines, public ways, and publicly used buildings. From March 19 to 21, ten volunteers will travel to Frenchboro, Great Cranberry, and Little Cranberry. From April 12 to 14, volunteers from Sigma Kappa Sorority’s Northeastern University chapter will travel to Matinicus.
Immediately following the January 10 and 13 storms, the Mission traveled to select islands aboard Sunbeam to assess how communities were faring. Some of the damage seen — which islanders still are contending with —include loss and/or damage to personal property, damage to community and business infrastructure, soil and coastline erosion, and ocean debris washed ashore. During the three-day venture, Mission staff and a guest from nonprofit partner Island Institute collected 20 contractor bags of debris in addition to connecting with residents and business owners.
“The Mission has worked with Maine islands for going on 120 years. Following the storms, we wanted to show our continued support and do whatever we could to help, like the Mission has always done,” said Mission president John Zavodny, “These trips also provide an opportunity for volunteers to do something to help their island neighbors and learn more about these amazing communities.”
As destructive storms continue to challenge island and coastal communities, the Mission will continue to work alongside island residents to understand how to best support them.
Rooted in a history of compassionate service and mutual trust, Maine Seacoast Mission seeks to strengthen coastal and island communities by educating youth, supporting families, and promoting good health. For more information, please visit https://seacoastmission.org/
