Maureen Kendzierski, Volunteer Services Coordinator
Major Projects:
All five of our Maine Service Fellows for 2025-2026 are onboarded and in the field. VM ED Brittany Gleixner-Hayat joined a site visit to Van Buren where we met with the Maine Service Fellow at that side and Town Manager Luke Dyer. Also completed a site visit to Dover-Foxcroft to meet with the Maine Service Fellow serving there.
Fellows participated in a 2 day virtual training, Serving with Dignity, led by Tora Johnson of the Sunrise County Economic Council that was funded by the Service Year Alliance Green Employer’s Learning Cohort.
Our 2024-2025 Maine Service Fellow, Gianluca Yornet de Rosas, successfully completed their service on June 30.
Monthly cohort meetings began with the Maine Service Fellows site supervisors, giving them the opportunity to connect with each other around both Maine Service Fellow support and around the challenges of rural municipal governance.
NGA Policy Academy debriefed the June meeting and identified several possible employer & service program partnerships. Meetings between these possible partners will happen over the next months with the support of VM and MDOL. Meetings took place with the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Main Street Skowhegan, and Ending Hunger Corps around possible workforce pathways.
LD876 was enacted and signed into law by Governor Mills; it has been moved to the appropriations committee for review.
Joined the MOCA Directory Workgroup, this group is tasked with creating a working directory of personnel and services that support municipalities as they interact with state services through the Maine Office of Community Affairs. Interviewed Scott Vlaun of the Center for and Ecology Based Economy (CEBE) to learn more about how end-users such as municipalities and community organizations would want to use this directory, and where they have faced challenges in the past when attempting to access information or resources.
Created materials to be used in social media campaigns and web presence for Maine Service Fellows.
Met with PIO to review social media and branding training for Maine Service Fellows.
Issues to be aware of:
Housing is a significant barrier for Maine Service Fellows sites and members when considering participation. There is a need to develop a plan to address this issue through raising awareness, connecting with housing partner opportunities, and fundraising to develop additional stipends that would support housing for members.
There is a significant rate increase coming for health insurance for the Maine Service Fellows in the new contract year, beginning September 1, 2025.
Major focus of effort in new month/Ongoing:
Developing partnerships between employers and service programs to define apprenticeship pathways.
Identify training opportunities for Maine Service Fellows and Site Supervisors.
Continue holding virtual meetings and collaboration between Maine Service Fellows and Maine Service Fellows Site Supervisors 2025-2026 cohort.
Conduct Maine Service Fellows site visits
Continue to collaborate with Resilient Maine
Continue to develop knowledge and begin strategic planning for the next year of MSF site and Service Fellow recruitment.